Retail Radar: Sega's Viking, Rock Band release date

Sony's God of War franchise has shown how ancient mythology can provide an engrossing setting for an action game, and Sega might be following suit, if a pair of new product pages on GameStop's online store are any indication. The gaming retailer is now accepting preorders for Viking: Battle of Asgard on the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360.

Neither listing has much in the way of information, though they do list Sega of America as the publisher and developer of the games, alongside $59.99 price points and February 2008 release dates. Curiously, the PS3 product page also includes packaging art and screenshots from Titus Software's Nintendo 64 game Roadsters.

While "Viking" doesn't necessarily imply a game steeped in the supernatural, the subtitle references Asgard, the home of the gods of Norse mythology. The Battle of Asgard then could be a reference to Ragnarok, the climactic, apocalyptic clash of Norse gods. Like Greek mythology, aspects of Norse mythology are regularly referenced in contemporary culture, including gods like Odin, Thor, and Loki. As of press time, a Sega representative had not returned a request for comment.

Moving from Ragnarok to rock 'n roll, GameStop has also updated its product pages for Harmonix and MTV Games' upcoming Rock Band on the Xbox 360 and PS3. The listing for the Rock Band bundle on the PS3 now has a picture of the packaging on it, as well as a gameplay video of David Bowie's "Suffragette City," and a delivery guarantee. Much as it did with Guitar Hero III, GameStop is guaranteeing that those who order the game and pay for overnight shipping will receive it "on the street date of Tuesday, November 20."

The game was previously reported (although never confirmed) to have a November 6 release date. The bundle's pricing of $199.99 remains unchanged. According to GameStop, when it ships, the bundle will have the game, drums, guitar, and microphone included in it. While Harmonix remains tight-lipped on the release date and pricing for Rock Band, the bundle and price point have been consistent--although unconfirmed--since the idea was presented to a focus group in May.

Please note, while retailer listings frequently jump the gun on publishers' product announcements, they should not be taken as final confirmation of a game's existence; nor should the absence of a listing be considered as proof that a game isn't coming to a given platform.