Those of our readers who are outside the US and still eagerly awaiting Rock Band may have heard the ugly rumor that PlayStation 3 owners outside the US wouldn’t be getting their fix until September. As an Australian who has been playing the game since 2007, I ask you this - what exactly are you waiting for?

The PAL Rock Band bundle packs two key differences:

• A localised track list, which will undoubtedly be made available as downloadable content for all regions anyway
• A localised price, which will undoubtedly follow the current trend of tacking on a 30-40% premium for no good reason

The former means you’ve got no reason to wait, and the latter means you can get a bundle shipped to your house half way across the globe within a week and end up paying about the same as you would at a local store in September.

…but what about the broken peripherals?

If you actually want the game but are still hesitant to jump on eBay at this stage, I’m guessing you’re worried about peripherals crapping out on you. I wouldn’t be. A vast majority of bundles you could get your hands on now would not have come from the initial run where there was a chance of receiving a dud guitar or drum kit - and as someone who got two sets of drums and one guitar from the early shipments that have undergone heavy use and remain in perfect working order, I think the issues may have been overstated by a vocal minority…

My guitar arrived in 100% working order despite the box looking like it had been used for a football, and both sets of drums arrived with 100% working pads that don’t flake out on the fast rolls on Expert level. I’m not sure - I could be incredibly lucky, but something makes me doubt it.

Unfortunately there is one problem I can promise you will encounter. The kick pedal will snap without DIY reinforcement - you might think you can treat it with enough love, but your large, drunk friend will negate your soft touch within two bars of their first track - trust me. There are eBay sellers flogging pre-made solutions to either drill or stick on to the pedal, however a roll of gaffer and random stuff lying around the house did the trick for me in a jam - for two different pedals.

…but what about DLC?

This is a tricky one for now, with an elegant solution on the horizon.

I’ve heard reports of foreign credit cards working with a US PlayStation Network account, however I had no luck with mine. My solution? I have a relative in California who doesn’t mind me using her credit card. The solution for those without friends or family in the US is coming in the form of PlayStation Network cards.

Previously available in Japan, the cards are soon to be released in the US - which means you’ll be able to import them and use them in conjunction with a US PlayStation Network account on your PAL machine - and hence get your Rock Band DLC fix.

Do it already!

Rock Band is an amazing game - not only can it teach you how to play the drums, it’s perhaps the ultimate party game - straight up karaoke or an all-inclusive dork fest. So stop taking our word for it! Don’t let some jerk in a tie decide when you and your friends get to pretend you’ve got skills! Praise Sony for the fact there’s no region coding on PlayStation 3 game discs, jump on eBay/Amazon, order that shit, and start practicing your mean face.

Image via Pitchfork Media

This entry was posted by Tim Hanlon on Wednesday, February 6th, 2008 at 11:26 am and is filed under Feature. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

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