Week in video-game news: 'Rock Band' in short supply; Romantics sue over 'Guitar Hero'

News from the virtual world:

—PUNKED ROCK: Yes, the Nintendo Wii is going to be hard to find before Christmas, but there's another piece of game hardware that's even more elusive: the "Rock Band" drum kit. For now, the drums are only being sold in a $169 bundle that also includes a guitar, a microphone and the software. But most retailers have sold out of the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 bundles — and many gamers who waited in line the night before "Rock Band" went on sale last week were disappointed when expected deliveries didn't show up.

There's still hope. Amazon says it's expecting more bundles by Dec. 9, and the PlayStation 2 "Rock Band" bundle arrives Dec. 11. And there's always eBay. But if you just want to buy the drum kit (or the guitar, or the mic), you'll have to wait until February.

Of course, you could just buy the game itself and use your old "Guitar Hero" controllers to jam. But wait — that only works if you're playing on the Xbox 360, since PS3 "Guitar Hero" controllers won't work with "Rock Band." And, to make everything more confusing, Xbox 360 "Rock Band" controllers won't play "Guitar Hero III."

"Rock Band" publishers Electronic Arts and MTV Games and "Guitar Hero" publisher Activision had promised their controllers would be interchangeable. Now they're blaming each other for compatibility issues. And gamers get the shaft.

—ROMANTIC COMEDY: The power-pop classic "What I Like About You" is a staple at wedding receptions and sporting events, and has been used to sell everything from beer to car insurance. But I had completely forgotten the band that performed it until "Guitar Hero Encore: Rocks the '80s" included a cover version — "as made famous by The Romantics."

Activision properly secured permission to record the song, but the band members are angry that the "GH" cover sounds, well, too good. So they've filed a federal lawsuit against Activision, claiming unspecified damages. "I was very upset because the band had worked very hard over many years to develop and use its distinctive sound," singer Wally Palmar told the Detroit Free Press.

The Romantics' lawyers said that because the "GH" cover sounded so much like the original, Activision had infringed on the group's rights to its own likeness. "It's a very good imitation, and that's our objection," said attorney William Horton.

—BLOOD SIMPLE: The fuss over Rockstar Games' ultraviolent "Manhunt 2" was fun for a while. But Rockstar cleverly defused the controversy by releasing a game that was so lousy that there's little danger anyone, child or adult, would want to play it.