Thieves hijack truck carrying Rock Band, steal 1,000 boxes

While we understand that people will do anything to become rock stars, we don't really think stealing 1,000 copies of Rock Band is the way to do it -- fame atop the Xbox Live and PSN leaderboards is so fleeting to begin with. Regardless, it looks like a pair of thieves was desperate enough to hijack a truck full of Harmonix and EA's hot new party game in LA last night, hold the driver at gunpoint, unload the gear and make off with the goods. Police think it was an inside job, since the truck was unmarked and the driver picked up his cargo late Saturday night -- meaning the thieves must have known the truck was worth jacking, and already have had a place to unload the less-than-compact boxes. No leads yet, but looks like gamers in LA wanting to rock out this holiday season are going to have to start shopping out the back of shady vans, eh?

[Via Joystiq; read link requires free registration]

[Mike @ Dec 13th 2007 8:54PM]

A thousand boxes? Those boxes are pretty big; what'd they have, a forklift?

[jon @ Dec 13th 2007 8:56PM]

Hahahahhahahhahhhaha
Thats Awesome!

[Smoke_Dawg_187 @ Dec 13th 2007 9:37PM]

Why exactly is that awesome? That's pretty shitty if you ask me. Theft is wrong.

[Alexander @ Dec 13th 2007 8:56PM]

Damn hey should have stolen guitar hero III to avenge PS3 owners of rock band lol

[paul34 @ Dec 13th 2007 9:01PM]

eBay.

[Andrew @ Dec 13th 2007 9:02PM]

They're gonna be so pissed when they realize their controllers are defective!

[karts41 @ Dec 13th 2007 9:12PM]

lets see if, like all other gaming hardware thieves, they ring up and ask for some replacement cord...

[Beef Supreme @ Dec 13th 2007 9:19PM]

They can rent out the staple center and have the world largest LAN Rock band party.

[Beef Supreme @ Dec 13th 2007 9:20PM]

eh, too obvious.

[Rob @ Dec 13th 2007 9:28PM]

Keep an eye on eBay. "Keep on thieving in the free world."
All those things have serial numbers. So, one day someone is going to try to register, or call tech support and bam, you'd find a lead to them crooks.

[Daryl Herbert @ Dec 13th 2007 9:38PM]

Does the hardware have serial numbers, or just the discs?

If the hardware isn't numbered (or with secret ID numbers inside of it, maybe electronically on the firmware inside), the hardware could be sold separately while the discs are thrown in the trash.

Maybe these boxes were stolen for the hardware, so that could be sold off individually, and the discs are just going to be thrown out.

I'm not really familiar with Rock Band. Do people who buy the Rock Band box want extra instruments not included in the box (like an extra guitar)? If so, then there's a ready market for these stolen instruments.

[Xzavier @ Dec 13th 2007 9:45PM]

Ho Ho Ho... MERRRY CHRISTMAS!

[Lazerface @ Dec 13th 2007 11:35PM]

I hope you mean 'Ha ha ha! merry christmas'

I just might take offense to 'ho ho ho'

http://www.reuters.com/article/lifestyleMolt/idUSSYD11287720071205

[Justin E @ Dec 13th 2007 9:55PM]

I wonder if they drove highly modified import racers - The Fast and the Furious style...

[eLRawtiC @ Dec 15th 2007 1:24PM]

Sounds like a new way to steal music.

[spaceb @ Dec 13th 2007 9:59PM]

Stealing is wrong but this is actually funny :D

[MARSHAK @ Dec 13th 2007 11:16PM]

"hold the driver at gunpoint"

yea, real funny.

[Rynth @ Dec 14th 2007 5:52AM]

*Holds Marshak at gunpoint*

Bwahahahaha!

Nope, still not funny.

[Sponge @ Dec 13th 2007 10:01PM]

Rock Symphony!

[cDub @ Dec 13th 2007 10:12PM]

I do all my electronics shopping at Shady Van. Its way better than Best Buy.

[Walt @ Dec 13th 2007 10:24PM]

Something tells me the driver is actually in on it...being held up at gunpoint,and forced to let the thieves unload all they can hold off the truck is just the type of far fetched story some truckers like to come up with to cover something they're trying to hide. My money is on the Driver,OR the Dispatcher the ONLY 2 people besides the shipper who would know the contents of the trailer,as well as the itinerary of the actual truck and driver,as well as the value and liquidity of the product. If i was a detective on the case,I'd check all rental agencies within a 50mi radius of the place of the crime,more than likely to carry 1000 Rock Band boxes,they'd need a small box truck,and usually the smallest commercial rental you can get will carry close to 1000 boxes.

