It was a woeful day for fans of EA and Harmonix’ holiday blockbuster Rock Band when many an aspiring superstar discovered that the guitars bundled with the game were prone to breaking shortly after coming out of the box.
Some companies out there, they might acknowledge such a problem with enough nudging. Heck, some might even do you the service of letting you purchase a new unit from them so you can have your fun. But Harmonix?
Harmonix knows there’s something wrong. And is man enough to admit it, promising better quality in upcoming batches, and working to replace faulty units. Far out, right? All’s well that ends well?
Not so fast…
In light of these happenings, Electronic Arts and the Rock Band Team are thanking their guitarless customers for hanging tight and sticking by them over this busiest of seasons by giving those who experienced difficulties a free game.
That’s right. Free.
And we aren’t just talking some outdated shelfwarmers like Catwoman, either, but some of EA’s latest and greatest are up for grabs. Games such as Command & Conquer 3, FIFA ’08, Tiger Woods ’08, The Simpsons Game, Medal of Honor Airborne, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Need for Speed ProStreet, skate, and… um… Rock Band? Perhaps to share the love. You can see the full list and available platforms via dropdown menu at the link below.
Don’t go smashing your guitars in the hopes of gaining free swag, though. There is, of course, a small but sensible downside in that this offer is only applicable to those already in with EA as having a busted axe.
Those who have been notified have until the 11th of January to request their free game, or else all bets are off. The game will then be sent to the same address the new guitars, free of charge, and should arrive by the end of January.
Incidently, should anyone else wind up with a faulty guitar at this point, it’s hard to say whether or not they’d be included in the deal. But considering the likelyhood of at least a few of the first wave of bundles making a pitstop under the tree before setting up shop in front of the TV, and what good sports they’re being about this, there’s a decent chance they’ll still do good by you… provided you don’t dawdle in letting them know there’s a problem. Might consider getting a gift receipt, just in case…
