Rock Band man defends Euro price

By Ellie Gibson Published 8 April, 2008

"We're not trying to rip anybody off."

Harmonix's Rob Kay has responded to criticisms over the European price point for Rock Band, telling Eurogamer: "We're not trying to rip anybody off."

As announced earlier today, Rock Band will launch in Europe on May 23rd for Xbox 360, with PS2, PS3 and Wii versions to follow in the summer. The total cost for the game, drum kit, microphone and guitar will come to GBP 180 / EUR 240 - compared to USD 169 (GBP 85 / EUR 107) in the States.

Speaking to Eurogamer today Kay, who is lead designer on the game, conceded, "The combined price, if you add all that up and decide you want that full experience, is quite high. It's not something that is normal in videogames.

"But Rock Band isn't normal in videogames," he continued. "This is 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."

When asked why the game will be so much more expensive in the UK than it is in the US, Kay cited VAT and the higher price of consumer electronics generally. "These are definitely not excuses so much as contributing reasons," he stated.

"I can't talk to the explicit pricing - how it gets split down between retailers and distributors and the whole chain - because I don't actually know that much about it."

Kay went on to say he can see why consumers might be "a bit put off" by the price of Rock Band, but observed there is an option to buy just one instrument or a microphone separately. He added, "I firmly believe that if people do [buy it] they'll have an amazing experience they couldn't get anywhere else."

Check back later this week for more from Kay - including what he said when we put some Eurogamer readers' comments to him.

Picture of Ellie.

About Ellie Gibson

Since joining Eurogamer in the mid 2000s, Ellie has written about subjects as diverse as the fall of Gizmondo, the rise of Hollyoaks actresses in Red Alert games and the noise a bear makes under NSFW circumstances.

Read more articles from Ellie by visiting the Ellie Gibson archive page.

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Comments (266) Latest comment 4 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • Erinan #1 4 years ago

    Before anyone rips this guy out, don't forget that he is a Harmonix employee - the developers. The pricing is EA's fault, not theirs, and they can't criticise EA either as they pay their salaries...
    Edited by 1 at 08/04/08 @ 21:15

  • Paukl #2 4 years ago

    Fuck. That.

    That price has turned me, an interested customer, into a 'not on your fucking nelly' customer.

    More than double the price it is in the US? Even taking into account exchange rates, tax, shipping, all that balls, we are being ripped off. RIPPED. THE. FUCK. OFF.

    No chance.

  • Olemak #3 4 years ago

    Imports work tho, don't they?

  • Melan #4 4 years ago

    "I can't talk to the explicit pricing - how it gets split down between retailers and distributors and the whole chain - because I don't actually know that much about it."

    well he does not say much??

  • convercide #5 4 years ago

    "Before anyone rips this guy out, don't forget that he is a Harmonix employee - the developers. The pricing is EA's fault, not theirs, and they can't criticise EA either as they pay their salaries..."

    Eh? It not like they have to make the peripherals specifically for Europe. They are exactly the same as the US versions. Doubling the price MAKES NO SENSE,

  • Paukl #6 4 years ago

    Sorry, I'm not usually like that on the interwebs, but I'm just annoyed. I wanted to give this game a go, and was prepared to have pay a premium for the privilege, but seriously, anyone who pays that needs their head looking at.

    I'm just a bit sad I won't get to play it.

  • Masarin #7 4 years ago

    Costs more than an Arcade... nope. This will immediately be ignored by me.

  • BlueDot #8 4 years ago

    "a bit put off"

    Understatement of the year so far. I was considering getting the Wii version, not anymore.

  • lewiep #9 4 years ago

    If you are quick you can get it for a fair bit cheaper -
    Rock Band, Xbox 360 - £132.98 delivered

    Still not a good or fair price in my opinion though.

  • Scrumhalf #10 4 years ago

    "When asked why the game will be so much more expensive in the UK than it is in the US, Kay cited VAT and the higher price of consumer electronics generally."

    I have two examples for him of VAT and higher price of consumer electronics:
    iPod Touch $299 - £199
    Macbook Air $1799 - £1199

    Now explain Rock Band $170 - £180, please

  • Fodder #11 4 years ago

    "What other game comes with three peripherals that are all different?"

    I thought it didn't come with any peripherals?

  • Tricky #12 4 years ago

    It's funny. At £150 they'd no doubt have had people grumbling about it but just about still handing their cash over. At £180 though they really can fuck off. It shouldn't bother me because I already imported the US version but stuff like this really rankles. A 1.5 times converted US price premium is fairly standard for us here in the UK, but 2 times the price? Nah - they're completely off their rocker. Definitely a good way to hand this market to Activision, I reckon. I mean look at the price of a guitar alone - £59.99; that's a tenner less than GHIII which of course comes with a guitar.

    Simply put, these days dollars=pounds is no longer a business reality and EA need to be shot for even considering it. Seriously guys - vote with your wallets and tell them to fuck right off.

    Edit: Or alternatively get it for £132 using those links provided above - nice one.
    Edited by 1 at 08/04/08 @ 21:30

  • smelly #13 4 years ago

    I was going to post a lesson in global economics in here.. but i've done it before and it seems that people never listen.

  • Freek #14 4 years ago

    There's also the slight issue of the dollar being a bitt worthless lately, paints a skewed picture.

  • Kyle #15 4 years ago

    @ Scrumhalf

    Excellent point. I pretty much always expect things to be more expensive here, that's fine. But not when it's more than double the price. "VAT and the higher price of consumer electronics generally" doesn't really cut it as an excuse. Sorry, a "contributing reason".

  • lewiep #16 4 years ago

    The maths of it is pretty simple -

    Typical game RRP in the UK = £40
    Typical game RRP in the USA = $60

    So,
    $60 x (1 + Europe Rape tax) = £40
    $60 x (1 + Europe Rape tax) = $78.68
    1 + Europe Rape Tax = 1.311333
    Europe Rape Tax = 31.13%


    $169.99 x (1 + Europe Rape Tax) = Expected UK price
    $169.99 x (1 + 31.13%) = $222.91

    $222.91 = £113.30
    Expected UK price = £113.30

    Games have always been more expensive here, and if Rock Band followed the trend of games being more expensive here in the same way as other games it would be under £120.

  • mkreku #17 4 years ago

    I wish EA would at least honour us with some sort of excuse for pricing it this high. It sucks when they do this and then just ignore the outrage amongst the consumers.

  • Kyle #18 4 years ago

    How is it £132.98 on Play.com? They're selling the instruments and game at £99.99 and £39.99. Surely that comes to £139.98, not £132.98?

  • lewiep #19 4 years ago

    There is a 5% off voucher included in the post.

  • HSH25 #20 4 years ago

    I've ordered it at £133 a price I'm very happy with to be honest.

    EDIT - But then I would have bought it at £180.
    Edited by 1 at 08/04/08 @ 21:43

  • MikkyX #21 4 years ago

    So EA have thrown a Harmonix employee to the baying pack instead of coming forward themselves have they?

    Just when I thought they might be changing for the better........

  • smelly #22 4 years ago

    The maths of it is pretty simple -

    Typical game RRP in the UK = £40
    Typical game RRP in the USA = $60


    You're not factoring in that US prices for ANYTHING NEVER include tax.

    Which depending on the state can be anywhere from 15% to 20%

    And you're not factoring in local ecconomics where things in the uk cost more because people get paid more. I could explain this to you all.. but cant be arsed as i've explainde it too many times on these forums.. But if yer going to moan about it.. first read up on it..
    Edited by 1 at 08/04/08 @ 21:48

  • Kyle #23 4 years ago

    That's all well and good, but even American's, who do know about the tax, think it's outrageous. It also doesn't explain why they aren't supplying a complete bundle like in the US.

  • Scrumhalf #24 4 years ago

    @smelly

    Working for a US bank I do understand global economics and you are still wrong, the difference in the cost of a game I will give you - the Rock Band pricing is not the same. The figures I posted for Apple products are the upper end of what we expect as an increase for exactly the type of products we are talking about here.

    And local sales tax is rarely near 15 - 20%, US Sales Tax
    Edited by 1 at 08/04/08 @ 22:01

  • TheScifiboy #25 4 years ago

    @smelly 203.99

    Ok if you factor in the maximum tax in a state in the US (20%) and apply that to the US price of Rock Band you get $203.99, which by my maths gives it a price to the worst off US consumer of £103.60.

    So why are we getting £80 added on the worst possible price that a US consumer would pay? And obviously thats only the worst off consumer, some US states have a sales tax around the 7% mark.

    No mater what anyone at EA, Harmonix or MTV says VAT is no excuse for the frankly insane price of the European Rock band bundle.

  • ColdShoulder #26 4 years ago

    "What game comes with 3 peripherals?"

    Wii comes with 2 and that's the same fucking price, plus you get Wii Sports.

    I thought this would be some marketing douche from EA but a lead designer that's in no way responsible for the price point of the game... Just shut your cake hole nob end.

  • smelly #27 4 years ago

    @TheScifiboy: Global ecconomics

    You dont REALLY want me to explain it all here do you? It'll be a long post and you wont bother to read it (like people never do when they're reading threads with people moaning about console prices)

  • Fallschirmjaeger #28 4 years ago

    As a European, I'm already used to the fact that every game released here, uses the $1=€1 exchange rate. However, I'm not used that a game changes the $ to €, drops content (in this case, the game itself) from the package and then sells it for an extra €70. That is exactly the reason why I won't buy Rock Band, not the $170 to €170 conversion.
    Edited by 1 at 08/04/08 @ 22:04

  • Razz #29 4 years ago

    smelly I understand what you're saying but that argument won't hold here. We're talking about a product that is over double the price it is in the USA.

  • davet010 #30 4 years ago

    i'd think about importing, but the shipping charges will be $40 at least, and at least 10kg, so even Customs might spot it :)

    My US contacts say that the build quality is not exactly rolls-royce either, with guitars and drum pedals particularly ropy.

    That's one sale that won't be happening.

  • dom6918 #31 4 years ago

    Rip off..think ill buy an xbox for that money!

  • login_name #32 4 years ago

    "But Rock Band isn't normal in videogames," he continued. "This is 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."

    Rock Band may or may not be a good game but don't try and pretend it's entirely new. Konami have been pushing these games out for over 8 years (I'm not including Beatmania or DDR), not to mention you can actually hook theirs up to a real electronic drum kit. That's a gaming experience I'll never forget.

    You can not justify this price, it's that simple. Your game is not worth it, no game is (yet).

  • DDevil #33 4 years ago

    He can say what he wants. I'm not buying it at that disgraceful rip-off price. Makes me so sad!

  • sd99 #34 4 years ago

    Why bother responding to criticisms over the European pricing if he says "I can't talk to the explicit pricing...because I don't actually know that much about it." Ejjit. It's just PR damage limitation - but guess what, we aint falling for your lame excuses you bunch of greedy twats.

    EDIT: I mean, it's more expesive than the damn Xbox360 console!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
    Edited by 1 at 08/04/08 @ 22:09

  • mkreku #35 4 years ago

    I love how Smelly is all like "but I understand the DEEPER meaning of all this, but I don't care to explain it to you peons" in some sort of defence for this price. Priceless.

  • martinh #36 4 years ago

    This doesn't make sense. He argues one reason, and then another.
    We have the 'economics' argument, which as we all know does not make sense. THEN we move onto an argument for 'the experience'. Now, tell me WHY we should have to pay a premium for THE SAME experience that US gamers receive?
    This strikes of rushed reaction.

  • Jigglybean #37 4 years ago

    I reckon they will keep stock levels low now, to make it look like it will sell out, to create extra demand for it. 'Rip-off Band' is not on my purchase list

  • Waldo #38 4 years ago

    So smelly's an expert on economics too?

    This game is twice the price that it costs in the US, and it doesn't even include the game disc.

    There's your "deeper meaning."

  • martinh #39 4 years ago

    Smelly, I'm sure, thinks they know some greater insight about importing, having worked briefly at a CeX or something.
    This isn't about pricing, kids.
    This is about insalling a NEW IP INTO HOMES IN ORDER TO MAKE PROPER PROFIT THROUGH DOWNLOADS.

    Think about it properly, children. EA have lost it because they didn't make the cut in hardware to make the gain in downloads. Ridiculous planning.
    Edited by 1 at 08/04/08 @ 22:28

  • FunkyAlchemist #40 4 years ago

    VAT is not an excuse - they still have state sales tax in the US. An the comment about higher electronics prices here is simply rephrased as 'you always get stiffed on prices - why complain now?'

