Harmonix defends Euro Rock Band pricing

Yesterday, the big news for our European fanboys was the announcement of Rock Band's May 23rd release and the fact that it'll cost a small fortune. A Rock Band fortune that equates to roughly $350+ in the U.S. We're also fully aware that such a steep pricetag hasn't been sitting well with most European gamers, but Harmonix wants you to know that they care. It's just that they don't really care about your wallet, because the value is there and they stand behind their pricing strategy. Other than that, they do care. Honest!

Speaking to Eurogamer, Harmonix design lead Rob Kay insisted that "we're not trying to rip anybody off" yet agreed that "the combined price, if you add all that up and decide you want that full experience, is quite high." Kay further went on to explain the value in Rock Band calling it "an entirely new thing. What other game comes with three peripherals that are all different? It just makes sense for the experience we're trying to deliver" and blamed the higher European price on VAT taxes and overall distribution costs. All said, Kay ended his remarks by saying "that if people do [buy it] they'll have an amazing experience they couldn't get anywhere else." Very true, but at a cost that could force some to take out a second mortgage to afford.

Reader Comments (26)

Save it EA, we don't want to hear it.

I knew it was going to cost european consumers more, but I was thinking along the lines of $200-$225. I wonder if it'll be worth it to people to just buy the game and have a buddy in the US send them the peripherals they want.

$350?

$350? Really?

$350?

EA Cares....About your $$$

Yeap, $350 (£180) but not that surprising really. As you guys pay $60 for a game (here in the UK we pay around £50 RRP) so you guys pay $170 for the whole lot, we pay £180. Nothing out of the ordinary.

That's stunning. In my mind I can't justify spending $350 for a single game when the system is $399 (or whatever it is now, but you get my meaning).

Rock Band is fun, but not $350 fun.

Exactly. People get confused when they use exchange rates. The USD is so far down right now that it makes everything look out of whack. Really, this game is only about USD$50 more expensive than it should be, not $181. Now, that still sucks, but it's not as bad as people are thinking.

Euro gamers are paying 3.6 times the price of a normal game for Rock Band. US gamers paid 2.8 times the price of a normal game. You've got to think relative to the market, not across the Atlantic.

Yeah, that was my comment on another page. If the UK market is normally paying £50 for a Major AAA 360 game, then that's what the game will be priced at. Doesn't matter that the US dollar is weak right now and when you convert it to US dollars it comes out to a large amount.

Nobody in the UK pays £50 for an xbox360 game though all the shops sell new games for £40. So we are still getting ripped off. We are paying 200% of what you pay when normally we pay 133% so where is the extra 77% coming from huh EA where ?

Ill tell its times like these im glad im american.

I live in Aussie Land and if it cost $350US+ in then most likely it will cost $500AU~ because we pay even more then Europe, roughly $100US for a new game. There is so little chance that this game will every sell more then a handful of units it this region.

Tweenty Buck plastic toy shaped instruments with buttons that look like and work like there from a 'CheapShop' aren't worth the money.

No longer a must buy, now just a forgotten memory when playing GH3.

I was just about to send this tip in. The guy just spouts excuses. Wouldn't have expected any less really.

Ok, £180 for an 'experience I can't get anywhere else' (well apart from the guitar parts, obviously) is just about do-able.

But how long till the next RB is out and I have to spend another shitload of my hard earned and thinly spread cash?

Will the individual instruments be available at launch then if I decide to buy separately? According to Mr Kay it's all about the choice.

How kind of them.

As a UK gamer with a less than affluent entertainment budget, I would rather buy a brand new 8800 GTS graphics card for my PC than this. They cost about the same.

Well, if you guys would stop having such a good economy maybe you wouldn't get effed in the A so much... hmm? Ever think of that?

Freakin' European bastards! ;)

ROCK BAND FULL EDITON for £99
http://www.play.com/Games/Xbox360/4-/5397984/Rock-Band-Band-In-A-Box/Product.html

That doesn't include the game though, so another £40/50 for that! Although that is slightly better than £180.

Small consolation, but play.com have the instruments listed for £99.99, and the game itself for £39.99.....a total of £40 less than the total RRP, and round about what I was expecting to pay in the first place.....that's where I'm probably ordering from.....

Good old play.

As for the guy, hes talking trash and he knows it. Theres no excuse other than greed for that price. Anyone thinking about it, seriously, consider what you could buy instead it isn't worth it.

$ 350 for a any game is too much.

Aren't the peripherals region free? If so then it's cheaper to import? I really hope for the same price as with the low dollar and all...

Let's back up the angry bus a second. The only reason that it costs $350 is because the US dollar is performing atrociously on international currency markets.

Before Mr. Bush royally screwed up everything, your crisp dollar bill bought you around 1.5 GBP. Which would make the game more like $270.

Which is still crazy expensive, but that's Britain for you. Remember that a standard boxed game retails for 50 GBP (i.e. $100 at today's exchange rates).

I don't think Jeb Bush did much to screw up everything, however, President Bush has definitely done little to curb inflation. But when you inherit a recession from the previous administration, you're kinda screwed anyways. President Bush or George Bush, either is fine. Mr. Bush is improper usage, at least until he leaves office.

BTT, I think EA should be able to charge what they want. $350 may be unreasonable, but let the market work. A few people will purchase it within the first few months, and then they'll have to lower the price to attract more customers. Either that, or people will continue to boycott the game, which will correct the pricing structure when the sequel comes out.

A president will always be called President even after he leaves office. Usually as Mr. President but still.

And this is right. I'm surprised that Dustin fell for this "OMG It's $350!" crap. As I said before, relatively speaking the bundle is $216-$219, not $350. The exchange rate just confuses the calculation.

The whole VAT thing is BS.

No games has ever cost more numericly in the uk than the us examples

US game 60
UK game 40

US GH3 100
UK GH3 70

Why is rock band the exception to this rule of thumb Rock band should be 130 with game and all instruments. Remember that RB doesnt come with a wireless guitar so why the high price ????

SORT IT OUT EA

Sign up to the UK EA forums and join the we hate the price threads on there.

just get the game and and a guitar hero 3 wireless guitar. use your 360 headset for the voice part. you dont need the drums the pedal is badly made, it will break. ive only used the drums twice and its not as fun as people are making it out to be. the strat guitar for Rockband blows. it broke after only 5 songs, it took 70+days for ea to get me a replacement.

Harmonix defends Euro Rock Band pricing

Reader Comments (26)

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