Harmonix dev tackles Rock Band 'euro pricing flamefest'
by Ludwig Kietzmann 
{ Apr 11th 2008 at 6:30PM }
"You may conclude that Rock Band isn't worth the price charged, and that is your prerogative. But it's not magically going to get cheaper because you wish it to be so," said product development manager, Greg LoPiccolo, posting on the official Rock Band forums. He explained that shocking shipping costs (all the peripherals are manufactured in China, natch) contributed to the price hike, as did the UK's longtime scapegoat, VAT. LoPiccolo went on to insist that the company was not "gouging" consumers. "We can only build our franchise if you buy our games."
While it's up to European gamers to accept this as reason or excuse, it does appear to signal the arrival at an impasse. Somebody has to budge -- be it EA finding cheaper distribution methods or consumers convincing themselves that a set of delayed peripherals is worth more than a Wii or the Xbox 360 Arcade. If the game's sales are severely hampered when it releases on May 23rd, however, you can be sure a price drop will "magically" arrive to save the day.
[Via Eurogamer]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Curtis the Claw: Brawl Code 1075-0441-3284 XBL - supapaypamawio @ Apr 11th 2008 6:35PM
Couldn't you just import it from the US for the PS3?
John @ Apr 11th 2008 6:39PM
Yup, lucky PS3 owners...
JakubK666 (Ninja Defence Force) @ Apr 11th 2008 7:26PM
Add a huge postage fee and you'll end up with something barely cheaper then European version.
Tranando @ Apr 11th 2008 6:42PM
PS3 owners can import for half the price of the 360 version in the UK.
All PS3 games are region-free.
Sweet,
Benny @ Apr 11th 2008 6:45PM
Yeah, just import a copy from Lik-Sang! Oh, wait...
Benny @ Apr 11th 2008 6:48PM
I look forward to copies of Rock Band "magically" staying put on shelves. EA will soon listen when you hit them in the pocket.
pumpkinstew @ Apr 11th 2008 6:51PM
And yet play.com have magically managed to shave 22% off the RRP anyway....
velocitystrike @ Apr 11th 2008 7:52PM
Play.com is based in Jersey, an island in the English Channel that does not fall under UK taxing laws, and thus does not have to add VAT to the products it sells.
Kyera @ Apr 11th 2008 8:00PM
It's also worth mentioning that Greg states that the MSRP is pretty much the cost things sell at in NA (true), whereas the MSRP in Europe includes a steep retailer markup that is often discounted (true, based on what I've seen).
Markusdragon @ Apr 11th 2008 9:01PM
Amazon.co.uk have matched their price already.
jonatho @ Apr 11th 2008 9:07PM
What is also worth noting is that the Jersey Islands are not in the EU (European Union). This means that if you live in a country within the EU and purchase from Play.com, you would run the risk of having added a moderate to huge fine by your country's toll office. The toll offic here (Denmark) seems to be quite strict: Out of 4 packages I've ordered from Play.com there have been added fines to 2 of them, both of which were about 40 € (more than 100% of the product's price itself!).
GMonkey @ Apr 11th 2008 6:59PM
This is nothing new. All games cost 50% more in Europe than in the US. This is simply about the current Eur/USD exchange rate, and the lousy habit of retailers to abuse that exchange rate to maximize profits. And that's also why the harmonix peeps can't say anything about where the costs go. They're simply too dependent on retail sales to risk antagonizing the retailers. Bunch of greedy fuckers, the lot of them.
Incidentally, that's also why games cost bajillions of Steam, and why Valve doesn't release any sales figures for Steam.
Buy everything online!!!!!
Synner @ Apr 12th 2008 4:32AM
Um, no.
I am living in Italy, I've been to England, Germany, and Denmark.
Everywhere I go I compare game prices because I am curious.
When I was in England, games for original Xbox and PS2 were 50-60 pounds. The pound was worth $1.80, our bus driver was paid 12 pounds an hour. This all seems about right to me.
