Whilst at The Social in London for a chance to try out Rockband 4, I managed to have a sit down interview with Global PR and Communications Manager for Mad Catz Alex ‘Big Boy’ Verrey. We talked about the companies new partnership with Harmonix as well as some information about the new hardware and technology. Here is what we talked about:

Me – We are here talking about Rockband 4. I have been playing it here at The Social here in London.

Alex – It’s a great venue isn’t it? Very rock & roll.

Me – Not forgetting the great hot dogs.

Alex – Oh yes great hot dogs, crazy hot dogs yeah. Thank to The Social for that by the way.

Me – Of course there is a huge partnership now with Mad Catz and Harmonix. This time you guys are co-publishers. Tell us about that.

Alex – Yes, co-publishers. Can you believe that? Well we decided to take our partnership one step further. Our relationship with Harmonix goes back a good few years in fact. A lot of people may not know this but we made all the hardware for Rockband 3. We were the official partners for the game so that means we made the keyboard, pro guitar and the other peripherals. We then took over production of the legacy products as well meaning that the older guitars and everything else was in our hands.

We never stopped talking to Harmonix through this games development. We have collectively been working on Rockband 4 for just over a year now. It just seemed to make sense. It allowed us to take control of our own destiny.

If I may just go off on one for a second, one thing you may realise with Rockband 3 in Europe is that you had EA publishing. Harmonix developing and Mad Catz on the hardware.

Me – It sounds like an awkward match between all these companies working together.

Alex – I wouldn’t really say awkward, we found a way to make it work. But it’s simpler now and the truth of the matter is that the only people that win in this situation are the gamers. We know hardware and European retail so we can work far closer with Harmonix and retail to make sure that day one when the game comes out you will be able to buy the game and the hardware.

I will go on record by the way, since the games announcement at PAX we were overwhelmed and stunned at the reaction that the gaming community and the retailers have had to Rockband. Yes we are doing everything we can to make sure that the game and hardware are available day one. But if you want to guarantee the new hardware to be in your hands is if you pre-order. Sign up on our website for further information on that but pre-orders will be starting very soon.

Dom – Okay so I am a massive fan of the Rockband series and of course Mad Catz themselves. You guys make really good peripherals for PC and consoles. The new hardware that is coming in to Rockband includes new guitars, drum kits and microphones. What is the new technology inside these instruments?

Alex – Well this is the more interesting thing. Since we sat down and started working with Harmonix we realised that there were many directions we could go with no controllers. The developers view was that we should not innovate for the sake of innovation. It is ver easy to say ‘Hey, we have a new controller. That’s innovation’. Is it? We aren’t so sure about that. If you look at our guitar controllers for example they already have ten buttons on them, the strum bar, overdrive and many ways that we can use our previous controllers to innovate for us. It was very important that we didn’t alienate our audience that has already got legacy controllers and has already worked so hard to hone their skills.

Now if you look at the Rockband 4 hardware, at first glance it is going to tell you that it’s exactly the same. Nothing could be further from the truth. The designs may look the same but every aspect of them has been re-engineered from the ground up. For example the buttons on the guitars have been completely changed, we have added positive force actuation on them as well so they don’t feel as floaty. Introduced a brand new digital accelerometer for the tilt sensor as before it was kind of goofy. Brand new photo and audio sensors for auto-calibration that now works as it is truly intended to do. We have also introduced more structural reinforcements in the neck and base of the guitars so they do not feel as plastic as they used to. We have gone down to using just two batters with up to forty eight hours of power and we have direct communication between the console and the controller without the use of a dongle. Just about every aspect where you could improve we have improved on the guitar controller.

Dom – Now one thing that was said here at the event is that you can use your old Rockband controllers for the new game.

Alex – Here is the interesting thing about that. When it comes to using your old hardware, it has never been attempted before in the history of consoles to bring a previous generation of first party hardware and port it across to the new generation. The lengths that Mad Catz and Harmonix have gone to has been incredible. So we have been able to make the game so now if you have old Guitar Hero or Rockband controllers at home, you can use them on your PS4 or Xbox One. We are also planning on supporting the use of the Guitar Hero Live controller in Rockband 4. Not guaranteed just yet as we haven;t got our hands on one, but once we do we will definitely have something in the works.

We want there to be a very low barrier of entry for gamers. So if you have PS3 hardware you can use them on PS4 without the need for additional adapters. Xbox 360 controllers will work on Xbox One but you are going to need a little adapter that we are putting the finishing touches on in preparation for launch day.

Me – That’s fantastic. I know me and a few of my friends between us have a ton of guitars, drums and microphones lying around hoping to be used again. So it gives us a chance to now jump in and not have to fork out extra for the new hardware right away.

Of course if we find out that our kit is too old and not as efficient it used to be, we can always pick and choose what we want that is new.

Alex – Remember that you can also use an old symbol kit and use them with the new rockband drums to help you mix and match a bit more. We are absolutely doing everything in our power to support the community and help them go out and get what they need.

After our initial chat we concluded the interview discussing more in depth about the hardware’s durability. Alex has assured me and the consumers out there that the controllers have been re-optimised for the next generation and has been crafted to withstand longer. This is perfect for anyone out there doing big party game sessions with friends or those who wish to become the best in the world with crazy guitar rifts or mad drum solos.

It was great interviewing Alex and a nice experience trying out Rockband 4 before its release. Be sure to check out our official preview of the game and let us know your thoughts on the new Mad Catz hardware in the comments.

by Dominic Coles | June 2nd, 2015