  • Shuya #41 4 years ago

    Allow me to give my two cents.

    The total cost for the game, drum kit, microphone and guitar will come to GBP 180 / EUR 240 - compared to USD 169 (GBP 85 / EUR 107) in the States.

    An absurd price for a game & controller, theres really no difference between the NTSC/PAL versions of the controllers, they will still be as faulty as the US player base got.

    "The combined price, if you add all that up and decide you want that full experience, is quite high. It's not something that is normal in videogames.

    "But Rock Band isn't normal in videogames," he continued. "This is 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."

    Rock Band isn't new, its a rehashed version of Guitar Hero with Dance Dance Revolution & Singstar attached, mind you, they look a little different right? so it obviously has to get past any infringement on those other rythem games its based on.

    When asked why the game will be so much more expensive in the UK than it is in the US, Kay cited VAT and the higher price of consumer electronics generally. "These are definitely not excuses so much as contributing reasons," he stated.

    Having passed by several farms on my way to school back in the day, i recognise the smell of bullshit, and damn this stuff reeks. those are definitly excuses and not "contributing reasons" as they would so like us to believe.

    "I can't talk to the explicit pricing - how it gets split down between retailers and distributors and the whole chain - because I don't actually know that much about it."

    don't blame him, blame EA? looks like some buck passing there.


    Kay went on to say he can see why consumers might be "a bit put off" by the price of Rock Band, but observed there is an option to buy just one instrument or a microphone separately. He added, "I firmly believe that if people do [buy it] they'll have an amazing experience they couldn't get anywhere else."

    A bit put off? thats the understatement of the year where rock band is concerned. after several delays in announcing release dates for european gamers & the near doubling in relative exchange rates no wonder we're "a little put off".

    There may be an option to purchase a single instrument, however the whole reason people would want to play rock band is so that they could infact play with 2 or more people on the same song at the same time, without having to use the internet play. an example, i was interested in the drum kit, my brother in the guitar, so the induvidual price of £60 drums £50 guitar & £50 game coming to £160. it then forces the question, why not just buy the full instrument set for another £20. i think this is poor judgement on the distributors side from a consumer view, if the americans are getting it for half the price we are, why are we still getting the same inferior instruments sold seperatly from the game? (see the reports about faulty guitars & drum pedals) is it because of the losses that they made on replacing the equipment for other players? i think so.

    Oh but that dosn't matter, we're getting 8 bonus european tracks & the download content bringing us up to 70 songs. even with the exchange rates it dosn't add another £50 to the kit.

    So to you Rob Kay (i hope you read this), pass on this message to your Distributors, sell the fucking game with the instrument kit and stop being a bunch of assholes.

  • shamblemonkee #42 4 years ago

    what a load of gash. anyone defending the price needs a headcheck.

  • RobTheBuilder #43 4 years ago

    I think Erinan is right not to blame Harmonix, they just made the game.
    It's EA and the accessory makers that have done it.

    I understand tax makes it cost a bit more, but not THAT much more. And yes its a good game, but that doesnt justify why we have to pay an extortionate price and the US doesn't.

  • martinh #44 4 years ago

    Hear, hear, Shuya.

  • spookyzombie #45 4 years ago

    Absolutely shocking price. There's no way I'm going to fork out for this.

  • Vice.Destroyer #46 4 years ago

    What I would like to know is who is going to pay for the instruments and the game? Either happily or grudgingly. Confess now who is going to break our silent protest.

  • kangarootoo #47 4 years ago

    @smelly

    By all means do write your long explanation. I understand the point you are making, I've read your posts on it before, and written my own... however... global economics don't cut it here. The price difference is too great to be accounted for by taxes.

    So write away and lets have a discussion. Stating "I know the answer, but I'm not telling" doesn't make you look like an expert. It makes you look like you are bluffing. So prove me wrong, and teach me somethign along the way :)

  • beastmaster #48 4 years ago

    Here's a question for 360 owners. Rock band or Wii? Or another 360 perhaps?

    Wonder how many pre-orders there are for this? People aren't going to pay £180, are they? How much are they going to change for the Wii version when it comes out?

    Yes, this is a rip off in this country. However, people are getting savvy to this in general and will go elsewhere. Or not at all. It will be a rip off until people stop forking out the cash.

    Be interesting to see what happens in 6 months time or so. "So, how to you react to the poor sales?". I wish. I still think it will sell. People will go into the likes of Game, see it up and running and just go "WOW!". Then they'll ask the price and just reply "Are you fucking joking?".

    However, in this day and age of credit, I still think it'll be snapped up. Will the parents take a stand and not bow to kid pressure to buy them this wonderful toy? Say what you want about the pricing it's meant to be a truly great gaming experience.

    Finally (thank god), if this is coming out around the same time as GTA 4 and Too Human it's going to have big problems. Yes, I know it's a totally different gaming experience but still.

  • Ginger #49 4 years ago

    price gouging bastards wherever they are need to pack it in. that's the price of a new console ffs

  • sd99 #50 4 years ago

    --------------------------------------
    SALES TAX EXCUSE = BULLSHIT
    --------------------------------------

    Simple math. $170 (exc US tax) = £85 (exc UK tax)

    £85 x 1.175 (vat) = £99.88

    So, the tax excuse is bullshit.

  • BlueDot #51 4 years ago

    smelly, say all you like about the deep intricacies of global markets. Name a single piece of electronic that is higher in £ amount than $. I'll bet you won't be able to find one. Even the professional Nikon/Canon DSLRs don't take the piss like that.

  • paketep #52 4 years ago

    Dear Rob Kay,

    we're not put off by the price. We're put off by the fact that we're tired of being constantly overcharged in Europe.

    Don't you think we're going to get mad about a fucking 124% increase after the change?. Have you looked at the value of the US Dollar relative to the Euro lately?. Doesn't that price define this as a total ripoff?.

    Fuck you, EA.

    Thanks.
    Edited by 1 at 08/04/08 @ 23:10

  • Blacklodge #53 4 years ago

    F*ck Harmonix and F*ck Rock Band.
    Are they pricing this to fund the war effort, the thieving anti-european c*cksuckers.
    Incase you aren't aware Harmonix, hardware prices go down exponentially over time - not up, or we would all be playing on £300,000 386DX's you lying, robbing, hatefull, backstabbing puppyfiddlers.

    I'm going to buy a f*cking guitar instead. Tw*ts.

  • sd99 #54 4 years ago

    @smelly - If you think everyone in Europe gets paid more than the US then you're in dreamworld. Don't confuse the UK with the rest of Europe - there is a lot of poor out there!

    EDIT: Corrected poster - sorry aspic
    Edited by 1 at 08/04/08 @ 23:48

  • Espiox #55 4 years ago

    EA: I recently bought an SLR camera. It was $700. I checked UK prices when I got home, and you know how much it was? £350. Funny, that. (And yeah, it included both the lens AND the body. I didn't have to buy those separately :p) So this tax crap is just that: crap. And besides, even adding the US tax to RB doesn't double the damn price, unless the tax rate went up to 100% in the three days I've been back in the UK.

    And it IN NO WAY excuses that fact that the controllers and the game are sold separately. Who the hell is going to be buying the three instrument pack but not the game that you need to use them? I'm sorry, but I'm not buying this. It's a shame, since I was looking forward to this game.

    I mean, come on guys. This thing's a fairly hard sell when the pricing is reasonable. I can't imagine how hard it's going to be for me to sell this to people (I work at a Gamestation).
    Edited by 2 at 08/04/08 @ 23:12

  • Blacklodge #56 4 years ago

    ***SD99

    Aspic was quoting a previous post by Smelly

    Who has such a naive view on international economics, he must actually be Alistair Darling.

  • asphaltcowboy #57 4 years ago

    "We're not trying to rip anybody off; we're trying to rip everybody off"

  • repairmanjack #58 4 years ago

    Was the decision to region lock the HALF-PRICE US version anything to do with how badly they intended to fuck the UK market in the arse?

    Sorry, you've lost a sale. This is absolutely shameful.

  • THEGREATMADMAN #59 4 years ago

    £180?

    You can buy a f*cking wii for that

  • tbl #60 4 years ago

    Smelly's went all quiet.....

    What I'd like to know is, why's he sticking up for them?

    Not even the CFO of EA himself could come up with a plausible excuse for this pricing cock-up.

  • Emth #61 4 years ago

    As a PS3 owner who was extremely excited about Rock Band I am completely pissed off.

    This generation really sucks in some ways...

  • Toothball #62 4 years ago

    Well I'm still in. The unbundling also suits me, as I didn't want another wired guitar to go with the four I already have. I just can't do without this game and everything it has to offer.

  • Nige #63 4 years ago

    EA are pretty much THE reason region locking went into one of the last gen consoles (after people were initially told by the manufacturer of said console that it would be region free).

    EA have long enjoyed inserting their skanky nefarious knob of influence into the soft moist velvet of our European purses

    Someone had to pay for that nice shiny office in Chertsey - although now it's closed down, I spose they just want to rape our
    mouths for pleasure.

  • witchdrash #64 4 years ago

    How about asking why the price when:
    The xbox 360 gives a pretty good fucking experience, and it's cheaper than your pressed disk and plastic instruments, I can pick up a 360 and hd-dvd addon new with an hd dvd or 2 from down the road for about £180, and I think there's the potential for one hell of an experience and I wouldn't feel like I was bending over for Harmonix to roger me.

    I guess the only plus I have with this whole situation is my interest in Rock Band was only passing so I don't feel too upset that I'm not going to buy it, but when a game costs more than the console it runs on you have to say "hmm is this a good price".

  • Shuya #65 4 years ago

    I mean, come on guys. This thing's a fairly hard sell when the pricing is reasonable. I can't imagine how hard it's going to be for me to sell this to people (I work at a Gamestation).

    But you'd get a whole £18 off your purchase being a gamestation employee.

    Also if people are adamant in buying it you should convince them into letting you give them your employee discount, everyone knows you need atleast 7 copies of the instruments and game for various consoles you own 8-)

  • brooza #66 4 years ago

    £130 from Play, but I still refuse to get it on principle

    http://ww w.hotukdeals.com/item/168189/ro...

  • bslsimes #67 4 years ago

    "they'll have an amazing experience they couldn't get anywhere else"

    Well, yes, they could. If they were in the US, they could get it for HALF AS MUCH MONEY. And six months earlier, come to that.
    Edited by 1 at 08/04/08 @ 23:34

  • Espiox #68 4 years ago

    @Shuya

    Unfortunately we have a discount limit. Besides, I ain't doing that paperwork for anyone but me and close friends.

    I'm half tempted to tell people not to buy it until the price drops. I'm certainly not buying it. Hell, if they would just put the game in with the instruments for £130 I'd buy it - I'd still be getting ripped off, but not as bad.

  • Asundai #69 4 years ago

    This game costs more than a console. Fuck that.

  • WickedDeeJ #70 4 years ago

    I honestly don't care what EA has to say. I was more than willing to pay say, 30% more than the US price, to take in the various EU taxes, but this is just too much.

    I seriously hopes this causes Rock Band to totally bomb in Europe, and yes even stop launches in more European nations.

    This is a rip-off plain and simple; 8 tracks hardly justifies paying for the US product 2.6 times over, and let's not forget the wait. EA, £100 off that price, NOW!
    Edited by 1 at 08/04/08 @ 23:40

  • r3n #71 4 years ago

    What angers me more than the pricing is the simple fact that your average person is pretty thick, and half the population is still more dense, so it'll sell and they'll make millions anyway! It just pisses me off that they'll make the same or less they would've had it been priced, say £110, and on top of this less people will get to enjoy it!

    Some right old fuck-tards in EA marketing me thinks.

  • Blacklodge #72 4 years ago

    if you have a ps3 - its still region free import it at £85. We did in our office a couple of months ago, though after an initial couple of days flourish, its now sat in the corner gathering dust.


    It was a tough sell at £120, no way is it worth the euro asking price. Start a band instead, its cheaper and the experience is more fullfilling.

    Our lead coder spent 3 days on it, then quoted he felt the same kind of self loathing he would expect from spending the same amount of time having a wank.

    He actually learned to play the guitar in a weekend, and that had some purpose.