Here in Italy 360 and PS3 games are 60 euro.
you have to remember peoplle are also paid in that wage and things are relatively priced.
GMonkey @ Apr 12th 2008 5:57AM
All right, my ass.
All new console games, anywhere in Euro using Europe cost 60€, whether you live in Italy, France, Germany, Portugal, or wherever. Considering the standards of living in these countries vary wildly, this a load of bullshit. For reference: http://www.fedee.com/minwage.html
New games in the UK cost between 35£ and 50£, by the way.
Synner @ Apr 12th 2008 9:47AM
I don't know anyone who works for minimum wage, do you? I mean other than your other high-school buddies.
I live in Naples which is a "Poor" part of Italy, and people are driving around in mercedes and Bimmers, so maybe you shouldn't be so provincial.
Synner @ Apr 12th 2008 9:53AM
Games in Europe cost 60 euro. A Mcdonald's meal is about 7 euro.
An American game is $60, Mcdonald's meal is about $7.
Are you seeing the pattern?
The poor people in Europe are as poor as the poor people in the states, only without the TVs Xboxes and Cars.
Things are priced proportionally in Euro here to what they would be in Dollars in the US.
Quit thinking of everything costing the same amount as it would for you to convert your money then buy it.
GMonkey @ Apr 12th 2008 10:51AM
Try not to resort inane insults.
And also, try again. McDonald's prices vary from country to country. A Big Mac in Warsaw, for example, does not cost the same as Big Mac in Stockholm.
http://www.investmentu.com/IUEL/2006/20060601.html
Benny @ Apr 12th 2008 12:01PM
GMonkey, the pound sign comes before the cost :P
New games in the UK cost between £30 and £40 (despite the RRP for most PS3 and 360 games being £50). A store trying to charge £50 for a game would be committing retail suicide.
Things ARE priced proportionately, and it must be said that in real terms Europeans earn more than Americans, and the general cost of living is higher. But this is just used as an excuse for some truly awful price discrimination, and certainly does not justify a price hike of almost £100 ($200!). I imagine EA has just realised that its going to have shortages, and is relying on it's more hardcore audience to fork out for the game. I'm very pleased they've been caught out though, as what they're doing is near-extortion. Perhaps a bit of public awareness will come from it all.
Joeshie @ Apr 11th 2008 6:59PM
Haha, poor little Europe. They always get screwed over.
Mooseman721 @ Apr 12th 2008 5:54AM
nob
Zachary Hinchliffe @ Apr 12th 2008 11:10AM
noob*
Benny @ Apr 12th 2008 12:44PM
nob**
friedgold @ Apr 11th 2008 7:12PM
I don't buy it. I don't think Harmonix are trying to 'gouge' us, but there are ways to make your product not cost £110. You know, like what's been done for the last 3 Guitar Hero games. Shitty organization or whatever isn't an excuse, and neither is VAT or tax. That giant price-leap can't be explained through VAT or just plain "Hurr it's Europe, they're used to getting fucked."
jsn @ Apr 11th 2008 7:20PM
hell everything is a good 25% more expensive over there than it is in the US. I just checked a few sites over there and it's kinda crazy. Devil May Cry was $80 converted. I can only assume it's a decent selling game there so obviously they don't mind paying a little more than we do for this stuff. I agree it's a little higher than I would expect, but I can accept there are inflated costs involved with shipping and packaging that we just don't have here.
GMonkey @ Apr 11th 2008 7:32PM
With mass shipping, economies of case keep the shipping costs to a fraction of what a single customer would pay for an imported game's transportation fees.
And besides, even if they were paying the larger shipping fees a single customer pays when importing a game, they'd still turn a tidy profit. As an example, try ordering a game from, say, cduniverse.com to a European country and compare that to what you would pay for the same game at a European retailer like Game.co.uk.