[Joshua Walters @ Dec 13th 2007 10:48PM]

I agree on who had to have been in on it.

I dont think that it will be so easy to track them down though. I have a feeling that if it was the shipping company, they have easy access to trucks and are smart enough to just rent a private storage garage.

The boxes are obviously going on ebay in time for the holiday season. Thats for sure. They arent going to be keeping them in time for long, it would be to risky.

Also, why would they leave the driver alive? He could have easily seen a face or a license number, not to mention he would have an idea of what direction they were going in etc. I mean, they could just be stupid, but I would look towards the driver first.

[Walt @ Dec 13th 2007 11:20PM]

The only reason it wouldn't be the shipping company would be because even the theft of goods would result in a claim being filed against their insurance. Once the cargo leaves the dock,and the driver signs for it,he accepts responsibility for the cargo,he's even bonded by the company for this. I know some drivers have stolen stuff and sold it from shipments before,and tipped off accomplices to stage a robbery so that the goods could be sold by the driver and his buddies,at the expense of the transportation company,however,it's not very widespread though. As for the driver,he will have to no doubt explain how the thieves knew his pre-planned route,as well as when he stopped for breaks,etc. drivers have to keep a log of EVERYTHING they do in a day,there's a certain number of hrs they can work before they are required to take a break as per the rules of the FMCA. Also fishy is the fact that high value loads are usually parked in guarded drop yards,and have designated areas where they're allowed to stop for breaks,and even given routes to follow. They are very strict when HV cargo is involved,it's almost like transporting HazMat in a way. They don't want to have to claim filed for stolen cargo,so the try and eliminate as many"X-Factors"as possible..this situation stinks though..definitely something not right about it.

[Nubaeus @ Dec 13th 2007 10:31PM]

This method is just getting old. PSP, PS3, 360, games...cmon criminals I'm sure you can think of something better than stealing a truck! I want more excitement! At least tell the world you got a Hijacking medal from Halo when you got the truck or something.

[Vorin @ Dec 13th 2007 10:56PM]

Rock Bandits.

[JadedFuck @ Dec 13th 2007 11:19PM]

Yeah, it was an inside job.

I don't wanna be a rat, but I know for a fact it was someone from Tony Soprano's crew.

They hang out at the Bada Bing!

OK, back to my cushy Witness Protection lifestyle...

[David W. @ Dec 13th 2007 11:23PM]

That game is hard enough to find as is :( haha

[Constable Odo @ Dec 13th 2007 11:36PM]

Thank goodness it was iPhones they stole. Now that would be newsworthy.

[Constable Odo @ Dec 13th 2007 11:37PM]

I mean, thank goodness it wasn't iPhones they stole. Rock band is should be stolen.

[!!! @ Dec 14th 2007 1:49AM]

To pull off a heist this precise?

Methheads.

[Spyvie @ Dec 14th 2007 3:06AM]

Everyone should know by now that the only way to truly become a rock star is to break into the R&R HOF and steal the Pic of Destiny...

[NHAnimator @ Dec 14th 2007 8:17AM]

I think they were simply trying to guarantee that they would get ONE system which wasn't defective.

[Music Theif @ Dec 14th 2007 9:42AM]

Oh crap. Now they are in real trouble. Its one thing to steal electronics it is another thing to steal music. The RIAA is gonna have these guys put to death.

1000 units x 50 songs/unit x $750 per infringement = $3.75 Million

[invictus1er @ Dec 14th 2007 11:04AM]

It was Saturday December 8. It was cool in Los Angeles. We were working the night watch out of Robbery Detail. My partner's Frank Smith. The boss is Chief of Detectives, Thad Brown. My name's Friday. We were on our way out from the office and it was 2: 06am when we got to the corner of Cinnabar Street and Grand Avenue. We received a call of a delivery truck being hijacked at gunpoint. Cargo was a popular video game.

[teej @ Dec 14th 2007 11:05AM]

they should have just stolen the truck... dumped it later after. i mean, sitting there, holding someone to gunpoint while you steal 1000 Rock Bands...that's takes a long time.

[Michael L @ Dec 14th 2007 11:54AM]

now it would be funnier if they attempt to steal 100 million pennies...lol
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071211/ap_on_fe_st/odd100_million_pennies