  • sd99 #73 4 years ago

    @aspic - sorry, wrong poster - have corrected post

  • sopaman #74 4 years ago

    They can say whatever they want, but that price's just crazy. I'll either buy it from the US (PS3 version) or not buy it at all (most likely). They have to be nuts if they think many people will pay more than the price of an Xbox 360 for a game. Damn, it's cheaper to buy real instruments and start a band! (yeah, this has been checked).
    Edited by 1 at 08/04/08 @ 23:56

  • MrMarbles #75 4 years ago

    Houses, cars, petrols and cigarettes are also too expensive in this country. I blame EA for this, and for the fact that it's snowing in April.

  • Agent_Llama #76 4 years ago

    Anyone who forks out for this instead of a Wii, a real electric guitar or a drumkit has more money/credit than sense.
    Edited by 1 at 09/04/08 @ 00:12

  • smelly #77 4 years ago

    @kangarootoo: It's not just taxes.

    And i agree it IS highly priced. BUT a PART of the price may not be in their control

    Hmm.. how to explain this without writing a huge long essay... hmm.

    Right we have the obvious things first.

    1. Taxes
    2. Import duties

    Right.

    Now onto the lesser obvious things

    3. Dollar/pound fluctuations. They have to base the price based on historic data of the dollar against the pound. If they based it on todays price (like you're all doing) and the exchange rate changes dramatically they could be screwed (and with the current climate on the verge of a global recession that's fairly likely).

    4. EVERYTHING costs more in the uk. That may sound like it matters jack shit.. but think about it.

    The guy who drives the lorry to the warehouse gets paid more, the lorry company charges more for the lorry driver not just because his wages are higher - but also because petrol costs double in the uk.

    The warehouse charges more (bear in mind it's a big product) to store it. As their staff earn more than in the us, and electric costs more, etc.

    The lorry company charges more to take the game to the shops..

    The shop keeper takes a bigger percentage of the price of the game because he's paying more rent on his store, more for the electricity, more for his staff, etc etc.

    And there are obviously loads of steps i've missed out to get a game to the store..


    ADD up ALL of those things and THATS the reason things cost more in the uk. Same goes for why games/consoles cost more too.

    That's the way global ecconomics work. Some countries things cost more than others. Look at JUST petrol. England pays more than DOUBLE that the US pays.. How do YOU think businesses pay for that when selling goods?

    I agree all that still probably doesnt account for why this game costs so much.. But i cant see EA being stupid enough to purposefully price the game out of the range people can afford in mass quantities without there being a good reason for it.

    They've done their math.. they'd WANT to get the game out as cheap as humanly possible.

  • FenderMaster #78 4 years ago

    Scrumhalf said
    "When asked why the game will be so much more expensive in the UK than it is in the US, Kay cited VAT and the higher price of consumer electronics generally."

    I have two examples for him of VAT and higher price of consumer electronics:
    iPod Touch $299 - £199
    Macbook Air $1799 - £1199

    Now explain Rock Band $170 - £180, please

    EG

    please pass this guys comment on to EA, i really want to hear them explain this away...

    Edited by 2 at 09/04/08 @ 00:21

  • jonbwfc #79 4 years ago

    They've done their math.. they'd WANT to get the game out as cheap as humanly possible.
    Utter rubbish. They're a corporation, not a charity. They'll want to put it on the shelves for the optimal price i.e. the peak point of the demand curve. Fundamentally, at the point where they make the most profit per unit and the price puts an acceptably small number of people off.
    However, anyone who isn't a dribbling idiot can see they've managed to get this horribly wrong. It's roughly 40-50 quid (i.e. say 25%) more expensive than it really should be.

    Lets make a comparison: Apple have a very popular produc, the iPod, which they sell in both the UK and the US. Every reason you state for rock band being more expensive in the UK also applies to the iPod. They're both delivered by lorries, they're both sold from high street stores, both companies have plush UK offices.. Yet an iPod is about 60% more expensive in relative terms in the UK than the US including all necessary taxes. So just what justifies Rock Band being 40% more overpriced than an iPod?
    EA have this wrong. There are no legitimate justifications, there are no reasons which stand up to any sort of analysis. EA have this wrong[/i].

  • smelly #80 4 years ago

    "If you think everyone in Europe gets paid more than the US then you're in dreamworld. Don't confuse the UK with the rest of Europe - there is a lot of poor out there! "


    Yeah.. but uk is part of europe. They wouldnt be very well able to sell it in uk for the high price, then germany at another price, then poland at another price, etc etc would they?

  • smelly #81 4 years ago

    Besides..

    Who's going to buy the complete set anyhow?

    Why not just get (say) the drums, and allow yer friends to get the other bits.. then put them together?

    What's the point in getting the full set (unless you have 3 tight friends coming around regularly to blag stuff off you for free, which you're desperate to impress)

    Edited by 2 at 09/04/08 @ 00:58

  • Rush2112 #82 4 years ago

    Only an utter twat would pay £180 for Rock Band. Just think of the ammount of sales those pricks will lose out on. As for this clown trying to defend the price, he's just a fucking puppet who has been rolled out to tow the company line.

    When a game costs more than the actual console, it's time to send a clear message to these money-grabbing idiots that it is totally unacceptable.

    You've lost one customer here EA, how many more are you willing to lose.

    Get a fucking reality check...

  • Triggerhappytel #83 4 years ago

    This is fucking absurd. You can buy a new console or up to six new games for the RRP of this complete game. Thus: fuck off EA/MTV.
    Edited by 1 at 09/04/08 @ 00:41

  • S0L #84 4 years ago

    I'm quite surprised by the pricing. I'm not going to attack the Harmonix guy, I'm pretty confident this is by no means their doing or choice.

    Personally, I kinda expected the Euro version to be between £100 and £120. After all Guitar Hero (game and Guitar) is about £60, but with Rock Band they also have a Guitar, Drums and a Mic peripheral to include, so I figured an extra £50-ish would cover them for the peripherals (game included).

    Worse case scenario I figured £120 for the lot - and even there it would have been a day one purchase if you got the instruments and a game.

    Of course, you want mass market, a £99 price point for the lot would seem reasonable to me. It's not like you get a real drum kit and guitar after all. We're talking about fancy gamepads - not precision tuned instruments. Thats not to mention that the mic is the same as the Boogie one, and they managed to put that out on Wii for £50 and still make a profit...

    At this price, I just couldn't justify it. Nor could I even get it past Mrs Sol with loads of pleading. Rock Band is an absolutely amazing game, don't get me wrong, we've got the US version in the office and it's had nothing but constant use. But £180 is too much. When you look that you could buy a 360 or a Wii for the same money, it's just too silly a price.

    Hopefully EA will see all the negative response the price point they've suggested has raised and have a rethink.

    ---
    S0L
    ---

  • FenderMaster #85 4 years ago

    rock band costs less than the Wii in the U.S
    ROCK BAND COSTS LESS THAN THE 360 IN THE U.S

    so why does it cost more than these consoles in europe?

    the same vat and import duties apply to the consoles too right?

    no matter how much b.s. they give us, the fact that it costs more than the consoles just plainly isnt right, especially given that the consoles are more expensive here in the first place...

  • Johnson #86 4 years ago

    Dear EA,

    Please fuck right off,

    Many thanks,

    Johnson.

    P.S. Harmonix, I know this isn't technically your screw up but you chose to hook up with EA so you can fuck right off too. May the hairs on your arse turn to drumsticks and beat the bollocks off you.

  • Grayvern #87 4 years ago

    Since the publisher, producer and developers are all, guess what, outside the uk, that means that, guess what, the fact that everything costs more is a non existent argument. In fact the strength of the pound to the dollar makes imports cheaper.

    The reason they are taking the piss is because they can, this is because every other god dam country does as well. If play can charge 130 for the bundle and still make a profit that shows that the price isnt taking into account retailer profit margins either which are affected by generally higher wages in the uk. (Yes online is cheaper but never by that margin)

    It's always annoyed me how Europe with 600 million people always get crapped on when the USA with only 200 million inhabitants gets the red carpet treatment.

  • Stoatboy #88 4 years ago

    re: "Besides..

    Who's going to buy the complete set anyhow?

    Why not just get (say) the drums, and allow yer friends to get the other bits.. then put them together?

    What's the point in getting the full set (unless you have 3 tight friends coming around regularly to blag stuff off you for free, which you're desperate to impress) "

    That's fucking scraping the barrel, quite frankly.That's fucking shameful.

    A lot of the rest of the stuff you said had a shred of credibility when arguing for the pricing. I know my economics, and a lot of what you said had at least a minimal degree of merit. THAT had none. THAT was fucking horrible, and partisan, and utterly exploitative.

    Asking your mates to cough up for the bits you can't afford? Insulting them, if they don't? Fucking horrible!

    Yeah - I'll just get my mate to spend £70 on drums he can't use unless he's round my place.

    "Allow" your friend to get the rest.

    Allow?

    Fuck off. That's marketing speak for demand, you hateful fucker. Please FUCK OFF you disgusting, morally repugnant twat!
    Edited by 1 at 09/04/08 @ 01:49

  • dredd97 #89 4 years ago

    'It's always annoyed me how Europe with 600 million people always get crapped on when the USA with only 200 million inhabitants gets the red carpet treatment.'

    they have more guns than we do ;)

  • JonFE #90 4 years ago

    1. Since Rob Kay admits not actually knowing that much about explicit pricing, he should have refrained from speaking about it.

    2. An example of reasonably more expensive US-to-EU pricing is the solus version of this game, priced at $59.99 / 69.99€. It still shows a mark-up of 10€ if you do the, now popular, $1=1€ conversion, mind you, but I think we can live with that...

    3. EA may spin this any way they like, but fact is that Activision faces similar "contributing reasons", yet they priced GHIII at $99.99/99.99€. There's no way EA can justify $169.99-239.98€ difference. Like I said before, I was hoping for 169.99€, could even stretch (not pleasantly) to 199.99€, but any more than that shows no respect for their customers, in my opinion.

    4. A quick look at amazon.com shows that the game and its peripherals are already offered at discounted prices. This may not be the case across retail, however it may indicate a decline in sales.

    From the above I can only come to this: either EA originally priced the US Rock Band bundle at a loss (hoping that sales plus DLC will make up for it) and are not willing to repeat that in Europe (in fact they may even try to recoup some of that loss from EU sales) or hope that the extra revenue from EU sales will fund failed instrument repairs/replacements scheme. Either way, that's a silly price they are asking...

    @smelly: IMHO, global economics have nothing to do with this. If Microsoft, Sony and Nintendo can price their hardware at EU prices equivalent to the US ones, I'm pretty sure EA could too. They may not be willing to, but such price difference can alienate their customers and rightfully so...

  • FenderMaster #91 4 years ago

    Grayvern makes a good point

    since the Euro and £ stg is much stronger, shouldnt that mean that even at the same price as the U.S. , VAT and al, EA/Harmonix would still make higher profits out of europe than the US?

    nintendo recently sais something similar, that they were focusing on selling Wii's in europe rather than the US for the moment, because when dollar profits are converted back to yen (nintendo is based in japan of course) it was far less profitable to sell Wii's in the US than in europe with our strong Euro & £ sterling

    theres no excuse here

    EA really needs to back down on this one, backlash has just been so fierce

    hell i think we are owed an apology, with free DLC to make up for this, even after they readjust the price (they will, take my word on that...)
    Edited by 1 at 09/04/08 @ 01:50

  • smelly #92 4 years ago

    @Stoatboy

    "That's fucking scraping the barrel, quite frankly.That's fucking shameful.

    A lot of the rest of the stuff you said had a shred of credibility when arguing for the pricing. I know my economics, and a lot of what you said had at least a minimal degree of merit. THAT had none. THAT was fucking horrible, and partisan, and utterly exploitative.

    Asking your mates to cough up for the bits you can't afford? Insulting them, if they don't? Fucking horrible! "



    GEES CALM DOWN!!!

    The economics thing was a explanation of how things work (as it was asked for).. The idea of sharing the prices around is a completely seperate thing..

    It was just an idea.. Surely the WHOLE POINT of rock band is to play as a band.. Youd need your mates to play with you, and subsequently they'd need to practice on their own single player version?

    So surely (as an idea.. i've not actually played it to know if this is viable) it makes sense for you to buy (for example) the microphone version, practice with that, then go round to your mates and sing while he plays the guitar version he's practiced with?

    Surely that makes the most sense?