Intya @ Apr 11th 2008 7:22PM
I have two 360 guitars, and the headset, so that's three quarters of the game covered. I don't know about the rest of Europe, but right now my "barely played" pile consists of Bioshock (I know, I'm a bad person), Mario Kart Wii (suhweeeeet), Eternal Sonata, not to mention the ongoing Halo multiplayer shenanigans. I've also got Time Crisis 4, GTA4 and Crisis Core all due in the next few weeks.
Yeah, EA? Let me know when you can pull your heads out of your wallets, and I'll pick your game up. This might be one of the few times I'll pick up a game second hand at £15 or whatever around Christmas, and get a US friend to send me the drumkit. Europe's got plenty of quality games to play right now, and price is definitely going to be the deciding factor.
Unless you're a student in digs who needs that party piece, but I'd still say Smash Bros or Mario Kart's better
Paulypies @ Apr 11th 2008 7:23PM
Methinks if their claims are true, then they could have easily popped a copy of the game in the box and made a smaller profit on that. Their excuses are complete BS.
On a side note tho both amazon and play seem to have knocked the 'band in a box' price down to £99 in the uk, tho amazon currently believe that the instruments are coming out on the 30th of june. a month and a week after the game! Their customer services didnt seem to understand the concept of needing the instrument controllers to play the game.
Kyera @ Apr 11th 2008 8:01PM
He gives decent justification for why they don't package the two together, whether you take it as legit or not.
Paulypies @ Apr 11th 2008 8:25PM
Ah, i just realised straight after posting. Never thought i would become guilty of becoming an angry voice of the internets. That does seem somewhat legit. Though it's not explained how this is possible with the US version, so how they seem to be able to do that fine with previous and current GH titles. tho i'll take that as Red Octane having had more experience and a better setup to do so.
However, theres something not quite right about their RRPs though, I dont think it's anything to do with Harmonix. more likely MTV or EA boosting profits. I'm certainly buying it thanks to retailers looking like they're selling far below the RRP.
Thanks for pointing that out though
Jeffrey @ Apr 15th 2008 10:38AM
The whole UK/France/Germany needing different discs/manuals is a rubbish excuse. There is no reason they can't do what every other company does, and make a manual that is 15 pages instead of 5 and contains all 3 languages. We are used to game discs having 4 languages selectable, and the same for the manuals, and the extra cost associated with printing would be more than saved with the decrease in assembly and shipping cost by being able to do it all in china (or shipping unpackaged units from china an assembling in eastern europe)
Bluebrake @ Apr 11th 2008 7:24PM
These companies should probably stop using "It was the VAT!" as their constant excuse. "That tax is like, 125%! Yes, yes, that sounds about right." People can actually *check* on that shit, you know. The numbers and math aren't some big secret.
The least you can do is come up with some bullshit that's hard to disprove, like "It was the coriolis effect!"
Phizzy @ Apr 11th 2008 7:29PM
Ergh, no-one will buy this game. They need to stop going on about their bizarre shipping costs and taxes and just lower the price.
PS3 version on eBay (buy it now): £162
Probably cheaper in auctions.
There's no reason to buy a PS3 version at the local price. 360 owners have less choice though, since the Yank version doesn't work on EU consoles (unlike GH3).
JakubK666 (Ninja Defence Force) @ Apr 11th 2008 7:31PM
Haven't seen such a display of arrogance since Criterion's statement about how awesome Burnout:Paradise is and Sony's statement about "MS punching themselves out of the fight".
Well done HMX, you earn the "Asshole of the Month award".
jsn @ Apr 11th 2008 7:34PM
I think this is overblown. The full instrument package is only 99.99 and the game is 39.99. You can't compare it to our dollar right now and expect it to look good. IF you compare it to what other things cost over there, it's not that bad. Guitar hero w/ guitar is 65.. other new games are the same price, 39.99. You're paying the same for the disc that you pay for any other game and you're paying 50% more than guitar hero 3 for the entire instrument package. This is totally over blown.
kPod @ Apr 11th 2008 7:39PM
Get your figures right. It's 129.99 for the instrument package.
