Well, this was a brilliant idea, and whoever came up with it should get a nice pat on the back. Or rather, a slap across the face.

Rock Band 2 is finally coming to the Wii and the PlayStation 2, and all versions are shipping out on December 18th. Between the time it takes for those to reach stores and Christmas Eve (because odds are, no one selling it will be open the day you actually need it), there should be absolutely no need to rush at all. And I'm sure there will be plenty for all, so it's unlikely anyone will wind up empty-handed or trampled under a stampede of people.

Thank God the other versions were already released, or else this could have gotten ugly.

MTV Games, Harmonix and Electronic Arts Ship Rock Band® 2 For Wii™ and PlayStation®2 System Nationwide December 18, 2008

CAMBRIDGE, MA – December 12, 2008 – Harmonix, the world's premier music video game development company, and MTV Games, a part of Viacom's MTV Networks (NYSE: VIA, VIA.B), along with distribution partner Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: ERTS), today announced that Rock Band® 2 for the Wii™ home videogame console from Nintendo and PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system will ship to stores nationwide December 18, 2008 [1].

Rock Band 2 Shipping and Pricing Information:
December 18, 2008 (Available in stores 5-7 days after the ship date)
 Rock Band 2 Standalone Software (Wii) $49.99 MSRP
 Rock Band 2 Standalone Software (PlayStation 2 System) $49.99 MSRP
 Rock Band 2 Standalone Drums (Wii) $89.99 MSRP
 Rock Band 2 Standalone Guitar (Wii) $69.99 MSRP
 Rock Band 2 Special Edition Bundle (Wii) $189.99 MSRP
*Rock Band 2 Standalone Instruments for PlayStation 2 / PLAYSTATION 3 systems are already available.

Rock Band 2 for the Wii system, developed by Pi Studios under the direction of Harmonix, will be fully featured with online modes including World Tour and Battle of the Bands, an innovative character creator, weekly downloadable content and more! With more than 100 songs [2] on the Rock Band 2 Wii soundtrack and an ongoing weekly offering of downloadable tracks [3] available for purchase, Rock Band 2 Wii owners will have access to the most impressive music catalogue for a music-based videogame on the console.

Weekly Rock Band downloadable content releases will be available for the Wii system shortly after the game's release. The initial offering will include the 20 free Rock Band 2 downloadable tracks as well as 30 other tracks already released into the Rock Band music catalog of downloadable content. In addition, Wii fans can expect a roll-out of the previously released downloadable content every week until the entire back catalogue is available. Weekly Rock Band downloadable content releases are already available for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system on a weekly basis.

Rock Band 2 for the PlayStation 2 system showcases many of the same challenging modes, features and rock music found in the PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system version, including World Tour, Set Challenges, Drum Trainer and new venues. Featuring an unrivaled blend of classic and new artists, the Rock Band 2 PlayStation 2 soundtrack boasts 84 tracks including songs by AC/DC, Guns N' Roses, Bob Dylan, Pearl Jam, Motörhead and more! Downloadable content is not available for the PlayStation 2 system version of Rock Band 2.

The Rock Band online music store recently surpassed 30 million paid downloads since the game's launch in late November 2007. With more than 500 tracks available to date via disc and download purchase (complete list of tracks at http://www.rockband.com/music), the massive Rock Band Music Store allows players to preview and purchase downloadable individual music tracks, packs and albums from the vast selection of offerings available as they build their own custom Rock Band library.