    Personally i have very little interest in this game (no mates) but i dont see what i'd gain as a single player by having all the instruments?
    Edited by 1 at 09/04/08 @ 02:11

  • smelly #93 4 years ago

    @JonFE:

    "If Microsoft, Sony and Nintendo can price their hardware at EU prices equivalent to the US ones,"


    Erm.. Um.. Erm.. You WERE around when the ps3 launched werent you? And the 360.. and the psp?

    All sold for considerably more than their US counterparts at launch

  • Shuya #94 4 years ago

    Saying that costs are higher in the EU than the US is bullshit, americans on average are still the highest paid workforce.

    if i can find a good place to import from, i will seeing as i have a PS3, i'd rather fork out £85 plus shipping and get it a few months earlier with a full set of instruments than pay double that just to walk into a store and get it with a fucking muse song as a form of compensation, they could have atleast added better english songs to it.

    EA will be surprised at the reaction from most of the player base, might even turn more people to Guitar Hero 4 which would be a definite fist up the arse to them.

  • hahayou #95 4 years ago

    I think I figured it out:

    SHELF SPACE

    Game stores (like a lot of retail outlets) will quite often charge publishers to put their games on their shelves. It must be that Euro retailers charge a lot more per shelf-metre, coupled with the fact that the Rock Band box is ridiculously big and inconvenient.

    p.s. add me to the outrage pile, etc etc.

  • Zuiyo #96 4 years ago

    I am not an economist, but I think the price has been artificially inflated.

    The reason: to recover in Europe from the losses caused by a weak dollar. Same rationale as behind the lack of Wii consoles in North America in detriment of Europe.

  • phantom516 #97 4 years ago

    Panic not, Rock band is already being heavily discounted. Go to play.com and pre order , Instruments are £99.99 , game £39.99 so thats a total of £139.98 for both !! Much more acceptable

  • t8yman #98 4 years ago

    no.fucking.way.

    gh3 is what £60?

    so a plastic drum kit and mike is £120?

    and they are making an absolute mint on DLC.

    sheer fucking greed, and no mistake. global economics experts can fuck right off, I know when someone is taking the piss.

  • 4thVariety #99 4 years ago

    Mr. Kay should refrain from talking before saying something like this. It is an even bigger insult than the original price announcement. Although being totally ignorant about the amount of VAT taxes in the world (hint: they don't cause prices to double!!!), he also claims that he can invoke some law of "we generally rip you off" as a cause.

    As far as I have been buying consumer electronics, I always found the prices to be nicely according to a realistic exchange rate. If your rip-off retailer is not sticking to it, then google somebody who will give you a fair price. As far as I am concerned, Harmonix can stick their Rip-Off Band crap and all further game experiences up their collective [insert favorite body part for outlined action].

  • Davemanz #100 4 years ago

    @Espiox (and every other Gamestation employee on here):

    If you actually did recommend that people wait for the price to go down when they try and buy it, I would really respect you. I know that's entirely meaningless through the internet, but we've clearly all had enough of EA and everything they do (I'm an American who doesn't even want to play the damn game and I find this as outrageous as the rest of you). It would be great if there was at least some effort to prevent this from being sold.

    I mean, isn't that what capitalism's all about? If they're putting out a shitty, overpriced product, there's nothing wrong with us telling people not to get it.

  • DB2k #101 4 years ago

    dear Rob Kay.
    you are a wanker. I hope your bed of money crushes you.
    regards,
    UK

  • tgigreeny #102 4 years ago

    Pricey, for sure - and another shameful example of rip off Britain, but phantom516 is right, you can find it online for the sort of money we all expected it would cost. I can't say for sure, but it seems that the yanks don't have quite the same access to heavily discounted online retailers that we do - which rather negates much of the RRP inflation we have to put up with. The wonder of play.com's VAT-dodging channel island-ness to the rescue again, then.

  • Ignatius_Cheese #103 4 years ago

    @Bertie - So that's MTV charging a premium for the MTV generation who made a fast buck in the late 90's/early 00's? Same scum, different label unfortunately...

    /bought from Play.com

    /is a hypocrite

    /am cry...

  • kingofspoons #104 4 years ago

    Well done EA... you got publicity. Is any publicity bad publicity? Stick one of our mystical hedgehogs up you ass to find out.

    Harmonix, please spare us the peripherals if you make another Frequency sequel - our continent can't afford your publisher's prices.

  • peteb #105 4 years ago

    I reckon they know they have stock shortages and so have stuck the price up to a level where a lot less will buy it, but as long as they still sell the full shipment (at double the price) theyll be happy

  • Les #106 4 years ago

    "but observed there is an option to buy just one instrument or a microphone separately."

    And there are much better games at better prices if you just want a single instrument... This is just a very poor value proposition.

  • koji_m #107 4 years ago

    they can shove it _period_

    and I hope it blows up in their face

  • OmagnusPrime #108 4 years ago

    There's just no way in hell the maths works on this, and any bullshit about taxes and higher costs is just that: bullshit. I was expecting a price of around the £100-120 mark, and at a push may have justified £130 to myself. Thing is, that was when I was expecting the release over here to be somewhat closer to the beginning of the year. Also, hardware usually gets cheaper the longer it's available (case in point: any fucking hardware you like, they all do) so production costs should be less now.

    Even with some retailers offering it at about the £130 they can take a running jump. Being expected to wait 6 months for a handful of 'free' tracks (that one continues to give me a good laugh) and then pay over the odds, well it's a joke isn't it. There's some nonsense reason behind all this, potentially trying to reclaim losses from the US market, possibly a stock shortage, but there is no way in hell it's down to tax.

    Next time EA or Harmonix push a lackey out the door to provide an explanation, can they make sure they actually know, well, anything.

  • UKLL #109 4 years ago

    I hope it doesn't sell a single copy in this country.

    It's time to take a stand and send out a message that we aren't going to tolerate being shafted any more.

    The price at Play.com is much fairer and a price I would of been prepared to pay but I'm so pissed off by this whole thing I refuse to buy it now.
    Edited by 1 at 09/04/08 @ 09:14

  • MyPointIs #110 4 years ago

    From the Wikipedia:

    Boycott - A boycott is the act of voluntarily abstaining from using, buying, or dealing with someone or some other organization as an expression of protest.

  • Chakitty #111 4 years ago

    Hmm well if they are going to charge 240 euro, That works out to be about 400 dollars Australian.

    I dont think i'll be getting it

  • JonFE #112 4 years ago

    @smelly:
    "Erm.. Um.. Erm.. You WERE around when the ps3 launched werent you? And the 360.. and the psp?
    All sold for considerably more than their US counterparts at launch    "

    Yes, I were around and I do remember that Microsoft launched the x360 at $399.99/399.99€ (premium) and $299.99/299.99€ (core), Nintendo launched the Wii at $249.99/249.99€ and Sony the PS3 at $599.99/599.99€ (for the 60Gb model - no $499.99 20Gb model for EU). As for the PSP, I don't have the launch prices at hand, but it currently retails at $169.99/169.99€.

    So, it clearly depends on how you define "considerably more" expensive. Yes the "$1=1€" conversion is not based on currency rate and yes it does work out to be more expensive (as stated in my original comment), however it's nowhere near the $169.99=239.98€ mark-up we're dealing here. EA just want to make up for lost revenue (whether it is from original US price set at a loss, less-than-targeted sales/DLC or warranty expenses) not conform to global economics...

    Also, in my original comment I did state EU prices not [/i]UK[/i] ones; this might be where you lost me...

  • Der_tolle_Emil #113 4 years ago

    The best thing would be if retailers simply refuse to stock it. A boycott would be fantastic but I doubt it will work because retailers and online shops will want to (and probably need to) sell this product and to get people to buy it they will heavily cut down on the RRP to get people to buy. EA won't mind as long as people are buying and with somewhat affordable prices people will be buying, sadly.

  • InsoFox #114 4 years ago

    Yeah, um, doesn't seem likely, does it?

  • Killerbee #115 4 years ago

    Fair play to Rob Kay for coming on here and talking about the pricing, but really I feel sorry for the guy - he's being asked to defend the indefensible and Harmonix's game will selll fewer copies than it (arguably) deserves to precisely and singularly because of the high price.

    And I don't accept the "just buy one instrument" argument - if you want to play guitar, you might as well buy Guitar Hero and if you want to sing you might as well buy Singstar. Only the drum kit really stands out here, yet surely the main attraction is the ability to play all three (or four) instruments together.

    What Rock Band needed was one bundle with everything in for £129.99 tops.

  • mingster #116 4 years ago

    Well Smelly your Global Economics class 101 left me totally unconvinced.
    You haven't explained The ridiculously over the top price increase when compared to other consumer electronics equipment.
    It should have the same mark up as other relatively large ie: plasma/lcd TV's equipment that come from abroad.
    It doesn't, the maths don't add up .. EA got the price wrong they will reduce it by at least £50 very soon.

  • bigbadbeasty #117 4 years ago

    I am wondering if that Play.com price will rise though tbh.

    @Smelly
    While the UK does has higher costs for pretty much everything (petrol, transportation etc) this does not quite equate to the increase that is being suggested.

    EA will probably be supplying from one destination in Europe, then sending to there distribution partners in each country. They obviously be taking there cut, but they pay for everything, EA will not be driving the delivery truck and paying the petrol themselves.

    The production cost will be the same worldwide, we will not be getting special ebony guitars or anything.

    Do not get me wrong, most of Europe now gets the same raw deal when it comes to pricing on the whole. The UK is generally terribly expensive for everything. I think this just takes the biscuit. EA cannot expect to get many sales at that price, I think they overestimate the strengh of the product.

    @hahayou
    In the US store shelf space is also at a premium, in fact it is worse than the UK. They pretty much only want standard DVD cases only. EA will have to think of another excuse.

  • stepneg #118 4 years ago

    Hi Rob Kay,

    Why don't you fuck off and shove an over priced plastic rock band guitar up your anus while your at it, wanker!

  • Eighthours #119 4 years ago

    It's an indefensible decision. I can't recall ever seeing such ridiculous profiteering in the videogames industry. Even Nintendo in the 90s didn't take the piss as much as this.

    I really want the game, but this has really annoyed me.

  • toythatkills #120 4 years ago

    @smelly

    A quick question, why is it that you're happy to quote people that didn't understand what you said so you can appear knowledgable, but whenever someone asks a valid question that completely destroys your argument you just ignore them?

    It's odd, that.

  • kangarootoo #121 4 years ago

    @r3n

    If what you say about everyone except you being stupid is true, and they will sell millions regardless, the EA marketing people are hardly fuck-tards are they? Think.

  • japstersam #122 4 years ago

    you could get about 5 different brand new recently released games for that, and even if they were crap i'm sure you'd get more time out of them than out of this, no matter how cool it looks.
    you could buy a new console for that much... :|

  • wattoo #123 4 years ago

    EA didn't get the price wrong. You lot are the hardcore. The idiots will still buy it. They probably won't even be aware of the price difference. Plus, as has been seen already, they can knock 20+ quid off the RRP and people are thinking 'BARGAIN', when in fact it's still a fucking rip off.

    I hope it bombs along with every other EA game and that the executives find themselves on the street having to suck off grimy tramps for pocket change.

    Not because of the pricing here specifically, I just don't like them.

  • nickthegun #124 4 years ago

    Rock Band wasnt 'normal in videogames' when it came out in the US and they still managed to sell it at a price that didnt mean the average punter had to sell a kidney.

    But, yeah, I do feel sorry for this guy having to defend this. Although he really shouldnt have put himself in that position in the first place as its pretty indefensible.

    After years of 'different tax rates' and all those platitudes we get year after year, we are pretty cynical about this kind of thing.

  • SlackMaster #125 4 years ago

    Doesn't matter how its spinned £180 is too much for a game and peripherals... The game just will not sell at that price in any great numbers.

    Steel Battalion never sold many copies and neither did Samba Del Amigo simply because it was around the £100 price point. Paying £69 for a game like Guitar Hero is a lot but paying £180 is just insane.

  • nickthegun #126 4 years ago

    Well this is the thing. For all the 'casuals will still buy it, were all doomed' stuff, its nearly 200 quid and thats a lot of corn for anybody, stupid or not.

    I think, to be honest, a lot of people will get the game with one peripheral and build up from there, treating it, basically, like GH4 or a new singstar.

  • kangarootoo #127 4 years ago

    @smelly

    Thanks for replying.

    "I agree all that still probably doesnt account for why this game costs so much.. But i cant see EA being stupid enough to purposefully price the game out of the range people can afford in mass quantities without there being a good reason for it.

