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Rock Band hit Canadian stores yesterday ... we got 8 units?! photo

So, yesterday Rock Band was finally released in Canada, due to the fact Electronic Arts and Harmonix had to push our release date back twice. [Editor's note: Harmonix has insisted that initial announced North American date didn't apply to Canada to begin with.] They didn't have enough units to cover even the U.S. launch, so they pushed our launch date back in hopes they could handle the U.S. demand at first.

And hey, that's fine ... we're used to getting screwed. *cough* Xbox Live Marketplace *cough*

But yesterday when I unloaded those puppies from our truck at work (Toys 'R' Us), I was greeted by only eight copies of the game; four kits for the Xbox 360, and four kits for the PlayStation 3. We didn't even know if we were getting any units to begin with, but receiving just 8 was disappointing.

Apparently my work wasn't the only store to have problems. EB Games stores expected shipments to arrive on Thursday but didn't even know how many they were going to receive, Best Buy and Future Shop stores were telling customers that the game was due out on December 28th and one local St. Catharines store, Entertainment Overload was forced to buy units from the United States just to get some in stock for the Canadian release date.

One store in Calgary called Play Me was trying to sell 50 early copies of Rock Band that they had purchased in the United States for $800 buck a pop. They recently lowered the price to $500 when the game wasn't flying off the shelves. 

Retailers are blaming EA for the lack of units and the lack of knowledge about the game's pricing and release date. I'm just annoyed that I couldn't buy one. 

Thanks Scotty G for reminding me to post about this and to Jim Squires from BBPS.com for the local info.

[Via Game|Life and Monster and Critics








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23 comments | showing # 1 to 23
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Ratcliff's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/21/2007 19:34
Ratcliff
8?! wow that sucks, you know faith, it's almost like EA *wants* you to move to america...
Trafalio's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/21/2007 19:48
Trafalio
I'm managing an EB Games in Quebec and we're receiving Rock Band saturday. Around 20 units are expected across all platform (PS2,PS3,360). That's not even enough for all the presells. I know that there will be more english skus comin' soon, but not bilingual =\ We're getting screwed twice in Quebec :P
Zero Atma's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/21/2007 20:15
Zero Atma
How irritating for Canada! I'm in LA, and I've seen at least a dozen sitting around collecting dust at my local Best Buy near UCLA
LilJimmyNordin's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/21/2007 20:30
LilJimmyNordin
I can't speak for all of Canada, but I can tell you that I've had Rock Band on the 360 for well over a week now - maybe almost 2. Bought it right off the peg at a store downtown. Now, this is only the game, not the bundle with the drums and such, but ir's worth mentioning. The 360 Guitar Hero controllers work just fine, and the 360 headsets work fine with the vocals. Now, I'm just waiting for the drum kit to come on its own and I'll be golden.
Xelotath's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/21/2007 20:44
Xelotath
At my TRU we received 2 PS3 and 4 Xbox360 units, ew.
Cheeburga's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/21/2007 21:05
Cheeburga
Canada sucks.:[
ridley80's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/21/2007 21:46
ridley80
I work at a Best Buy and we just received the game on Thursday and expecting to receive it on Saturday...we'll prolly get like 10...and 10x that many people thinking it's GH3....3x more upset
Fading Star's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/21/2007 21:55
Fading Star
My poor Canadian friends have been screwed :(.
SteppinRazor's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/21/2007 22:27
SteppinRazor
This was a tremendous disapointment. six months ago I was strongly anticipating this game. After all the delays and bullshit excuses my enthusiasim has cooled.

When I got the call from EB that despite being preorder #8 in my city, they only recieved 4 units and I was SOL until TBA, I spent the money I was saving for RB on a new monitor for my computer and decided not to buy RB at all.

(hor at least not until the summer if the price drops and the DLC doesn't peter out and start sucking)
method47's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/21/2007 22:52
method47
I work at Future Shop and we only got 4 bundles. And about 100 people looking for it.
danthemagnum's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/21/2007 23:04
danthemagnum
I've known this was going to happen for a while, I live in Hamilton, ON and every time I went to EB Games to ask about Rock Band they told me not to bother until at least the new year. I got the same response from 4 locations (three EB Games, and a Future Shop). I told them of the delay rumored to be because of "a problem with the french manual" but they all told me that it was bull, and that the delay was because EA wanted as many units in the US as possible. Thus, when they started to have problems with the guitars breaking the guitars that were meant for Canada were sent as replacements. I can't be sure this is true, but I did get the same thing from different stores so I'm pretty sure it would be true.

That or Hamilton is playing a really big joke on me.
phoenix_sinistre's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/21/2007 23:16
phoenix_sinistre
This game has been a horror story for myself and the missus...

