Rock Band to get limited release in New Zealand

Rock Band finally comes down under… but not in Australia. What gives?!

Well that figures. Rock Band now has what seems like a confirmation for New Zealand, but here I am a bit confused…

Do you not like us Australians, Harmonix / EA? Have our needs to be rock demons with bands like AC/DC, Silverchair, and a plethora of others shamed you into thinking that we should be the last bloody country to get Rock Band?

In case you stopped at that first paragraph with the news that New Zealand is going to get Rock Band, I’ll say it again:

New Zealand is going to get Rock Band.

The interesting news is that the Gameplanet store in New Zealand that made the announcement have said that it’s going to be a “one-off shipment” and as a result the stocks will go quick. I guess it just begs the question however…

Why only New Zealand and not Australia?

This is the second time EA have done this. Just a month or so ago, Spore Creature Creator was released around the world everywhere but Australia. I ordered my copy online from EA’s New Zealand store. Only now from this weekend will Australians get to own a copy of Spore Creature Creator when it’s given out with newspapers over the upcoming weekend.

My editor – Cec – made the funny observation that it’d be good if Rock Band were released in the same way and you’d be left dragging a three-hundred buck Rock Band game & accessory kit home after buying a two-buck newspaper.

Seriously, there’s something wrong with the whole thing. It’s bad enough that the pricing is insane. Think of how much an Xbox 360 currently costs and you’ll begin to get an idea as to how much the kit will cost you.

And then there’s that whole issue of Rock Band 2 just around the corner… I’m beginning to feel a little left out in the cold here. I’ve played Rock Band and preferred it to Guitar Hero but this whole thing is just making me wonder whether anyone will actually care when it is released here.

Written by Leigh D. Stark