Rumor: Rock Band delayed in Canada until Dec. 19 [update 1]

by Ross Miller { Nov 11th 2007 at 4:05PM }

Harmonix and Electronic Arts' love child Rock Band is supposed to launch its North American tour in a little over a week, but Canada might not be seeing this game until just before Christmas. Canadian retailer Future Shop (owned by Best Buy) has updated its listing for the game with a new release date: December 19 for Xbox 360 and the day after for PlayStation 3. (Curiously, a version of Rock Band without instruments is also listed for those dates.)

A number of readers have also reported that their local Canadian EB Games are corroborating the four-week delay. There's no official word from EA or Harmonix yet. Online retailers are prone to error, and with just a week before the game is slated for release, we hope that's all it is. Otherwise, given such short notice and such a noticeable delay, local EA offices might have a mosh pit of angry Hockey fanatics to contend with.

Update: bits bytes pixels and sprites has an interview with Harmonix where it is noted that packaging regulations (i.e. Canadian boxes must have English and French text) might cause a short delay -- though we hardly doubt that would justify four weeks of absence. It should also be noted that the PS2 version of the game is due out December 17 which, if the delay is indeed an error, would explain the origins of the miscommunicated release date.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in!]

Tags: canada, delay, ea, eb-games, ebgames, electronic-arts, electronicarts, future-shop, futureshop, rock-band, rockband

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

fscker @ Nov 11th 2007 4:11PM

Best Buy in Seattle has Rock Band on display. It sort of sucks. Harder to hit the notes than GHIII... harder to navigate menus. The demo also had the training disabled, which is retarded.

fscker @ Nov 11th 2007 4:16PM

And just to add to this... you'll want to get the GHIII guitar instead of the RB guitar, it's just better, especially the strummer.

E.D. @ Nov 11th 2007 4:25PM

You have to remember that GH3's hammer-ons and pull-offs were made way easier than in GH2 since the new note charts were so crazy... so obviously, going back to a Harmonix game would be kind of a shock since the timing window for the notes would be more similar to GH2.

The smooshy strum bar is a tricky one though... some people prefer it while others hate it... guess we'll see when it comes out.

Stupidiot @ Nov 11th 2007 4:12PM

Please tell me that Rock Band is out before my birthday in February in Europe...

Si @ Nov 11th 2007 5:23PM

Actually, most places have the Europe (or at least UK) release date at mid March. Which sucks. Hard.

Stupidiot @ Nov 11th 2007 5:42PM

*Dies*

Dustin @ Nov 11th 2007 4:12PM

I will kill several thousand small children if this is the case.

E.D. @ Nov 11th 2007 4:17PM

This is purely evil, really. One week before release? A full month's delay? Quickly, everyone, sell your stocks!

Tango Charlie @ Nov 11th 2007 4:18PM

Solution (for those who live close to the border): drive south and pick it up for cheaper than it'd be in Canada anyway, due to A) the favorable exchange rate and B) the fact that the list price will probably be higher in Canada.

E.D. @ Nov 11th 2007 4:21PM

That works for some people, yeah, but I'm several hours from the US and the gas would make it cost more... not to mention that you'd have to go twice: once to preorder and once to pick it up... and you wouldn't be able to preorder anyway because we're one week from release and everybody's already taken all of the preorders up!

Tango Charlie @ Nov 11th 2007 4:56PM

I guess we could just... wait? There may be a game or two worth playing during that time..

Karen @ Nov 11th 2007 4:19PM

I heard this at 2 EB's in the last week in Canada. Didn't the first Guitar Hero have the same problem because of lack of french on the box or something. I don't remember completely...

E.D. @ Nov 11th 2007 4:22PM

Yeah the Guitar Hero 1 release was pretty much a disaster up here... except the game wasn't that popular back then. Rock Band is a heck of a lot more popular and the publisher is EA... these guys should know what they're doing, it's not like the Canadian language laws are anything new.

Sean @ Nov 11th 2007 4:29PM

Bummer, eh?

Negativecool @ Nov 11th 2007 4:32PM

"Yaaaaah, I'm from Canadaaaa. Dey tink I'm sloooww eeehh?"

SoxFan13 @ Nov 11th 2007 4:35PM

Why is it curious that there's version with no instruments? Wasn't this already confirmed by EA/Harmonix?

SnesR0X @ Nov 11th 2007 4:40PM

Stupid fucks. I was going to buy it the first day it came out. Now I have to go to shitty-ass U.S. to get it.

