Folks noticed that Rock Band 3's PS3 keyboard bundle had disappeared from U.S. retail sites, and asked Harmonix why. It seems contract terms in the region prohibit its sale. And now they must wangle a fix for those who preordered.
"Unfortunately, this SKU will not be available in the U.S. (including Canada and Mexico) due to the agreement terms for the region," Harmonix said yesterday. It added that Mad Catz (the peripheral's maker) and MTV Games are working with retailers who accepted preorders for this bundle to allow them, if they choose, to honor them as a "soft bundle" at the same preorder price. In other words, those who booked a keyboard bundle will get two separate products, the game and keyboard, but for the combined original price.
But going forward, no PS3 Keyboard bundle in North America. (It is available in Europe). That means if you want the game and the keyboard, you're going to pay $10 more to buy them separately than Xbox 360 and Wii owners are paying to get them in a bundle. And those bundles are not at all affected by this news.
The game arrives Oct. 26.
Official Statement Re: RB3 PS3 Keyboard Bundle [Harmonix forums via 1Up, thanks Ubik]