No More Free Guitar Hero DLC Songs for Nintendo Wii Players

Nintendo has evidently put an end to free DLC songs for Guitar Hero and Band Hero Wii players.  5Frets.com investigates why, by contacting Nintendo, Neversoft, and Steve Ouimette.

Over the last 5 months, 3 packs totaling 10 free DLC songs have been released.  But one thing remains constant: None of them have been available free for Nintendo Wii players. Why is that?

Free Guitar Hero DLC songs have been a nice bonus for Guitar Hero players since DLC first came to Guitar Hero 3 on Xbox 360 and PS3 in 2007.  I talked about most of them a few months ago in 15 Free Guitar Hero 5 & World Tour DLC Songs: Why Haven't You Downloaded These?

Activision Track Pack

However, in that article I also pointed out how the 3 song "Activision Track Pack" (released August 13th, 2009 ) was free for everybody worldwide, EXCEPT Nintendo Wii players in the USA.  For them, the songs showed up as regular 200 Wii Point singles in the Guitar Hero World Tour Music Store (and later GH5).  This was especially strange since at first, the songs were also 200 Wii Points for Europe Wii players.  But then this was "corrected" and the songs were made free to Europeans.

The songs were never made free for USA Wii players, despite claims from Guitar Hero that they were "looking into" the situation.

The official Activision press release used careful language that suggests it was never going to be free for Wii players:

The Activision Track Pack will be available for free on Xbox Live Marketplace and PlayStation Store.  The songs will also be available as singles on Wii.

Neversoft Thanks the Fans Track Pack

The next free DLC was a big one offered on November 24th, 2009 – the 6 song "Neversoft Thanks the Fans Track Pack".  Included was the popular Neversoft employee band "An Endless Sporadic"'s 10 minute medley "From the Blue/Point of No Return/T.T.R.T.S".

Right away things looked ugly for Wii owners. The Activision press release stated:

Neversoft is thanking their fans this week by offering Guitar Hero 5 and Band Hero Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 owners a FREE track pack. The free Neversoft Thanks the Fans Track Pack features songs from bands featuring Neversoft employees, including:

[song list]

The Neversoft Thanks the Fans Track Pack is now available via Xbox LIVE Marketplace and PlayStation Store for free.

Also, Metallica’s Death Magnetic album is now available for Wii owners. For 200 Wii points per song, gamers can play the following Metallica’s Death Magnetic songs in Guitar Hero 5 and Band Hero:

[Death Magnetic song list]

This time there is no mention of Wii getting the songs whatsoever, not even for purchase.  Instead, that week's Wii DLC was the long-delayed Metallica Death Magnetic album DLC.  Why should Death Magnetic preclude releasing the track pack for Wii?  Neversoft never explained why, although they also never explained why it took over a year for Death Magnetic to fully arrive on Wii, either…

Neversoft Hints that Nintendo is to Blame

In the official announcement by Neversoft on the GuitarHero.com Forums for the "Neversoft Thanks the Fans Track Pack", note the careful language used:

The songs are not hosted by Neversoft or Activision. We have tried to make the free songs available on all platforms. So the pack is now available where it can be – thank you to Microsoft and Sony for making it possible. We also thank our fans for being so rocktastic!

I don't think it would be possible to come any closer to blaming Nintendo without outright saying it.  Unsurprisingly, this statement stirred up a hornet's nest of angry Wii players, disappointed they were getting the short end of the DLC stick.  Neversoft attempted to explain:

Pointing fingers never helps anyone. We just thank Sony and Microsoft for helping us release the packs to the fans for free.

Hark! The Herald Angels Sing – Free Steve Ouimette Christmas Single

For Christmas 2007, Guitar Hero offered GH3 Xbox 360 and PS3 players an excellent free Christmas Single by fan-favorite guitarist Steve Ouimette: "We Three Kings".

Christmas 2009 saw another Steve Ouimette free holiday single: "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing".  Once again, Nintendo Wii players were upset to find out they would not be getting this song in any way, shape, or form.  From the Activision press release:

What better way to welcome in the holidays then by playing along to Steve Ouimette's version of the classic "Hark The Herald Angels Sing," which will be available as a free download on the Xbox 360(R) video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and PlayStation(R)3 computer entertainment system for Guitar Hero 5 and Band Hero on December 22.

Nintendo and Steve Ouimette Respond When Asked About the Missing Wii DLC

By now, Wii rockers were becoming quite irritated and suspicious that free DLC had been banned altogether by Nintendo.

5Frets contacted both Nintendo and Steve Ouimette to ask why Wii players were not getting Hark! The Herald Angels Sing.

Nintendo issued a form letter response (which other GH players have also received):

12/23/09

Hello,
Thank you for your email. We appreciate the feedback that you had for us. While I don't have specifics as to why the free songs aren't available on the Wii console, I'll be certain to add your comments to the record or feedback for this issue. Please note that if we get any updated information regarding this matter, we'll be sure to post the news to our website (www.nintendo.com), so please check back from time to time.
Sincerely,
Nintendo of America Inc.

I definitely won't be holding my breath for that news on nintendo.com… that's for sure.  (Has Nintendo.com ever posted any Guitar Hero DLC news… ever?)

Steve Ouimette responded, too:

[...]
As to why Hark! isn't coming out on the Wii I do not know, that would be a decision Activision made that doesn't involve me. It may be for a variety of reasons but honestly I haven't heard any official news.

If I do find out anything about the Wii I will be sure to let you know.
[...]

UPDATE: Neversoft Explains Why Existing Free DLC Has Now Been Removed

In another official GuitarHero.com forum posting, Neversoft brings a new issue to light – some of the existing 15 free DLC songs have been removed from the Guitar Hero Music Store.

Neversoft  » Wed Jan 13, 2010

About the missing Wii DLC in World Tour, it seems that the content was removed because we could not continue to have free content in the Wii music store.

[...]

Since those particular tracks you want to purchase cannot be placed in the store for free, we can't place them in the music store at all at this time. Those songs are to be specifically distributed as free content so we can't charge for something that is supposed to be free. Against the rules.

The second part explains why Wii hasn't got the free Neversoft, and Steve Ouimette tracks, but only makes the issue more confusing considering the story of the Activision Track Pack, which (as mentioned earlier) was supposed to be free but instead was sold for the standard $2.00 price to North American Wii owners.  Reports suggest that recently those 3 songs were removed altogether from the Wii Music Store.

This sheds more light on the fact that it appears to be a change in Nintendo policy that prevents free DLC from being offered to Wii owners.  Rock Band Wii players have reported that Rock Band too, has been denied free DLC over the past several months.

Some of the 15 free DLC songs are still in the music store – so if you haven't downloaded them yet, you had better hurry up before they get removed as well.

Want to Help Get Free DLC Back on Nintendo Wii?  Contact Nintendo

What can you do to help?  Contact Nintendo with their easy website contact form and let them know Wii players are upset about being shortchanged the free DLC that Xbox and PS3 players get.  Ask for answers why we are being denied.