At least Canadian money is worth more than bush-pubes American.

sheppy2.0 @ Nov 11th 2007 4:55PM

Why is it, anytime anything happens to show favoritism towards a products home market, we either get to hear about how much America thinks we're so much better than everyone else or how much we suck? I mean, I'm not trying to make a general statement with that but it does seem like the trend.

I'm American yet have no decision making abilities in how our country is run. Why must I catch shit from you? Our American dollar is in the toilet... well no shit. Thank you for reminding me who put us into this situation. Got an immediate solution? No? Then fuck off.

Silent Xenocide @ Nov 11th 2007 4:58PM

You think thats bad, my job entails me talking to americans all day on the phone.

Negativecool @ Nov 11th 2007 5:57PM

Silent Xenocide-

So YOU'RE the guy from India that claims his name is "Bob" and can only speak broken English but expects to help with highly communication intensive PC trouble shooting. I gotta say, I LOVE the work you do.

Adam Zey @ Nov 20th 2007 7:06PM

Immediate solution: ask to be paid in Canadian dollars.

SnesR0X @ Nov 11th 2007 5:16PM

No offense sheppy, but that happens to just about every Country at some point or another. There isn't a solution for it to go away permanently, so while I agree with you it may not be your fault, everyone knows the U.S. has arrogant redneck dicks, and the world knows who it was that voted one of the most shit-headed leaders in history into power.

Your dollar is in the toilet right now? Don't complain, our prices are still higher, just like the U.K. has higher prices than us, and so on.

sheppy2.0 @ Nov 11th 2007 5:35PM

"There isn't a solution for it to go away permanently, so while I agree with you it may not be your fault, everyone knows the U.S. has arrogant redneck dicks, and the world knows who it was that voted one of the most shit-headed leaders in history into power."

I can't help but wonder, since when does the obnoxious minority speak for the majority? Yes, the US has arrogant redneck dickheads. Congrats, asshole. Well done on that awesome sherlock level deduction.

However, I am not an arrogant redneck dickhead. In fact, I normally only bite back once someone has bitten me. For example? If you didn't take the opportunity to attack the way our economy was circling the drain, I would not be jumping back right now. It's really that simple. Yes, there is a very vocal minority of our citizens that scream about how the US is number one and all that shit, but not everyone here is like that. Just as I'm sure not everyone in Canada spends their days bitching about Americans.

So tell you what, I'll agree not to jump your shit for making ignorant broad statements as long as you agree not to make them. Sound simple enough?

EMaster @ Nov 11th 2007 5:34PM

This is bullshit. Meaning this is totally bogus. Futureshop likes putting up fake dates. For instance, according to them GTA IV comes out on March 1st 2008. Please never use them as a credible source again. Now their website states that Rock band is out of stock. Again, bogus.

SnesR0X @ Nov 11th 2007 5:51PM

Simple as a smooth bong hit sheppy :p
I'm not bitching about people from the US or the US itself, I'm just happy I'm here, but unhappy about Rock Band not releasing here when it should. It may just be a rumor after all though, so fuck it.

ColossalHat @ Nov 11th 2007 6:35PM

Learn to use the reply button I know it's unreliable. But three posts that could've all been in the same spot spread all across the first page? Bad form. ;p

On your topic, the popular vote did not get Bush into office, twas the damn electoral college. In other words, politicians voted him in, not the general populous.

Vegeta (aka Ska Oreo) @ Nov 11th 2007 6:08PM

You canadians deserved it (you know what you did!!!!).

ColossalHat @ Nov 11th 2007 6:37PM

They did it last summer didn't they?

Darkbhudda @ Nov 11th 2007 11:14PM

Still smarting over that war in 1812?

JFriah @ Nov 19th 2007 4:46PM

Yeah! Burnt down your White House way back in the day!
Take THAT 1812!

Travis @ Nov 11th 2007 7:14PM

oh wells....gives me time to play Mario Galaxy

Matthew Quann @ Nov 11th 2007 7:22PM

I am a Canadian citizen and I went over to Ebgames this weekend to pay off Rock Band, pick up Zach and Wiki for my sister's Christmas gift and Call of Duty 4 for my brother. When I asked when i could pick it up he told me I would be waiting until December 20th. It is extremely foolish and I hope that it is not the case.

BlackTye @ Nov 11th 2007 10:07PM

Well, sucks to be them, eh?

I played the demo in my local Best Buy, and I loved it. I really think it kicks GH3's ass.
Unfortunately, it doesn't have "Guitar Hero" in the title so it might struggle initially.

