Some were upset at the per-track price of $2.08, wondering why the songs, all performed by cover bands, were priced higher than an iTunes download. (Hint: an iTunes track isn’t interactive, guys.) But most of the outrage was directed at Activision’s bundling policy, which could have the effect of forcing gamers to buy one or two songs they don’t want in order to get the ones they do. (Activision executives declined to comment.) Message-board posters quickly calculated that to repurchase all the songs from the first Guitar Hero would cost $62.48, even though the PS2 version of Guitar Hero I, available only on disc, can be bought for $40. As of last Friday, an online petition already had more than 9,000 signatures. “Stairway to Heaven” appears to have become a “Highway to Hell.”
