Some assumed the spate was over money, and now Activision is leaving no doubt on that point.

"We believe we should be compensated for the use of our technology," said Activision spokeswoman Maryanne Lataif to the Boston Globe today.

"Unfortunately for Rock Band users," continued Lataif, "Harmonix has been unwilling to discuss an agreement that will allow us to provide that option in a manner that maintains the high standards people have come to expect from Activision."

Activision's Guitar Hero III controllers have been supported by the Xbox 360 version of Rock Band since the launch of the game in November, though the PlayStation 3 version is not playable with the platform's respective Guitar Hero III guitars. With peripheral costs mounting, many gamers feel cheated by Activision's reluctance to match its competitor's move.

"We are really and truly not looking at this from the financial standpoint," commented Harmonix spokeswoman Spencer Saltonstall. "We are looking at this from the consumer standpoint."

Others question the economic sense of denying the patch, claiming that Activision is only losing out on potential sales of Guitar Hero by blocking Rock Band users from using their existing peripherals with the game.

"I was going to buy the Guitar Hero 3 bundle for PS3 so that I can have a second guitar for Rock band," said Shacknews user razlebol. "Now... they lose my money."