I was standing at the demo and this phrase was uttered:
"What the hell is this? A Guitar Hero knockoff?"

In all honesty, Rock Band is the true sequel to GH2.

Nounverber @ Nov 11th 2007 10:19PM

That would seriously suck if it happened in the US, I feel for ya, Canada.

Granteezy @ Nov 12th 2007 12:33AM

This sucks, like really sucks. I'm dying to start playing the drums!

Carl @ Nov 12th 2007 3:24AM

Yeah I preordered Rock Band here in Scarborough (Toronto), Ontario and the guy told me that the release date is December 20....

I hope its not true

Chainblast @ Nov 12th 2007 4:59AM

So the largest games publisher in the world didn't have enough time or foresight to include French on the box? It's not like they've never released a game in Canada before, jeez.

Anyway it's not like it matters. Most Canadians are boarding hopping to avoid price gouging. If they want it on the November release date most won't have anymore trouble finding a copy than an American would.

Ryan Henson Creighton @ Nov 12th 2007 10:51AM

The trouble with cross-border shopping is this:

If you go from Ontario to New York, you buy your item and pay 4% NY state sales tax.

When you come back across to Canada, you have to pay GST (6% Canadian Goods and Services tax) ***AND** PST (8% Provincial Sales Tax) on your purchase. You can only claim $50 if you go for 1 day, and Rock Band is $170.

Think that's bad? Get this: you pay 14% GST/PST ON TOP OF the 4% NY sales tax.

That's right, Canadian frinds. They tax you on tax.

Then you can enjoy crossing back over. When i did it two weeks ago, it took 1.5 hours to drive 1.25 miles in the line-up at Canadian customs.

Trust me - if the rumours are true, it's worth waiting a little while to get it in Canada.

Kraai @ Dec 2nd 2007 1:25PM

Put it in your trunk, then. You were visiting your American cousin, right?

dizzle @ Nov 13th 2007 12:13PM

Henson has hit it right, along with Snesrox. Why bother for a month right now, as every place I called was booked up their ass in preorders. I'm a self-confessed vidiot, but you have to be a star wars style nerd to waste a day driving down, waiting in line to come back, and paying duty on top of it. (as it's not manufactured in the good ol USA, it's developed here, packaged in China, check the box) I can wait a month for the game, although it would be nice to get it before my annual X-mas party with a litter of drunk 30-40 somethings hitting their RockBand Stride come 2AM. SNESROX is right with the US, as literally a good majority of US are rednecks who have no idea what's outside of their town, "lets go getem Earl" It's not quite a wonder why the most celebrated place in the world is also the most hated. Personally, I love americans, but if y'all lost the I'm better than everyone highschool jocko and the "if you can't beat em, bomb em" mentality/attitude you'd be much more admired world wide

Diz

Kildaz @ Nov 16th 2007 3:20PM

Ok guys... before buying a 450$ rock band bundle on Ebay check with your local retailer in Canada.

Some lobbying is going on with retailers in Canada because my local retailer near Montreal (I cannot say the name) will get a limited Rock Band X360 bundle for November 28.

This is not a rumour; he assured me the bundle for the November 28. So if you are a good customer and you know your retailer, take a guest and ask. A limited quantities will be available a week after the release in Canada.

Regards
Kildaz

Dalilama @ Nov 19th 2007 8:59PM

I work at Blockbuster Video in BC, Canada, and Rock Band had been delayed until at LEAST Dec 18th.

It sucks

Marty_McFly @ Nov 28th 2007 12:40PM

Last week, I saw a retailer in Montreal QC that had the 360 bundle... he was selling it 250$... I almost went for it... today I called the store, asked if he still had it, guess what, price went up to 300$.

Went to another retailer, he had plenty of boxes of the PS3 and 360 versions he was also asking 300$ a pop... now that is seriously retarded. I used to faithfully go to that store to buy games, primarily to encourage a "mom and pop store" but now... the dude's abusive money-making attitude just pisses me off. I'll wait in line in at Best Buy on the 20th.

Ryan Henson Creighton @ Dec 2nd 2007 5:50PM

Postscript: My own personal Guitar Hero drove down to Niagara Falls the day after Rock Band came out. Couldn't find it ANWHERE ... except Sears. That's right - he grabbed two copies at Sears and brought one back for me. Have been loving the game for a week now, with only two snags:

1. Can't buy DLC in Canada yet
2. My guitar broke, and they won't replace it because the game wasn't released here.