    They've done their math.. they'd WANT to get the game out as cheap as humanly possible. "

    I don't doubt they want to get the game out as cheaply as possible. And I don't doubt they aren't trying to price the game out of people's reach. But there are plenty of other products out there now, which when compared $ to £ just leave RockBand standing in the middle of the room all by itself. Has someone f'ked up on this at EA? I don't know, but I just don't see how global economics can explain everything when all other products seem less affected.


    @wattoo

    Dude, its the hardcore that buy this stuff at release. We are the early adopters, ready to lay down the big money because gaming is "wot we do". The mainstream won't be buying this for ages, if ever. The mass market won't look at any video game costing over £100 and think "bargain". If we aren't buying this at release, there isn't anyone else left.

  • kangarootoo #128 4 years ago

    "and thats a lot of corn for anybody, stupid or not"

    I like that, and shall pinch it for future snappy one liner usage.

  • login_name #129 4 years ago

    Look at JUST petrol. England pays more than DOUBLE that the US pays.. How do YOU think businesses pay for that when selling goods?

    Yeah, but their petrol is lower grade (starting at 87/89, going up to 93) and their cars use more of it. They also travel far greater distances than UK drivers. You talk about economics and use this as an excuse for higher prices but what you obviously don't realise it that the average American pays just as much if not more than the average UK/European driver in fuel.

  • kangarootoo #130 4 years ago

    What is the word on build quality these days btw? I believe there were issues some time ago, and I was never convinced that a plastic drum pad set would survive getting hit with sticks for very long (I play drums, and actual proper drum stuff breaks all the time).

  • starfish232 #131 4 years ago

    Okay, so stuff is generally more expensive in the UK than in the US. I get that. But if you compare the price of ANY high-end entertainment product on amazon.com and amazon.co.uk - be it iPods, consoles, TVs etc - the UK cost is generally 20 - 60% higher than in the US.

    Rock Band is OVER TWICE THE PRICE in the UK. You show me any other mass-retail entertainment product that has a 150% price differential between the two countries and maybe I'll admit that the Rock Band RRP is justified.

    Until then, I'll pay no heed to the lame excuses of EA and their Harmonix lackeys.

  • mceq9771 #132 4 years ago

    I have to say that they are not trying very hard

  • wattoo #133 4 years ago

    the 'bargain' was directed at people on this thread who have derided the 180 price but said they're happy to get in at 130.

    crazy.

  • Olemak #134 4 years ago

    Well, they're not going to rip me off with this, 'cause I'm simply not getting Rock Band now.

  • dieseljunkie #135 4 years ago

    Post deleted at 14:42:38 15-12-2011

  • octo #136 4 years ago

    It immediately stops any kind of impulse purchase IMHO. Why not just buy real instruments and learn a valuable life skill?

  • Zomoniac #137 4 years ago

    I'm surprised nobody has mentioned this, but what they're doing here is turning into an almost exact carbon copy of the PS3 launch. Heavily delayed, vastly inflated (although even moreso) with an attitude of "it doesn't matter, people are stupid, they expect delays and big markups and they'll pay whatever for any old shite over there". And look what happened to that. Nobody bought it, and within two months it had an £80 price drop and had 2 free games and an extra controller thrown in as well.

    If they know they have no stock and this is just an attempt to fleece early adopters with what little supplies they have before dropping the price when they actually get some units into shops then it makes good sense financially. But if this is actually what they intend the price to stay at then it's going to do a PS3 and get slashed a lot, and fast.

  • caspa #138 4 years ago

    I was keen as mustard for this. Now I'm not so much...

  • tgigreeny #139 4 years ago

    hmmm. I already own an electric guitar, a mic and a CD player - I can buy a real electronic drumn kit for less than the Rock Band package and have an actual rock band.

    Obviously I'll still be shit, but you get the point.

  • Sick_Girl #140 4 years ago

    I was going to buy this game but just the fact that it's more then double then in the us.. no thx! not interested anymore

  • canoot #141 4 years ago

    It's a huge rip off and anybody that buys it is an idiot.

  • Greasemonkey #142 4 years ago

    I agree with Octo and Greeny, I could buy a fender strat (squire) and a practice amp for 180 notes, feck me you can buy a real drum kit for 200 quid.
    If you had 4 people you knew who were prepared to spend this sort of money each then you could start your own fecking band.

    BAh feck EA and Rock Band .
    Edited by 1 at 09/04/08 @ 10:15

  • Zomoniac #143 4 years ago

    I play drums, and actual proper drum stuff breaks all the time

    In which case you've either got very dodgy gear or you're doing it wrong. For the first couple of years I started out I would go through a pair or two of sticks in a week through awful technique. I've been playing for 12 years now and I can't remember the last time I dented a head, let alone break anything else. If you've been playing for a while and have decent rebound control and cymbal technique you really shouldn't be breaking anything. If you are then you might want to get a teacher to have a quick look at your grip and strokes as you're probably gripping the sticks too tightly. That's what I did, after a few years of self-teaching and finding myself breaking things as well as getting terrible hand pains I got some proper technique tuition. Did me a world of good.

  • Zomoniac #144 4 years ago

    feck me you can buy a real drum kit for 200 quid

    I wouldn't recommend it though. I've seen a lot of people across the internet saying 'look you can get this instead' on these threads and linking to £200 all-in-one drum kit packages. A Squire Strat is not a great guitar but it looks, plays and feels like a guitar, is decent enough to start on and if looked after will still function in a few years time. The same cannot be said of ultra-budget kits. If you want a drum kit instead of Rock Band then go to eBay and get a second hand set 90s Export or Rockstar kit with a few cymbals for the same money and you'll be infinitely better off. Unless you're getting a high-end or custom kit then you'll pay probably more than double the price if you get new.

  • PlugMonkey #145 4 years ago

    I hate to go against the flow of the foamy mouthed frenzied EA hate mongering, as I know you all enjoy it so much, but is EA actually the publisher? I though MTV were, and EA were just the distributer.

    I'm not criticising, but the occasional person saying "Fuck you MTV!!!" might help give a little balance is all.

  • Bumhug360 #146 4 years ago

    "Why not just buy real instruments and learn a valuable life skill? "

    Its simple really and can be summed up by one situation.

    Its closing time at the local on a Friday night, you have had a good night with your mates but nobody really wants to go home. A club is out of the question as you wouldnt meet the dress code, plus you are all a bit wobbly on your feet. You though have a great idea what to do next

    "I know guys, lets go round mine got a few cans in the fridge and we can play Rock Band"

    The response to this will be arguments over who plays drums and your mates will remember why they like you so much

    or

    "I know guys, lets go round mine, got a few cans in the fridge and a guitar, we can have a bit of a sing song"

    This response to this will be fake yawns and excuses as to why everyone has to get up early in the morning. Your mates will also think you are a ponce and will avoid your house at all costs for fear of the guitar coming out.

    Of course playing a real guitar can help pull a lady, you take her back to your place and serenade her, but Rock Band wins here as well, invite a lady back to play Rock Band with you but you would still be 2 short for the best experience so good excuse to invite her hot mates back as well

  • MyPointIs #147 4 years ago

    Repeat after me:
    "It's just a videogame"
    "I don't need it"
    "It won't make me smarter"
    "It won't make me happier"
    "It won't make me more attractive to the opposite sex"
    ...

  • psychokitten #148 4 years ago

    I can't see it doing well at this price at all. Out of all the people I know (in, you know, real life), I probably spend the most money on videogames, and if even I won't consider paying this, they're definitely not going near it.

  • tgigreeny #149 4 years ago

    @ Zomoniac

    I spent several years at school trying to get my French teacher to help me with my gripping and strokes. Sadly she was never up for it.

    (sorry)

  • Zomoniac #150 4 years ago

    I spent several years at school trying to get my French teacher to help me with my gripping and strokes. Sadly she was never up for it.

    I actually LOLd at that, much to the confusion of the rest of my office :)

  • FTM #151 4 years ago

    of course its a rip off...the peripherals themselves will be made for buttons in the far east then shipped by the thousand in huge containers for next to nowt..then we pay through the nose for them...lies and plain robbery from both EA and harmonix making excuses for them

  • sanctusmortis #152 4 years ago

    Nobody would be complaining if the Instrument Pack included the game, but as is it's just an inexplicable extortion. Doing the maths using Guitar Hero sets the bar at £120- so this is an extra 50% on the top. How can that be justified in any way?

  • Lebowski #153 4 years ago

    If they weren't so greedy with the instruments, they'd have made a good profit with all the DLC people would've downloaded over time. Screw 'em.

  • Seto #154 4 years ago

    Hmm - just wanted to point out that I have (and a lot of other people on here) have paid a lot more for one type of game in the past.

    "WoW come on down" (and all the other MMO's out there)

    Monthly sub £9 (ish) and been out for almost 3 years = around £300 if you have subscribed from near the start.

    /cancels WoW

    /starts money fight



  • Les #155 4 years ago

    "If you had 4 people you knew who were prepared to spend this sort of money each then you could start your own fecking band."

    Exactly. And don't forget the time investment required to make something of the game...

  • L0cky #156 4 years ago

    You really think those plastic drums will last 3 years?

  • Seto #157 4 years ago

    @L0cky

    Probably - will only play it for a few months then get bored of it and put it in the loft :D

  • martinh #158 4 years ago

    If anyone is feeling vociferous -

    Fight the power
    Edited by 2 at 09/04/08 @ 10:44

  • oreillymj #159 4 years ago

    Simple, don't buy the game and wait for the fire-sale as EA try to clear warehouse full of plastic guitars & drum kits.

    The whole debacle of Activision/EA/Gibson bitching with each other since they've realised that there's money in the rthyme/action genre and they intend to screw the consumer for every penny they can get, makes me want to see this whole thing implode on the greedy fuckers.

    But unfortunately they're raking in the cash, so it's more likely that this disgusting behaviour will continue.

  • Feet #160 4 years ago

    I'd need to get a loan to buy this game. :(

  • r3n #161 4 years ago

    @kangarootoo

    Yes they'll make millions off the many who are easily parted from their hard earned cash, but as I also said in the same post, they'll probably only make the same amount if not less than what they would've had Rock Band been more reasonably priced.

    Everybody loses out really, including hopefully a few EA Marketing jobs in the process.

  • Steroyd #162 4 years ago

    @Seto

    But you're paying monthly compared to a big one time wad of cash there and then.

  • martinh #163 4 years ago

    Posted elsewhere on the site -

    "Look out for our interview with developer Harmonix later today. It might just have the answers you seek."


    New direction with which to spout bile, chaps?

  • oreillymj #164 4 years ago

    Here's an idea, buy a fucking real guitar, and learn a useful skill.

    http://ww w.argos.co.uk/webapp/wcs/stores...

  • Zomoniac #165 4 years ago

    If I had a pound for every person who's said 'buy a real guitar/drumset' then I could afford Rock Band...

  • MrChuckles #166 4 years ago

    Personally, i was 100% sold on this. i bought GH2 on the 360, i even got a 2nd guitar to play with my mate. I pre-ordered GH3 (no guitars needed though), and now.....

    Well, as said in another thread, i'm just gonna wait for the price to drop. I'm never an early adopter, i never buy a console when it comes out as it is a waste of money. Rock Band won't get worse over time, it'll just get cheaper, and when i can get the game, drumkit and probably mic for around £80, i'll get it.

    Until then, i'll just play something else.

    Wii + Pro Evo looks interesting as does PS3 + Disgaea 3.

    We all waited long enough for it in the first place, lets just wait for the stock to build up, it gets sold off cheap and buy it then.

    I predict that no way will it get the sales of GH2 and 3, and that is a shame, as the design of the game deserves high sales. Maybe it'll be worth it when rock Band 2 comes out, and you can buy a 'super rock band' pack for the same price with another 70 songs?

  • MuppetThumper #167 4 years ago

    COwER UNDER OUR INFERNO OF HATE ALL YOU FUCKTARDS AT MTV, EA AND HARMONIX!!!
    Edited by 1 at 09/04/08 @ 11:07

  • chicknstu #168 4 years ago

    Why are you talking to a game designer? By his own admission he doesn't have the answers. Get one of the suits!

  • PlugMonkey #169 4 years ago

    Here's an idea, buy a fucking real guitar, and learn a useful skill.

    Here's an idea, fuck off and stop peddling out tired old lines of macho trolling bullshit.

