Rock Band 3 Keyboard Bundle Blocked for PS3 in U.S.

[Logan Westbrook]

Rock Band 3 Keyboard Bundle Blocked for PS3 in U.S.

If you own a PS3, contractual obligations and agreements terms may have just made Rock Band 3 slightly more expensive for you.

Rock Band 3 [http://www.amazon.com/Rock-Band-3-Xbox-360/dp/B003RS8HG6/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1286038241&sr=8-2] is adding keyboards to the Rock Band cocktail, but fans of the series will already have a closet full of plastic guitars and drums, so are really only going to want the game and the new instrument. Unfortunately, if you're a North American PS3 owner, that'll probably cost you a little bit more than everyone else.

Harmonix has announced in a post [http://www.rockband.com/forums/showthread.php?t=201785] on its official website that the keyboard and game bundle for Rock Band 3 will not be available for the PS3 in the U.S., Canada or Mexico, due to "agreement terms" for the North American region. In the statement, Harmonix says that it is working with retailers who had taken pre-orders for the bundle to see if they would be willing to offer the keyboard and the game - both of which will be available for the PS3 as standalone products - as a "soft bundle" at the pre-order price of $129.99. This will be at the retailer's discretion however, and some may choose to opt out. The difference in price is only about ten bucks, but that that's still ten bucks more than people grabbing them on other platforms.

The bundle will still be available for the Xbox 360 and the Wii in North America, and will be available on the PS3 in Europe. Rock Band 3 will be released for PS3, Xbox 360, Wii and the DS, on October 26th.

Source: 1up [http://www.1up.com/news/rock-band-keyboard-bundles-not-for-ps3]


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[SnootyEnglishman]

I'm still glad i've stopped frosting my pants over these games because with all these developments and backhanded tactics it just feels wrong by buying these games.

 

[Kmadden2004]

Funny how this kind of thing happens when Rock Band is concerned. I remember the Wii version of Rock Band 2 wasn't released in the UK until about a month after The Beatles: Rock Band came out... due to "agreement terms"...

 

[Jumplion]

Aw man, that's total BS. I'm still debating whether to shell out the cash for the instruments, but regardless this is, as the kids these days would call it, "weak".

 

[TLatshaw]

I smell pettiness!

 

[Something Amyss]

Wow, that's odd.

Getting mine for the 360, so it's not like I'm at risk, but seriously?

 

[Dorkmaster Flek]

Harmonix has nothing to do with this. They're not involved with the peripheral manufacture or distribution at all anymore. This is very, very odd. If there was an issue between Harmonix and Mad Catz, why would it only affect the PS3, and only in the US at that? Sony has got to be involved in this somehow...

 

[Lullabye]

They're adding a keyboard?
I might just actually buy it then. I mean, like teh drums, it seems like it actually takes some instrumental skill to play.

 

[Judgement101]

How the hell are agreements keeping them from shipping a keyboard?

 

[DanielPowell33]

I don't really mind, wasn't planning on getting the keyboard anyways. There's just not enough songs I like on RB3 to warrant getting a new, expensive, peripheral.

 

[SaintWaldo]

Missing out on a Mad Catz bundled keytar (guiteyboard?) is nothing to get upset about, on any platform. I'm just buying the Rock Band 3 MIDI PRO-Adapter and plugging in a real MIDI keyboard, anyway.

How the hell are agreements keeping them from shipping a keyboard?

Mad Catz is the one to really ask, I think. Also, when it comes to restrictions in the U.S. or NA region, another highly likely culprit is usually Microsoft. Remember the total absence of a Mad Catz microphone with RB buttons for PS3? Yeah, some of us do.

Harmonix is just the news bearer.

 

[Steve the Pocket]

what are these agreement terms..

Term #1: You do not talk about the Agreement Terms.
Term #2: You do NOT talk about the Agreement Terms.

 

[Blind Sight]

See, whenever I hear something about 'agreement terms' that doesn't even explain the problem with the terms, my bullshit sensor goes off.

 

[Daniel Matthews]

Good thing I live in the UK then I guess...

 

[Carlston]

Guess developers haven't figured out the USA isn't a cash cow anymore...

Sorry guys, lotta unemployment due to jobs send to other countries.
Maybe Kenya will buy your game more than us. -snerk-

 

[Unrulyhandbag]

Guess developers haven't figured out the USA isn't a cash cow anymore...

Sorry guys, lotta unemployment due to jobs send to other countries.
Maybe Kenya will buy your game more than us. -snerk-

Yeah. might have been your property market that crashed but the rest of the world are all tied in to each other too, everywhere in the first world nations has high unemployment.

The only thing keeping the worlds markets collapsing into another great depression is China. Do the Chinese like PS3's and naff karaoke\ air guitar games?

 

[samsonguy920]

*checks care meter over band and music games, finds it still on E*
Rockgamers get boned on the newest game. Oh well, cest la vie.

 

[008Zulu_v1legacy]

They're adding a keyboard?
I might just actually buy it then. I mean, like teh drums, it seems like it actually takes some instrumental skill to play.

All real instruments take some skill to play.

 

[Maze1125]

They're adding a keyboard?
I might just actually buy it then. I mean, like teh drums, it seems like it actually takes some instrumental skill to play.

They're not just adding keyboards, they're adding pro-modes for all instruments and the pro-modes on expert are all note for note with how the original song played.

For keyboard that's hitting the right keys.
For drums they're adding full support for the cymbal expansions giving 7 inputs plus the bass.
And for guitar and bass they're producing a real six stringed guitar (and a buttoned version if you prefer) where you have to outright learn chords and there's an individual tutorial for each song.