We had a pre-order from late september, EB had decided that yep, we'll fill pre-orders, nope, we're gonna cancel them, no no wait we changed our mind we'll have preorders, but nothing else.... nope nope now we have no idea.

So after a few calls to customer service at EB (which, shockingly was amazing compared to the dimwits in the stores whose canned responses included 'uhhhh' and 'um, i don't know'.... but ultimately ended up with big fat zeros, and no idea when our pre-order will arrive.

All wasn't lost though, as we wandered in Best Buy in the north end of Toronto (the Downsview location) and they had a stack of 10 units each of PS3 and Xbox 360. Suffice to say, we didn't hesitate to grab one...

So anyone who's in the area, and interest in getting Rock Band, check out that store (it's low volume compared to other BBs in Toronto), and if not, drop me a line... I'm still going to grab my pre-order once it arrives at EB, so if someone needs a copy whenever it shows up, give me a shout and I'll hook you up.

And yes, Rock Band is like the Canadian version of crack.
phoenix_sinistre's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/21/2007 23:17
phoenix_sinistre
This game has been a horror story for myself and the missus...

We had a pre-order from late september, EB had decided that yep, we'll fill pre-orders, nope, we're gonna cancel them, no no wait we changed our mind we'll have preorders, but nothing else.... nope nope now we have no idea.

So after a few calls to customer service at EB (which, shockingly was amazing compared to the dimwits in the stores whose canned responses included 'uhhhh' and 'um, i don't know'.... but ultimately ended up with big fat zeros, and no idea when our pre-order will arrive.

All wasn't lost though, as we wandered in Best Buy in the north end of Toronto (the Downsview location) and they had a stack of 10 units each of PS3 and Xbox 360. Suffice to say, we didn't hesitate to grab one...

So anyone who's in the area, and interest in getting Rock Band, check out that store (it's low volume compared to other BBs in Toronto), and if not, drop me a line... I'm still going to grab my pre-order once it arrives at EB, so if someone needs a copy whenever it shows up, give me a shout and I'll hook you up.

And yes, Rock Band is like the Canadian version of crack.
Bob Muir's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/21/2007 23:32
Bob Muir
Well, at least once America gets the wireless controllers, you'll have lots of wired bundles to buy.
Gangles's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/22/2007 00:42
Gangles
We just want to rock out to Tom Sawyer, eh? :(
ScottyG's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/22/2007 00:57
ScottyG
The big piss off with EB Games is that a few weeks ago we were told to stop taking pre orders because we were just getting enough to fill what we had. Now not only are most stores getting it over a week late, they aren't getting even close to enough to fill their pre orders.

If I have to listen to one more person say that I ruined their Christmas because they were too stupid to have a backup plan...
liqideos's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/22/2007 01:41
liqideos
And in future news, "Play Me", has gone out of business.
UselessKor's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/22/2007 06:31
UselessKor
@ Danthemagnum

I live in the Hammer as well, and I can confirm that every gaming store in this city is either run by ignorants or pathological liars. There's a woman named Arlene in the Eastgate EB that is, and I'm sure of it, the only actual gamer that works in a gaming store in Hamilton. The rest are usually casuals that never heard of anything else than the game their currently dry humping.

I need to destroy something now :(
phoenix_sinistre's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/22/2007 08:01
phoenix_sinistre
Call me crazy, but shouldn't companies not take the money of people unless they can physically guarantee something will be there?

I mean, what's the point of allowing a customer to pre-order if they have no idea if their pre-order will come in or not?

Otherwise, you're just holding onto their deposit and allowing their money to accrue interest for you.

Yeah, I know companies are in the business of making money, and I realize that sometimes your hamstrung by the manufacturer in regards to quantities, but if you don't know what you're going to get, then why accept pre-orders other than to piss off the people you're promising a service to?

So while I wouldn't single out an employee at an organization for this, (there's no point in belittling someone who has no control over the situation) I would strongly urge a company that should care about it's employees to get their collective heads out of their collective asses and get their shit together. It makes every happier in the long run
JohnnyWadd's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/22/2007 10:09
JohnnyWadd
I agree, i don't pre order anything, especially with EB who never really seems to know how many copies of anything they get. What the fuck is the point? I'll keep my money thanx.
Zero Iscariot's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/22/2007 10:54
Zero Iscariot
found one at blockbusta, add me on XBL if you wanna play: Mister Drugs (yes, they made me change "Drugs For Sale" after 3 years, go figure)
Lightthrower's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/22/2007 14:23
Lightthrower
I got a PS3 bundle at Future Shop in Montreal yesterday :-D! THe odd thing is that i can't unscrew the back panel of the guitar to put the batteries in... who the hell tightened those screws so much?
mashedbuttons's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/22/2007 22:06
mashedbuttons
picked on of the 4 up that we got at blockbuster (hamilton)


amazing game...
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