  • monkie_king #170 4 years ago

    "I firmly believe that if people do [buy it] they'll have an amazing experience they couldn't get anywhere else." -- the experience of grabbing your ankles and EA going in dry?

    @oreillymj: hilarious!

  • Moz #171 4 years ago

    Still no Sale here i'm afraid. Might just import the PS3 version but not sure i can even be bothered to do that!

  • dudefella #172 4 years ago

    Re: Rob Kay:

    Fuck right off.

  • JimV #173 4 years ago

    "I can't talk to the explicit pricing - how it gets split down between retailers and distributors and the whole chain - because I don't actually know that much about it."

    Well that was the most fucking worthless article ever written then - the issue isn't if it's a good game, it's the price of the thing. So go speak to the retailers, distributors and the whole chain. What's next? Interviewing Will Wright about how much a PC that will run Spore will cost?

  • Vin #174 4 years ago

    "Here's an idea, fuck off and stop peddling out tired old lines of macho trolling bullshit."

    He's right, to be fair.

    Nothing can touch the experience of using a proper guitar.

  • zozart #175 4 years ago

    "Might be a bit put off?"

    No.. really? You think people might be put off by it costing as much as a BRAND NEW 360 Pro? Fucking genius.

    I'm voting with my wallet and not buying this (even though I want it so) until I can get it for £150 at least.

  • thefilthandthefury #176 4 years ago

    When I was working at GAME a lot of people were very wary of the Guitar Hero price as it was, often commenting on how much it was as they reluctantly bought it for their sons and daughters.

    I can't see them stomaching this price whatsoever.

    So, the "hardcore" gaming crowd shout rip off and I suspect so will the casuals.

    Who the hell is going to buy this game then? Hopefully no-one will.

  • PlugMonkey #177 4 years ago

    He's right, to be fair.

    Nothing can touch the experience of using a proper guitar.

    So what? Nothing can touch the experience of about a million and one things I choose not to do. What that has to do with my decision whether or not to play any given computer game, I have absolutely no idea.

    Do you really think I'm unaware of the existence of real guitars? That I'm playing a rhythm action game because I'm oblivious to the alternative? Or is it just possible that it's an entirely alternative and largely unconnected entertainment experience, with completely different demands and rewards?

  • shamblemonkee #178 4 years ago

    Yeah but whether you have a real guitar or not (I do, an acoustic) it's still great fun to blast out some of your favourite tunes with you mates is it not? I loved GH for that reason and am really looking forward to drumming while a mate wails on the guitarin RB...

    In fact it was GH3 that inspired me to pick up a real guitar and start learning to play for real, so get off your high horse. You could use the same argument for wii fit, tennis, olympics etc.....

    It takes months minimum to become any sort of decent playing a real instrument (despite the claims of one poster in a rock band thread for a mate who learned in one weekend). The appeal of these games is having fun with your mates pretending to play your favourite tunes.

    All that said £130 is the maximum i'm prepared to consider playing. £180 is quite ridiculous.
    Edited by 1 at 09/04/08 @ 12:16

  • Dizzy #179 4 years ago

    They are not ripping anybody off.... since nobody is going to buy their game.

  • KreyAtiv #180 4 years ago

    €240 for the whole lot, that's way too expensive. Even if the periphearals are all different. And I'm sure some retailers will up that price a bit more. Don't see many people forking out that much for it.
    Can you use the Guitar Hero guitars with it?? I'd probably get the game on its own if it was compatible. I think that'd be the only saving grace and people would buy the game on its own if they already had the Guitars that work with it.
    I'll bide my time, I can see this being reduced in price quite quickly once the retailers see how much dust they are gathering and how much room they are taking up.

  • monkie_king #181 4 years ago

    nekotcha: and instead of spending £40 on VF5, you could go out into the street and punch someone in the face FOR FREE!

  • captainrentboy #182 4 years ago

    Can't wait for the EG 'interview' later, the guy can spout all the PR bullshit in the world, there's absolutely no way he can spin this into something even remotely positive.
    It's one gigantic fooking rip off, end of.
    Customers that shop in my store laughed a few weeks back when I told them it would probably cost around £130 for the full set, expressing silly amounts of disgust, with the vast majority saying that they'd rather wait and no doubt it'll cost less a few months down the line.
    I wonder how they're reacting to this now :)
    A few posters on here are saying that it isn't us more negative hardcore gamers they're pushing this towards, it's the more casual market. I have to disagree, surely it's the more hardcore of us (The ones who don't think twice about buying the latest over priced gadgets on Day one) that WOULD HAVE been snapping this up come release date.
    This isn't a casual market RRP, the casual market likes cheap and cheerful, I can now, thanks to the price point, honestly see this being one gigantic flop.

  • Jeff_the_Joker #183 4 years ago

    I hope Eurogamer do keep pressing on this. It is literally offensive.

    It was my understanding that the pricing structure behind Rock Band was a low/ subsidised price for the Game and Instruments, to encourage people to pick them up, on the basis there was going to be lots and lots of DLC for them to make money off for the years to come.

    This now seems to be EA/ MTV (and apparently from the comments made by this rep from Harmonix themselves as well) trying to get their cake and eat it.

    The list of reasons are a joke, you want to start giving out weak excuses for for a price thats 230% more?! Adjust for a weak dollar add VA, the cost of a CE mark, I am sure it still comes nowhere near the mark. Even the base price of just the disc is a smack in the face to loyal fans who have been ravenous for this game. How the hell is the disc more expensive?


    I played Rock Band at the Play.com event last month, that solidified for me how much I wanted this game. but at £180 I literally cannot afford that. I know Play have knocked some cash off it but its still too much when you figure in the cost of at least 2-3000 MS points to get the full experiance and cherry pick some great tracks for it.

    I hope people are emailing BBC Tech, and other mainstream news ageancies that would love to run another 'Rip Off Britain' story. I feel that they are just going to ignore the hardcore because they assume we will just shut up and eat it. Mainstream press is one of the only ways to get them to see sense on this.

    For the 1st time in a while I am gonna feel sorry for people in Game(station) HMV who are gonna have to justify the pricing to customers.

    The Hardcore read the Internets, and know its offensive, the casual wont wanna put down that much for an 'Experiance'

    Sorry Harmonix / MTV / EA you have lost at least 6 sales from people in RL that I have already talked to. Even non-gamers cannot believe it when I have shown them the numbers.

  • penhalion #184 4 years ago

    How can this be remotely pushed at the casual market. I don't know any Mr or Mrs Smith who is going to buy what amounts to a full on band kit and set that up in their house for little Johnny and friends to play on. At 180 quid all in, that's just silly money.

  • vegard #185 4 years ago

    "a bit put off"

  • Tyronne #186 4 years ago

    Regardless of the whys of the price for this entire package,it is just way too rich for my blood.It is simply unreasonable to ask such a high price in the present economic climate.I hate to say it but I hope it fails as potential customers should not be seen to fleeced to such a extent.

  • captainrentboy #187 4 years ago

    Hey Jeff, I work in Game, and believe me I'm not going to be standing around looking like a twat, trying to justify the asking price for this game.
    It's pretty much an impossible task really, I mean if someone wants it, then fine. But if a customer comes in umming and aaahhing about the purchase it's probably best they dont come and talk to me, as they'll be leaving without it.
    I'm one of the few Game employees that's stupidly honest, if someone does ask for my opinion on something, say like the new Conflict game, before they buy it, sadly Game's just lost a £40 sale.

  • Muddtallica #188 4 years ago

    I too have to come to the conclusion that EA have simply screwed up here, and done so royally. I've read about 500 comments on EG since this news broke, comments from committed gamers with genuine awareness and enthusiasm for the game, and I can count the number of people willing to actually BUY the thing at this price point on the fingers of one hand. If that's the case amongst the hardcore elite and early adopters, how on earth do they expect to attract anyone else? The casual audience might not be savvy enough to realise the difference between the UK and US price points, but all they'll need to do is look at the shelf to see how unfavourably the price compares to Guitar Hero and Singstar, two games which they will see as being broadly similar to Rock Band, or indeed to the Nintendo Wii, the most popular mainstream home console. To them, Rock Band is suddenly no longer an impulse purchase or fun party accessory; it's an expensive large-scale investment, intended primarily for a specialist audience. Except that specialist audience is us, and we've already said that we're not going to buy it either.

    Who knows? Maye I'm judging the market totally wrong here, and the casual games-buying market are far more affluent and committed to their part-time gaming hobby than I think they are, but from where I'm standing right now it appears as though EA have just dug their own graves. I guess time will tell...

  • Nithron #189 4 years ago

    Everyone saying "Buy a real guitar, learn to play it" is missing quite a few valid points.

    Firstly, it takes bloody years to learn how to play a guitar properly. In the meantime, you know how to play a guitar badly, which is more annoying and embarassing than useful in any way.

    Secondly, "useful skill" playing a guitar is not. Everyone and their dog has a guitar these days. Maybe if you're really lucky you'll be good at it and get into a reasonably successful band.

    More likely, though, is that you'll do what everyone else does, and end up in a "band" that consists of three guys that meet once a month to badly play someone else's songs and eventually forget all about it by after a year or so.

  • kangarootoo #190 4 years ago

    And can people stop calling learning to play the guitar a "valuable life skill".

    I play guitar, and bass, and drums and I tinker on piano. But I will be first to say these are NOT valuable life skills.

    First aid is a valuable life skill. Defensive driving is a valuable life skill. Learning another language is a valuable life skill.

    Playing a musical instrument, for almost everybody on the planet (i.e. everyone who doens't make their living from it), is a "very pleasant thing to do". Much like juggling and having a snooze.

  • kangarootoo #191 4 years ago

    and gaming, obviously.

  • Les #192 4 years ago

    "More likely, though, is that you'll do what everyone else does, and end up in a "band" that consists of three guys that meet once a month to badly play someone else's songs and eventually forget all about it by after a year or so."

    Still think that's definitely a more worthwhile experience than playing for some silly high scores in a video game... At least it will teach you that making music is hard and that contrary to popular opinion, it's not so easy to create a hit song and earn billions.
    Edited by 2 at 09/04/08 @ 13:29

  • shamblemonkee #193 4 years ago

    Possibly, but it contributes nothing to the debate onwhy there is such a disparity in pricing!

  • Zomoniac #194 4 years ago

    At least it will learn you

    Oh my...

    that making music is hard and that contrary to popular opinion, it's not so easy to create a hit song and earn billions.

    'Hit songs' are written around mathematical formulae and are very, very easy if you know what you're doing. But a) most people don't want to be the suit who writes the Girls Aloud songs and hides in the back, and b) you have to be in the right place at the right time to get the very rare opportunity. For most people being in an original band requires huge amounts of time and endless dedication, not to mention usual significant financial loss, not to mention the constant frustration and heartache as your investments prove fruitless and you spend an eternity playing up and down the country in pubs to audiences of 10 uninterested people, desperate for that lucky break that never materialises. Being in a covers band is utterly pointless and ultimately emphasises the band's inability to write decent music (being an exceptionally good tribute band is the exception to this, I bet Off The Wall and the Bootleg Beatles make a killing).

    And I don't think most people with any sense need to play in a band to know that getting big in music isn't easy.

  • phatb0y #195 4 years ago

    I was going to buy Rock Band right up until I saw the price.

    For all the mileage we'd get out of it at home even I can't justify spending that much on a game. And this from the man who imported a Final Fantasy edition Wonderswan not all that long ago.

    If anyone 'serious' about their hobby thinks twice at that price, then what the hell is John Q Argos going to think?

    Nice one EA. Sink that game.

  • damage_toll #196 4 years ago

    god i miss the days of the Amiga 500 and Commodore 64. I think the most I ever paid for a game was about 10 quid. Even then people were moaning that was too expensive!!

  • chicknstu #197 4 years ago

    Everyone saying "Go buy a real guitar..." are really missing the point of games in general.

    By the same logic, why don't I also go buy a real Skateboard instead of playing Tony Hawks? Or go play football for real instead of playing Pro Evo? Or go buy a real gun and.... well, you get the picture.

  • Les #198 4 years ago

    "At least it will learn you

    Oh my... "

    Fixed. Not a native speaker and was in a hurry...

    "'Hit songs' are written around mathematical formulae and are very, very easy if you know what you're doing."

    I would argue that most things are very, very easy "if you know what you're doing"... Fact is that there is no easy way to consistently create hit songs. Of course factors like marketing/PR are nowadays about as important as the actual music, which distorts the view a bit.

