[img width=520 height=240]http://www.rfgeneration.com/images/repository/1454940516476c7e16b8f2drock_band_small.jpg[/img]
So, how's it going EA? Find any new developers to buy up? You broke my heart when you bought Maxis. It further disintegrated when you guys dissolved Maxis into EA Games. You bastard. I hate you. Luckily for you, I am still a die hard Will Wright Fan, and for that reason I'll have a reason periodically to buy a game developed and published by you.
Recently, you released Harmonix's
Rock Band to the masses in "North America". It was shortly around launch that you clarified "North America" to mean United States. Now, I am American, but when I think North America, I think three countries:
- Canada
- Mexico
- United States
In addition, Latin America is part of North America, even if we tend to ignore those countries. I feel honored to bring you that geography lesson for today, brought to you by NAFTA. Someone should have given Harmonix / EA this lesson when they decided to announce a release date for Rock Band. If I was Canadian, I'd feel pretty slighted by the fact that EA does not find you part of North America. I'd be even more ticked that Rock Band was delayed all the way to yesterday. But, perhaps EA would make amends by giving you guys a decent launch. Eh? Eh?! Nah, that's not EA's style. Turns out most retailers in Canada did not get a shipment yesterday, much to the disappointment of fans camping out for the game. Furthermore, those retailers that did get a shipment got a horribly reduced release. This slighting would infuriate me if I was Canadian, and I've come up with some conclusions about EA:
EA, you have an identity crisis. I believe that you think that you are Nintendo. Furthermore, I think you have confused Canada with the continent of Europe. What's the deal? Did you guys get hit on your head? Snap out of hit! Stop shafting our friends to the North, where some people call themselves Tan and some people like to say 'Eh?'. It's a lovely country. Stop screwing the pooch. Give them the game. Don't be jerks. It only hurts your sales. Ask Activision, I bet they could give you some pointers on alienating fans.
Sorry Canada, I couldn't snap EA out of their trance. Before you know it, you'll start seeing EA published minigames out the wahzoo and more casually focused games! My God, help us all.
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Actually the only reason this has made news as far as Canada is concerned, is because it's a high profile game. Every month there are games that encounter these problems. In fact I myself have dealt with this like 6-7 times this year alone. 
Mass Effect was the last one before this, we almost didn't get the LE. Fortunately BioWare is Canadian and spoke up for their fellow Canucks to sort it out. 
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Bioware is the best!
I'd buy any game they make.
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Best article on the site.
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Honestly I don't consider Canada as America myself, but rather Canada as... well... Canada.
I do however think Canada should be next in line due to its location for releases way before Europe.
I think it's stupid how so many companies consider Australia to be part off Europe, but I guess it's just cheaper for them that way.
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I guess it is really difficult to translate into the Canadian dialect of French. Perhaps this problem could be rectified if Quebec broke away.
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You brought up an interesting point TraderJake, with French being the native tongue for some Canadians, would this mean Canada often gets the euro version of games rather than the English only US versions? If so, that may well explain a bit.
As I said earlier though, if it wasn't for the old 60hz TV standard we use to follow euro games here would of made no sense since English is the official language of Australia.
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We used to get the Euro versions of Sega master and Some Genesis games, but other than that we have bilingual packaging not french. It's actually a complicated mess and depends on the company, game system and where in Canada you live.
We also have different English Grammar than the states as well which is also reflected in these bilingual covers/boxes.
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@c1279:
What do you mean we have a different way of writing? Didn't you know? My favourite colour is blue.
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Yeah, Australia uses UK English too as displayed by TraderJake with the most common word with a difference colour/color
Although Australia is really becoming Americanised through it's media with TV and papers now using American English... but this could be due to wide spread computer illiteracy and their computers being in US English by default haha.
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@Cobra:
I'm sorry to hear that. Whatever will you guys do without those amazing u's that we tend to omit.
favorite
color
I can't think of anymore.... although if it is any consolation I've heard wankers more often now.
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neighbour, harbour, armour, honour 
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I can live with all of the extra Us,
But one word I simply can't agree with though, and I do use the american spelling for and that's jail.
The "correct" way to spell it here is gaol. I do not understand how you can get the sound of jail out of gaol.
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