UK Rock Band in May, timed Xbox 360 exclusive

by Xav de Matos on Apr 8th 2008 10:00AM

Today EA, MTV and Harmonix have confirmed the UK release of Rock Band is set for May 23. News of a release date has been expected for quite some time; however, in an unexpected coup Harmonix has announced the popular music rhythm game will be a timed exclusive for everyone's favorite HD-platform.

In a press release early this morning Harmonix confirmed the Xbox 360 version Rock Band will hit the UK in "an exclusive launch window of May 23," while other platforms will see the title released later this summer. However, the news may not be as peachy as UK gamers would like.

The game will be sold separately from an "Instrument Edition," which is only includes the drum set, guitar and microphone peripherals, priced at GBP 129.99 (EUR 169). When factoring in the price of the software the package will cost gamers roughly $360 US. Additionally, UK gamers will have the option of purchasing wireless guitars separately for GBP 59.99 (EUR 79.99), while the standard drum kit will go for GBP 69.99 (EUR 89.99).

The UK version of Rock Band will include all 58 tracks found in the North American release, as well as feature nine new tracks spanning German, French and UK hits.

Considering the popularity of the game Stateside, Microsoft has definitely stolen one of the biggest releases out from under Sony's nose -- in a heavily pro-Sony market. While the exclusivity may boost the sales of the Xbox 360 in the region we wonder how UK gamers will feel swallowing the steep price to get their rock on.

[Via Joystiq]

Tags: ea, harmonix, mtv, rock-band, timed-exclusive, uk

Reader Comments (42)

So basically, £180 for the whole game, or €240 if you're not from the UK?

Pass.

EA is such sell-outs. Not only taking cash from Microsoft to delay the other consoles' but not even passing that extra cash onto the consumer as savings. I'm really starting to dislike EA. Or maybe I have never really been into EA products until recently (not into sports). Have they always been such pricks?

just checked the US price for this

Amazon.com $148 or £74

£180 = 243%. OK MS, I'm ready to bend over. I haven't had a red ring for weeks.

Microsoft is not the one charging for this game...

£74 is how much one rip-off company charges for GH3 Bundle.But I guess us Brits gotten used to it already.

UK gets screwed on price again, what a shocker.

Think ill give it a miss.

In all honesty, do they really expect the game to sell well at those prices? I for one have had £150 saved for ages for it, so I'll be buying, but I'm gonna feel royally ripped off.

£130 INCLUDING game is acceptable. I was expecting that sort of price. £170 - you can buy a new 360 for that over here now. Disgraceful - EU ripped off once more.

Well the price is steep, but im happier that I dont have to wait till the summer, ive been wanting to play those drums for too long now!

Rock Band in UK May 23rd, good times. £180 for all the instruments, more than double the US price, bad times.

£180 - A Brand New Wii,Brand New Arcade, Second-Hand Elite and Second-Hand PS3.Oh and 3 Guitar Hero III Bundles.

Who the fuck needs Rockband?

I've worked out that it's cheaper for me to buy the bundled edition from Amazon (US) and get it shipped to a university friend currently living and working in the states, from I'm going to pay for him to ship it to me in the UK - that's the instruments taken care of.

And then when the game disk is launched in the UK, I'll have to get that too as the US one will be region locked, but even this long and drawn out debacle will work out about £50 cheaper than buying it in the UK on launch.

so pretty much the game for free....which is what we should get (like the yanks) for buying the instruments >:|

LOL the whole game is floating around the price of an xbox 360 arcade package.

In your dreams. XD This is a joke right?

Sadly, April 1st was last week ... :S

On a side note, doesn't this make the UK Version of Rock Band, the most expensive video game in retail history?

I knew the UK would get screwed on pricing, but NOT that bad! That's to most insane pricing EVER!! Soon they'll be asking for your first born as down-payment on the next generation of consoles.

Those are crazy prices. The separate guitar is basically the same price as GH3 with a guitar. I really expected them to hit the £100 mark for the all in one box too.

Colour me very disappointed.

Am I right in thinking i can use one of my GH guitars in rockband on the 360 tho right? knowing that, is anyone likely to buy the separate guitar?

Ooof that's a kick in the bollocks if ever I had one. I've read through your article about 4 times now and I still can't get my head around it.

The 'instrument edition' is basically INSTRUMENTS ONLY and NO GAME for £130? WTF? That can't be right surely.

Weren't the US bundles the game + drums package? That's what I was hoping for over here. Or will it be game & drums separate purchases?

I only want the game & drums to accompany my GHIII axe.

Help!

Actually the only thing that might make it buying on launch in UK worthwhile is if;

1). The guitar in the bundle is wireless - I don't think that's been addressed.

2). Online world tour; although on Xbox.com (http://www.xbox.com/en-GB/games/r/rockband/) it says that it has online multiplayer of 2-4 players; maybe that's it?

No online World Tour. You can get up to four people in an online quick play and that's it. All of the World Tour cheevos must be acquired on the same console. Sucks.

Also, to Paulypies, yes, you can use your GH axes on RB.

Why does EA ruin the gaming experience?

This is awful. I've been waiting so long - I was so excited when I saw the title, then was royally ****ed off.

