Too Late for the New Fender Rock Band 3 Guitar?

As expected, Fender officially announced the release date and price of their new Squier Rock Band 3 guitar. Oddly, the surprise came from the March 1st date of release rather than the $279.99 price tag. It may be a tough sell to fans almost six months after the game releases, especially since the Pro Mustang Guitar by Mad Catz that is available to play with the game now, has gotten such mediocre reviews. What people should remember, however, is that the reviews are based largely on the instrument and not the actual guitar Pro Mode created by Harmonix in Rock Band 3. So before judgement is passed, remember that the game has a solid learning process that may be better utilized with the new Fender guitar.

The question remains, will it be too late? Let's face it, March 1st is a long way away. There are a lot of new games releasing between now and then that will give gamers plenty of reasons to forget about Rock Band 3. Fender is failing to capitalize on the hype of the game and the Holiday Season, which would have helped sales dramatically. The reason for the delay is unknown, but one would imagine it's either due to the instrument being unfinished or there are some legal ramifications that need to be abided by. Whichever it may be, fans and sales numbers are undoubtedly going to suffer. The only consolation is that people will be able to pre-order the guitar starting January 1st, so maybe there will be some gamers who will still have money available the week after Christmas.

On the flip side of the coin are the positives to the guitar releasing in March. First, if the guitar is not finished, then it's great to hear Fender is taking the time to get the new Squier as close to perfection as possible. Fender has been a leader in quality assurance for years, and it would be good to see them taking this project seriously and not as a simple video game controller. Also, although sales numbers may be reduced, it's ideal for the potential buyers because there will be less of a chance of backorders. Think about it. If Fender released the new guitar December 1st and received hundreds of orders to be shipped by Christmas, there may have been no way to keep up with the demand and would have led to a Nintendo Wii style shortage. Sure, eBay sellers who were able to get their hands on one would have been happy, but the rest of the interested gaming world would suffer. So the delay to March 1st certainly reduces that possibility.

The bottom line is, if people are serious about learning to play the guitar and have been frustrated by conventional lessons, then they are going to buy this guitar. The new Fender Squier Stratocaster for Rock Band3 allows gamers to plug the guitar into an amp while playing along to their favorite Rock Band song, giving them the ability to hear their mistakes and successes in their living rooms. And since the guitar functions as a standalone instrument, they can take the skills learned from the game into their garage with their buddies and rock out until the neighbors complain. Is it worth the wait until March? From what I've seen at E3 and read from Fender, absolutely. It's a shame that the guitar was not released alongside the game, but in the end, if we've waited this long to learn how to play, we may as well wait a little longer for something worthwhile.

Start saving your money, because come March 1st, we'll all be rockstars.

Official Fender Rock Band 3 Squier Stratocaster Guitar Info:

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Fender, the name synonymous with rock 'n' roll, brings you the world's first electric guitar that is also an officially licensed Rock Band™ 3 video game controller. Created for musicians and gamers alike, the Squier by Fender Stratocaster Guitar and Controller rocks both worlds—whether plugged into a guitar amp or into a video game console. Be the first to receive exclusive information about its release by signing up now!