  • cnlfailure #199 4 years ago

    Which is easier to believe?
    A : That the evil corporation would set the price at such a point that fewer people could readily afford to buy it thus harming their profits.
    B : The cost to manufacture and ship the plastic peripherals is considerably higher in Europe than in the US.

    Just sayin.

    Considering not buying it now, whereas yesterday it was a must own.

  • PlugMonkey #200 4 years ago

    Still think that's definitely a more worthwhile experience than playing for some silly high scores in a video game...

    Who are you to say what is and is not a 'worthwhile' use of my free time? I'm pretty comfortable with the frankly obvious observation that playing any computer game is a 'waste of time'. I still do it though, because it's fun. I reckon most people visiting this specialist computer games site would probably agree with me. Playing Guitar Hero with my friends is fun in a way that learning the guitar, or another language, or writing a novel won't ever be - rewarding though they all are in their own way.

    And if we're all perfectly honest, you pratting around with a guitar isn't really that laudable. Could you not be studying a degree course, or working for a charity, or something worthwhile.

  • grussbarbar #201 4 years ago

    @cnlfailure
    You forgot C
    C : EA didn't make enough money on the US version of Rock Band either because of all the replacement peripherals they had to distribute or because DLC revenues are lower than expected, and now they want Europe to pay for it because they expect us to roll over and take this.

    Also, don't expect these peripherals to be made in Europe. My Guitar Hero guitar is made in China and I very much expect Rock Band peripherals to be made in Asia too.

    Edit:
    Actually, shipping costs might not be that much higher in Europe too. Sure, gas prices are higher in Europe, but there's way less overland shipping. Most places in Europe aren't that far from the coast in comparison to the US, so a lot less fuel is needed to transport these games to inland European stores than it is to transport them to inland US stores.
    Edited by 1 at 09/04/08 @ 15:28

  • Monkey_Puncher #202 4 years ago

    Even buying just an individual drum kit and the game would set me back £100, which to be honest is a complete therefore NO SALE!

    It may not be a regular game, but that doesn't give you fuckers reason to completly rip Europe off like this. We wait 6 months longer than the US, and then you pull this stunt? I just hope everyone in Europe see's sense and boycotts the game.

  • Progguitarist #203 4 years ago

    Playing guitar is completely worthwhile...it pays my bills and puts food in my belly.

    Playing video games it also worthwhile...it puts a smile on my face and a chuckle in my heart.

    Horses...Courses...

  • nickthegun #204 4 years ago

    Ken?

  • JonFE #205 4 years ago

    ^^^
    L O L

  • Sevens #206 4 years ago

    107 to 240 that doesn't sound right. Especially not when combined with such a poor 'explanation'.

  • kestral #207 4 years ago

    What's the problem if you don't like it you don't buy it..
    [...]
    people? why are you looking at me like that...
    aahhhh
    AAAHHH
    *powww**

  • davidfm #208 4 years ago

    This guy is Joking !!!!
    The same experience more expensive. He thinks, we are stupid. Put your game in your ass.
    Why this guy is lying?.

  • fightman3b #209 4 years ago

    £180???!!! only fucking morons would pay that

  • grussbarbar #210 4 years ago

    Oh, the following URL has been posted before, but it might be good to keep repeating it every few posts.

    http://www.petitiononline.com/RockBand/petition.html

    Anyone who doesn't agree with EA's pricing strategy, please let them know what you think of this and sign the petition! ;)

  • sneetch #211 4 years ago

    "GBP 180 / EUR 240 - compared to USD 169 (GBP 85 / EUR 107)"

    Over double the price. That's it, I'm out.

    "This is 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."

    How is any of that even remotely relevant to the difference in price between US and Euro/UK? What a load of shite.

    "Kay cited VAT and the higher price of consumer electronics generally."

    Would explain a price increase but nowhere like this one.

    "Kay cited fact that european customers generally seem willing to pay more." Would be closer to the truth I think.

  • phantom516 #212 4 years ago

    YOu can buy the instruments for £99 and game for £39.99 so total of £139.98 over at play.com just seen it !!

  • Blacklodge #213 4 years ago

    You can pretty much guarentee a fuck load of market research has gone into this.

    Regardless of cost of manufacture, the only question which will have been put through focus groups will have been

    'How much will people pay for this' -

    the answer is £180.

    If they could make it for £1 - the answer would still be the same, so be under no illusion that all at EA are really hard up and they HAVE to charge this. They are in business to make money. The more the better, and they will have been told by a hell of a lot of greasy, shiney suit wearing coke addled marketing types,

    'The stupid fucks in europe will actually pay DOUBLE the price in the US! I know they are fucking nuts! Please make more - how about Gardening Team! or Cutlery Hero! - we could do a full 64 piece dinner service periferal!'


    Utter utter twats.

  • MyPointIs #214 4 years ago

    Now I know I'm not going to buy it, I wish it was more expensive. Way more.

  • RicTheNinja #215 4 years ago

    so its more or less £100 more.
    Thats ridiculous! The american shops are going to have fun exporting all the copies of rock band lol :p

  • gingerlink #216 4 years ago

    at play.com's price it comes back into temptation.

    But only if they add Jonathan Coulton's Code Monkey, Skullcrusher Mountain and RE: Your Brains to go alongside Still Alive.

    AT LEAST

    please?

  • themajor #217 4 years ago

    Hmm. Does this make it more or less likely that they're going to release a 'Symphony Orchestra' version? I could probably afford the triangle.

  • CrawlingKingSnakes #218 4 years ago

    Rock Band - EPIC FAIL

  • Decap #219 4 years ago

    I truly hope that the game wont sell well in Europe, not that I dislike the game but that price just feels like a rape.
    Consumers really need to start voting with their wallets rather than take it up the a** prison-style, game after game.

    Oh, and extremely poorly defended by the wat. That just doesnt cut it.

  • Gastrian #220 4 years ago

    First off its unfair to compare the US and UK/Euro price as there's a lot of complications.

    The main thing to take into consideration is earnings relative to the country. For the end of the 2006 financial year the average american income was $26,036, the average British wage is £23,764.

    So in relative terms the average american wage for 2006 was only £14150.

    Whats the point? Well the average American wage was 59% of the UK average wage and with the US Rock Band at £85 (does this include tax or rebates?) it is only 60% of the Play.com price.

    So, the Play.com price for Rock Band "costs" the same to the British public as it does to USA citizens. Now this is merely a rough idea as the 2007 financial year has only just finished so there's no average figures yet and I'm not comparing average disposable income (I don't have the time or atience to work that out).

    Secondly, if you are going to buy the £140 set and let your mates play on it then you are far more generous than me. Me and my brother are splitting it 50/50, he gets the guitar, I keep the drums we both share the game and ignore the microphone so it works out at about the same price as GHIII.

    Quite simply its not MTV, Harmonix or EA's fault that your friends are too stingy and you let them sponge off of you.

  • gmmonkey #221 4 years ago

    Still not buying it, nob.

  • promoted2001 #222 4 years ago

    Rabble rabble rabble rabble Rabble rabble rabble rabble Rabble rabble rabble rabble Rabble rabble rabble rabble Rabble rabble rabble rabble Rabble rabble rabble rabble Rabble rabble rabble rabble Rabble rabble rabble rabble Rabble rabble rabble rabble Rabble rabble rabble rabble Rabble rabble rabble rabble Rabble rabble rabble rabble Rabble rabble rabble rabble Rabble rabble rabble rabble Rabble rabble rabble rabble Rabble rabble rabble rabble Rabble rabble rabble rabble Rabble rabble rabble rabble Rabble rabble rabble rabble Rabble rabble rabble rabble Rabble rabble rabble rabble Rabble rabble rabble rabble Rabble rabble rabble rabble Rabble rabble rabble rabble

  • sneetch #223 4 years ago

    @Gastrian

    You seem to be suggesting that they're somehow being "fair". They're not, they're charging what they think the public will pay. It's the way companies work.

    I have to say that, as your figures fail to take into account cost of living and disposable income (which, according to a google search, is at it's lowest level in the UK for 25 years, apparently) then your argument seems kinda weak (it's also meaningless to convert US salaries to Sterling or Euro or Kroblackian Slobarfish or whatever your currency of choice is without taking this into account). Basically, it seems a bit... thin (also, I'm not sure where you got your average salaries but they seem a bit low).

    In fact I suspect that you have it asswise and people in the US are still much "better off" than in the UK.

  • PotajiTo #224 4 years ago

    Same prices for the US and Europe now! Cmon, vat is like 12% not 100 fucking %

  • Chim_chimma_nee! #225 4 years ago

    No game is £180 of good.
    This is like Steel Battalion all over again.

  • tinners #226 4 years ago

    lol reading through all this im not surprised people are pi$$ed!

    Smelly -: dont fret, there is a job at EA for you if you want it? PR need all the help they can get lol.

    Make a million reasons why something is justified at double the price for long enough and people might just give EA the benefit of the doubt, but lets just face the fact there a giant company trying every possible trick to get money out of us uk gamers. next thing you know they will charge double for the repair of drum kits and you can download new guitar skins for double the price compared to the US, when will it end? Sony are no better from the PS3 pi$$ take!

    There's econimics and theres exploitation, dont see how anyone can justify paying more just because its a decent game and we happen to live in the UK.

  • Gl3n #227 4 years ago

    Boycott Rock Band.

  • jebus #228 4 years ago

    @grussbarbar
    Oh, the following URL has been posted before, but it might be good to keep repeating it every few posts.

    http://ww w.petitiononline.com/RockBand/p...

    Anyone who doesn't agree with EA's pricing strategy, please let them know what you think of this and sign the petition! ;)


    You don't have to sign a stupid petition - just don't buy it. We live in a capitilist society. As soon as it starts not to sell the price will come down naturally.

  • grussbarbar #229 4 years ago

    @jebus

    True. But if we're able to get the price down earlier by signing a petition, then we can enjoy the game earlier... ;)

    Of course, it's a long shot, but still... Sam & Max is coming to Wii because of the e-mail campaigns and petitions. Sometimes developers and publishers do look at these things... =)

  • stephen #230 4 years ago

    Dear EA,

    Shove it up your stinking rip-off merchant holes.

    Best regards,

    Your friend,

    Stephen.

  • kokotoni-wilf #231 4 years ago

    So rock band for Wii will cost more than the actual console itself?

    I quite fancied this but at this batshit crazy inflated price they just lost another customer, I'm moving to the states!

  • bdaggers #232 4 years ago

    You can tell him I said this - no fookin chance.

    I`m sticking with Guitar Hero for the forseeable, buddy. Shove your bullshit excuses up your jacksie.

  • penhalion #233 4 years ago

    @Gastrian

    What utter nonsense. First off when a game comes out in your country of origin, it's actually created in a pressing plant in europe. It isn't physically shipped from the states or any idiocy like that. The publishers also tend to change from area to area for the same reasons i.e. A developers european publishing deal is handled by X while the american one is handled by Y. This is what a lot of those strange logos people don't recognise on the packaging are.

    In other words, there is no physical reason why europe is paying 100% more for the game than America. It seems to me that Harmonix and EA simply wish to make the same physical amount of money as they did state side from a country containing 1/10th the people. The reality is that shops like Game should be selling ALL games at 34.99 yet some seem to be 39.99 and some even 44.99 depending on how popular they are. Strangely enough it's the un-popular ones they try to sell for more because they want to get an even spread ofmoney from each game.

    Looking at this logically, the only reason to have the instruments sold seperately from the game is because the instruments are not produced in europe while the game is. They would have to assemble the packaging over here if they wished to do anything else.

    Why people think there is any legitimate reason for the pricing structure is beyond me.

  • JimJam #234 4 years ago

    The other thing that people are forgetting about US taxes is that some States, like Oregon, don't have sales tax. So they're getting it at absolutely rock bottom.

    Some GREAT points in here gents, especially the ipod and airbook price comparisons.

    £130 for the instrument box would be acceptable (just about) if the game was included too, as with the US version. Absolutely bloody disgraceful strategy from EA.

    @ Gastrian,

    I lived and worked in the States for a couple of years, and even if the average US wage is half that of the UK, it's also true that the cost of living is CONSIDERABLY less. Also, for the equivalent 'professional' jobs such as engineering or IT, the US pays much better than the UK, in some cases double.
    Edited by 1 at 09/04/08 @ 20:00

  • niteninja #235 4 years ago

    Anybody and I mean ANYBODY who pays more that 80 quid for a game should be shot in the head.
    Dont buy it and send a message out to these people that we will not be ripped off.

