* AudienceAlienatingPremise: For years, fans of rhythm games had endured derision from real musicians about playing on guitar-shaped controllers instead of learning real guitar. Needless to say, the idea of a rhythm game (marketed to the aforementioned fans) using a real guitar got some backlash.
* SugarWiki/AwesomeMusic
* EvenBetterSequel: ''Rocksmith 2014 edition'' is such an improvement that it makes the original completely obsolete. Ubisoft even describes it as a replacement rather than a sequel. It ditches any sort of campaign mode in favor of focusing entirely on teaching how to play, makes the interface bearable, and is available on next-gen platforms. All the songs including DLC can be imported into Rocksmith 2014 (with a few exceptions) so there really is no good reason to ever play the original more than once.
** The "Remastered" edition of 2014 for [=PS4=] and Xbox One brings out even more improvements, and if you bought the PC port, you get upgraded for free too!
* PolishedPort: The PC Version, as well as copies of the game with the bass expansion available right from the start without having to download it. Not to mention that the PC version and ''ALL'' DLC goes on sale regularly. Ubisoft gives no real reason why the console DLC does not. And of course the DLC isn't cross-compatible.
** PortingDisaster: ...assuming of course that the game runs without any problems. The PC version, being ported from the consoles AND run on the polarizing Uplay client, is known to have a lot of incompatibilities that makes it unplayable for a number of people.
* ScrappyMechanic: The Riff Repeater and double encores.
** Which is why the Riff Repeater got a major overhaul in Rocksmith 2014 and double encores were completely dropped.