WHEN the game, Guitar Hero World Tour (GHWT), is launched here on game consoles within the next three weeks, I'll be aiming to get mine for the PlayStation 3 console. 

Now before you console fanatics start questioning my preference of one console over another, let me explain that the choice is made without consideration of the various console's graphics or processing power. The decision lies on one simple thing - region coding.

Gamers get a sneak preview
of Guitar Hero World Tour.
ST Photo: Wang Hui Fen

Bear with me because the reasoning is rather lengthy - Guitar Hero World Tour, by Activision, features game instruments that players use to mimic real life musicians, namely a drum set, guitar controller and microphone. Its equivalent is Electronic Arts' Rock Band 2, which uses the same type of peripherals. And in the first move by both distributors, they decided that the instruments made for each game should be compatible with both games, across an identical console platform, namely either the Xbox 360 and PS3.

What this means is that on the Xbox 360 console for example, one can use the GHWT instruments to play RB2, or vice versa. Nintendo fans should not hold their breath as there is no word on the compatibility on controllers on the Wii.

So why am I getting the PS3 version? There are two reasons.

The first reason is that, EA just launched the original Rock Band and says it has no plans to launch Rock Band 2 here just yet. In other words, if you want a copy of RB 2, you need to get an imported set, most likely from the PS3.

The second reason is the aforementioned region coding - the Xbox 360 has it but the PS3 does not. So you cannot buy the US Xbox 360 version of RB 2 and use it here because the local consoles and US games are not compatible. The PS3 however has no such restrictions. In fact, I know of four other game fans who are planning to do the same.

Unfortunately for Microsoft, they cannot simply choose to turn region coding on or off for a specific game and while there are some Xbox 360 games that are region free, I have heard horror stories about local consoles that cannot work with the US version of the original RB, so why should RB 2 be any different?

And if local distributors and game shops recognise the popularity of music games, they would know that there is money to be made in simply bringing the PS3 version of RB 2 here. EA probably does not want to dilute its sales of the original RB by officially supporting the sequel, but parallel importers should recognise an opportunity a chance to cash in. 

Simply bring in the RB 2 game and you can bet that a core group of PS3 GHWT fans wouldn't mind spending a little more to be able to play another game.

In the looming economic recession, I can already hear how this is music to anyone's ears.