Convert the RRP of a new game in the US to £ - 60$ = £30~. And the RRP in the UK is £50. That's a 166% increase on the conversion price.

Apply that logic to the £85 coversion price for Rock Band US and it should have an RRP of £140~. And even that's expensive, but the logic is there. Also, most shops sell brand new games for £40, which is a 133% markup - that logic applied to Rock Band is £115~.

Any RRP between £115 & £140 would have been *just* do-able. £180 is ridiculous.

WTF!? i have waited for effin ages, and i have to pay double the US price, damn it. I wish i could import but it isnt region free is it.

i wont be buying on release for definate now. I can afford GTAIV this month, but i can't put together another £90 the month after to halfsies with my mate.
damn it! Looks like i will be waiting for christmas or a present for my exam results (if i do well) it would be a nice going away present for university.

you could just import the 360 version from the us and then buy the game disc when its out here?

im sure thatwould work out much cheaper!

@tan

GENIUS!
i did not think of that

Games are region coded, are they not?

yeah, but the instruments aren't. I could import the full package from the US for hopefully under £100 inc postage. And then just buy the game on its own from a shop in the UK for about £40, saving me £40 or more.

If this is indeed the pricing, it does suck for you guys, though you get the shaft on ALL pricing, including the PS3, so lets keep things in perspective, this isn't anything new.

To be positive though, look at it this way. We *had* to buy the bundle (to play drums) until just recently. You guys don't, so for those with GH2 controllers and a headset, all you need is the game and a drum kit (plus your guitar and headset) which will come in about what we paid for the whole thing.

I, personally, think the guitar is well worth it as is that style mic if you have a mic stand and such but in terms of budget and such, many of you can still get the same experience for what you expected it to cost, or less.

Don't fucking buy it! Show EA that their stranglehold on gaming is not appreciated.

I myself will be missing out on some awesome titles this year because I refuse to buy their titles. Just know that they won't do this shit if you don't buy.

I am quietly awaiting the release of this game over here in New Zealand... but after see how screwed the poms are getting I don't think I'll bother. Hell, at this rate it'll probably nz$1000 by the time it reaches our shores. Screw that.

£180

I have been looking forward to this game for so long. BUt the vocal minority on sites such as this wont be doing a lot.

We need to email the BBC News Tech Dept, and other respectable news sources that will love to run another story about Rip-Off Britain. If it gets lots of negative mainstream press that is what will force EA's hand

I really want this, but I literally cannot afford it at this price.

I thought the whole point of Rock Band was that it had a subsidised price for the Gear and Game, which would then be made up by the vast amount of DLC available. Given its major popularity EA are now just out to screw us out of as much as they think they can get away with. I think this will be a step too far this time.

Its sad.

This makes it more expensive, or as expensive as a 360 arcade, Wii, close to a 360, and $100 off a PS3/GT5:P, I believe, if my Dollar/Euro conversion is correct.

EA, honestly, could you get anymore stupid this generation?

'Microsoft has definitely stolen one of the biggest releases out from under Sony's nose --'

Bullshit. For the price the Europeans are paying, and relative to everything else, this won't do anything to help.

And considering those PS3 owners who have desperately wanted the game have already imported it, and those who are going to want it without waiting are going to import anyway, probably for cheaper too.

The instrument pack will NOT include the game too.

Are you assuming that this price won't be the same when it hits the PS3? In that case this does steal some thunder.

While the price is too high, it will still sell.

Sad but true.

No, I know it will ultimately be the same price.

The extra delay and the price will certainly (plus word of mouth, we all know how fast these things travel) might/will push some of those PS3 owners to just import it, and download the 'exclusive' songs when they become DLC. It (I think) will end up being cheaper. PS3 owners have been screwed in the past, but the plus is that they have no region coding on the games.

However, I wouldn't completely rule out a price drop for the whole thing, plus a pack with the game included when this is released Wii/PS3/PS2 wide in September/October, around Christmas time.

the time exclusivity doesn't matter for sony because the PS3 is region free.. so gamers from the UK and other European countries have been able of getting it from the US or elsewhere for the same price and since it came out

Good point, but I would think the majority of consumers aren't that savvy.

Hey everyone! on Play.com they are selling thw instrument pack for £100 and the game for £40 bringing up a total of £140 which is better but not as good as the USA's price. I've already pre-ordered.

Thanks AlecM I'll check it out

I have both systems..but i adore my 360 more

I don't think it really matters if the 360 gets it first in this case, no-one will be buying the game anyway.

^^I've already pre-ordered for £140.

guys.......139.99 from play.com......order the instuments and the game (seperate packages....bargin

Well i am absolutely p*****d of at this

but it think i know what i'm going to do

you can get the drum kit of amazon US for about $55 (£27) so about £35-40 including shipping

but because i already have a guitar hero 3 controller and an xbox live headset which plugs into it the only thing i'm missing is another guitar

which isnt a problem because i'll just get my mate to bring his GH3 controller round when we need a bassist

my advice to xbox 360 owners

buy guitar hero 3, get the drums from america and buy the game here

same price but you get guitar hero 3 and rock band and you get to piss EA off because you arnt giving them £180

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UK Rock Band in May, timed Xbox 360 exclusive

Reader Comments (42)

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