It costs more for the drums, than it does for GH3 Wireless Guitar + Game for the 360.
jsn @ Apr 11th 2008 7:41PM
I think you need to get yours straight. Play.com has it for 99.99...
jsn @ Apr 11th 2008 7:44PM
Just as the Harmonix guy said, they're discounting it, which they can do. It's safe to assume they will also discount the stand-alone instruments. They simply haven't listed that discounted price yet.
Phizzy @ Apr 15th 2008 3:11AM
Still, £140 isn't 50% more than GH3, it's over 100% more.
kPod @ Apr 11th 2008 7:37PM
The way it is, is that you can import the instruments, and buy the game here. It's pathetic that they've said 'OMG FUK U IF U THINK ITS TOO EXPENSIVE LULZ', yet at the same time it was HARMONIX'S CHOICE TO REGION-LOCK THE GAME.
And they could always make the peripherals inside the UK. But Ohno, production costs are too high. Balls to you Harmonix, you ruined the only current franchise that could topple Guitar Hero in it's market.
JakubK666 (Ninja Defence Force) @ Apr 11th 2008 7:39PM
Another Sarcastic Gamer boycott? Man, I'd love that!
kPod @ Apr 11th 2008 7:48PM
As would I. With the success of the Battlefield boycott (It got their attention, that much has to be said), and the fire that is burning under this topic, it could well become nothing short of an almost total embargo.
treqie @ Apr 11th 2008 7:40PM
I just checked the suggested swedish retail price... 1,999 SEK (334.549 USD). What a sweeet price.
David @ Apr 11th 2008 7:55PM
This just in: "Gamers enraged that game costs money."
Seriously, what else is new?
Rususeruru @ Apr 12th 2008 4:27PM
The sky is blue.
... well you asked.
Jeff C. @ Apr 11th 2008 7:57PM
Even though I don't dispute the pricing/economic issues, this:
> "You may conclude that Rock Band isn't worth the price
> charged, and that is your prerogative. But it's not
> magically going to get cheaper because you wish it to
> be so,"
...sure comes across as arrogant.
Between this and the way they treated PS3 owners with regard to Guitar Hero guitar support - let's just say that they're not painting themselves in the best light.
- Jeff
Kyera @ Apr 11th 2008 8:04PM
It's not like the PS3 issue was entirely their doing, and while you may call the statement arrogant I call it blunt. If you want arrogance, you should see the people flaming. :p
Matt B @ Apr 11th 2008 8:16PM
Looks like they are trying to make Europe foot the bill for all the warranty issues in the US.
Gavin @ Apr 11th 2008 8:19PM
He does explain why the software begin localized costs more, and if
I wasn't annoyed at the price I might buy that excuse.
But what he doesn't explain is why the instruments by themselves cost
more in the EU than the instruments PLUS the game does in the US. Now
he says that the instruments don't need localizing so no added cost
there, and yet they still cost £129.99 ($260) where is this extra
£90 cost for just the instruments in the EU coming from?
If they don't want to bundle the game and instruments for localization reason then fine, but drop the price of the instruments
to reflect this. Because at the moment Europe is gonna be paying $90
more for just the instruments than the US does for the whole goddamn
package. And thats just fuckin stupid.
overflow @ Apr 11th 2008 8:43PM
i guess they think we have too much money :D
JakubK666 (Ninja Defence Force) @ Apr 12th 2008 11:13AM
I believe they're to lazy to manufacture them in Europe so they're importing it from USA.
When I was looking up GH3 Bundles on Ebay, I'd have to pay $50 for the actual game and another $50 for UPS Delivery.Assuming that microphone doesn't really add onto the weight, that'd be at least $100(50 for Drums and 50 for the Guitar).Now add some profitable price to the instruments and slap an extra VAT and GAT(Greed added tax).Do the same with the the Game and there ya go: A shine $350 Price Tag.