  • septimus #236 4 years ago

    Bullshit.

  • Sigma0 #237 4 years ago

    Wow, I wanted to make a point but they've already been made. Still to summarise-

    @Gastrian- fair point, the Play.com price- a £40 reduction- is almost reasonable. And hopefully [Play.com] will make a killing by the time this news spreads, forcing the price at other online retailers down. Because apparently, Play think they can still make a profit will shaving 25% off their margin. I'm not just blaming EA and MTV, but Game and Gamestation too.

    P.S.- Everyone seems to assume that you're American- you're either British right? I don't recall the last time I heard an American say mate (either that or a quite well planned plant).

    @Jebus- bingo! Took the words right out of my mouth, if no-one buys the thing they'll have to lower the price. Remember the Xbox UK launch? Anyone? They dropped the price by a £100 within a month/! (I could swear it was 5 days, but can't remember well enough).

    Rock band is continually being compared to a platform, and I think that will come with a platform holder's responsibility to look at the long term. Sure they're probably looking toward a sequel that'll include the keyboard they had to drop (come on 'I don't like Mondays'!) etc. But they also have to look at the profits and costs associated with their downloadable content. Every game they sell will be another person who can potentially buy each of their DLC packs. Perhaps EA/MTV/Harmonix would do well to learn a lesson from their big brothers- platform holders initially only make money through their games.

    @Kokotoni-wif- that's a really good point. As much as I would like to play 'Can't stand losing you', 'Orange Crush', 'Don't Fear the Reaper' and 'Timmy and the Lord's of the Underworld'- I'd be much happier being able to play Super Mario Galaxy, No More Heroes, Wario Ware Smooth Moves and Lostwinds, I guess I like games more than I like music.

    Inevitably, I'm sure I will buy Rock Band, when it comes down in price- and it will. Anyone else remember the phrase 'Real Arcade Light Gun'? £50 each on release (no game included), and you had to buy a PSX to use the damn thing with.

    They we're down to £1 each in MVC before I bought my three.

  • White_Westie #238 4 years ago

    They could always sell it as "the game that is worth more than your console" or perhaps "no money from army of two so rip you off too" or maybe "we are buying everyone up so you will have to pay us sooner or later". I never thought I would see the day where a game is more expensive than a game console... Bring back the good old days.... Only two bob in the days when I started gaming.... Aye they where the days....

  • sneetch #239 4 years ago

    @White_Westie
    "Bring back the good old days.... Only two bob in the days when I started gaming.... Aye they where the days...."

    Aye, there were no website here then, this were all trees!
    Edited by 1 at 09/04/08 @ 21:53

  • Freki #240 4 years ago

    There is absolutely no way in hell that I am paying more in £ than the price is in $. No. Forget it. Never. Harmonix/EA can shove the game and the controllers where the sun doesn't shine.

  • Darkjinxter #241 4 years ago

    Oye!
    Eurogamer chums.
    Do us all a favour and give us an email address we can use to register our dissapointment.

    Play the euroman

    .....and post it as a sticky on yer homepage
    Edited by 3 at 09/04/08 @ 22:00

  • r3n #242 4 years ago

    Think I've posted on every one of these OMG YOU'RE HAVING A LAFF? threads so far so may as well add to this one too.

    I think EA are secretly being employed by the US government to try and halt their financial downfall through the pockets of casual European gamers.

    Seriously

  • r3n #243 4 years ago

    (Not really seriously)

  • GitSomE_UK #244 4 years ago

    No way am I paying that they are taking the piss.

    Rar rar rar... EA wankers.... Rar rar rar..... Exchange rate VAT bollocks..... rar rar rar

    /carries pitchfork and feels part of the mob

  • Moz #245 4 years ago

    I know this is a little late in the day and descution but it's just accured to me that the argument about consumer electronics prices doesn't compute

    a 360 elite in the states is $450 and Rockback full bundle is $165 which mean that rock band in the state cost 37% of a 360 pro

    so you should then have the same % difference between a 360 and rock band in europe too however:

    360 elite cost 269.99 and Rock band instrument bundle plus game £180 which is 66%

    which mean the relative mark up is way out!!!!!!! we should be getting charged £100

  • tgigreeny #246 4 years ago

    Zap!
    Edited by 2 at 10/04/08 @ 09:10

  • alkasteve #247 4 years ago

    I'm just simply going for the "I won't be buying", I guess if Rock Band isn't "normal" for video games then neither will it sales at this rate. I bet Nintendo are over the moon as everyone's forgot about the Wii Fit's price all of a sudden.
    Edited by 1 at 10/04/08 @ 06:41

  • woof1989 #248 4 years ago

    [link url=http://digg.com/gaming_news/Europe_Screwed_O ver_On_Rock_Band_Pricing
    ]http://di gg.com/gaming_news/Europe_Screw...[/link]

    Let's show EA we're not going to stand for these ridiculous prices.

  • jebus #249 4 years ago

    Much as I hate EA and enjoy all the EA bashing on here, isn't it misguided? MTV are the actual publisher here and therefore responsible for the shocking price. Not EA. EA are just guilty of the normal things they are guilty of.

  • Gastrian #250 4 years ago

    Sigma0, yep I'm British born and bred, I would be more specific but judging from the mental agility of the vast number of posters I don't want to bother with the "humorous" national insults that they're likely to come up with.

    @Penhalion - We aren't paying 100% more, if the US price is £85, then with an extra 100% that would be £170. You can pick it up from Play.com for £140 which is an extra 65% charge. The price difference isn't anything new either, I've been importing from North America for years because the exchange rate has been good. Go to DVDBoxoffice.com and the vast majority of Xbox360 titles are 60% of the UK prices which is in keeping with the Rockband kit. DS games are even better at being 55% of the UK price.

    Seeing as this has been the case for years why the big uproar now?

    @sneetch - My figures were from various official sources for national statistics, so regardless of whether they seem low, they are true figures which is quite clearly more than you posted. So please, before you post suspecting I have it asswiese, actually do some research and come up with facts.

    @JimJam - If you could elaborate on the considerable differences in living costs please, though of course that would have to be compared to the US average wage at the time for a fair comparison. I won't disagree that certain skilled jobs will be paid more in the US compared to the UK but how much of the US population actually work in those jobs? I'd rather uses mode ranges for the "average" income as opposed to the mean averages used in most national statistics.

  • orakio #251 4 years ago

    Listen to Jebus, he makes sense

  • kissthestick #252 4 years ago

    i see alot have preordered on play.com

    heh

  • tinners #253 4 years ago

    If EA aren't publishing the game what is there capacity in the deal? just to have a big EA logo on the box?

    more info please, i dont mind pushing the blame onto MTV, but i suspect this isnt the bottom line, MTV could just license the songs for all we/i know?
    Edited by 1 at 10/04/08 @ 10:49

  • tinners #254 4 years ago

    and yeah record amount of complaints and still i reckon this will sell like hotcakes....lol typical
    Edited by 1 at 10/04/08 @ 10:51

  • TheJuriel #255 4 years ago

    They're so trying to rip us off...

  • hiddenranbir #256 4 years ago

    No? No-one wants to go to Karaoke instead?

  • Blackthorned #257 4 years ago

    What's the opposite of damage limitation? Whatever it is, as far as the responses go - I think the effect of this interview might be it.

  • NthSimulachum #258 4 years ago

    damage conflagration.

    *FOOM!*

  • phantom516 #259 4 years ago

    CHeck it out big discounts already available !

    [link url=http://www.play.com/Search.aspx?searchtype=allproducts&sear chstring=rock+band&page=search&pa=search&go.x=0&go.y=0 ]http://ww w.play.com/Search.aspx?searchty...[/link]

    £139.98 for total package

  • krudster #260 4 years ago

    Guys, registering your disappointment right here is easily as effective as mailing someone direct at EA. Believe me, a lot of EA peeps will be taking your thoughts on the matter very seriously.

    I wonder what the reaction in the States would have been if the game retailed over there for over 300 bucks (before tax). We're used to being ripped off for everything, but for whatever reason they always seem to get a better deal on most consumer items, whether electronics, clothes, fuel, whatever.

    My new Levis, for example, cost me £60 here. I then went to Austin a few weeks later and bought two pairs, including tax, for £37 for the pair, including credit card commission. It's demented.

  • CARL05 #261 4 years ago

    "if people do [buy it] they'll have an amazing experience they couldn't get anywhere else."

    guitar hero? yeh they don't have drums but i'll get by!

    unless by "amazing experience" they mean bankrupt and living on the streets? Big Issue anyone?

  • iapetus #262 4 years ago

    If you don't feel this is reasonable, then here's my three-point plan:

    1) Don't buy it. Not even if retailers discount it down to £140 - if it were priced in line with other gaming products then they'd be discounting it from £130.

    2) Tell EA that you are not buying it. Tell EA why you are not buying it, and while you're at it demand an explanation for why Rock Band is marked up at 110% over the US price whereas most other gaming products are marked up at up to 50% over the US price. Accept that VAT, higher prices of consumer electronics at al increase the price, but not that they increase it by 110%.

    3) Tell other people. Write to the letters page of any gaming mags you read. Tell Watchdog, or your local consumer affairs programs/magazines if you're outside the UK. Make it clear that this is going to be a PR disaster for EA.

    Above all, don't accept the pricing. Anyone who purchases Rock Band at this price is sending a message to EA that they can get away with this sort of predatory practice and gives them permission to do it again in the future. As far as I'm concerned, that's just not acceptable.

  • Mr_Brown #263 4 years ago

    Personally I think £140 for a game is beyond ridiculous. I can however understand that you get 'alot' with the game and its not a 'normal' game. But they must have known that from a marketing stand point, trying to convince someone to buy a single game for above £100 would be seen as a rip off by many people who are interested.

    For me, it would be better value for money to buy a new console (or a Wii) than get this and I don't think I'd understand why anyone would think otherwise. I mean if your really into games, £140 will buy you a new console. If your really into music, 140 will buy you a new guitar, amp etc.

  • JimJam #264 4 years ago

    @Gastrian - I lived in Seattle between 1997 & 1999, and exchange rates never dipped below $1.75 to the £, and stayed at over $1.83 for the majority of my stay. Fuel when I moved to Seattle (1997-1998) was 98 cents a gallon, and increased to $1.10 while I was there. In England at the time it was about 60p a litre, so just upwards of £3 a gallon. I'm aware that a US gallon is about a litre less than an imperial gallon, but the markup on this is still huge. My rent, for a 2 bed apartment with access to swimming pool and gym, in Seattle, was $550 a month. I was renting my 2 bed flat here at the time for £650 a month. Levi 501s were $19.99 in the States, and I paid £50 for a pair 10 years previous to that. Krudster's anecdotal evidence shows that jeans still cost about the same. Food was a direct £ for $ swap. My 26" Sharp telly was $199. My salary in the UK was doubled when I moved, and that's still talking Sterling. Convert that to dollars using the exchange rate at the time and you nearly double the figure again. Bearing in mind that even expensive stuff was a straight £ to $ conversion, my spending power quadrupled. The reality was that most stuff was 'swap £ symbol for $ symbol, and then halve the number', and my spending power increased 8-fold in some instances. Bear in mind also that Seattle was then, as now, one of the most expensive cities in the US.
    Edited by 3 at 11/04/08 @ 01:24

  • candilga #265 4 years ago

    Guys,

    This guy from Harmonix is an idiot and knows nothing about Economics but if you give me 20 seconds you'll see the logic of the pricing, they should hire me instead to do the explaining.

    1)US prices for new games are $59.99 a new Xbox 360 game is typically GBP 49.99. So if you translate that to dollars in the UK you pay the equivalent of $100 for a game... that's 166% more than the price of a game in the US.... no complaints usually on that right? It's been accepted by the market
    2)Rock band in the US is currently $169.99 or GBP 84 and in the UK its estimated at GBP 180 or $360. Ok so that's 211% more...
    3)Basically EA is charging you 45% more than what they would... what were you expecting a USD 169 price tag or GBP 84 equivalent? that's a joke... In the US They paid almost 3 times as much for Rock band as they would for a normal game and in the UK the price tag reflects slightly more than 3x but hey that's where higher distribution and manufacturing costs come into play (this game isn't being imported into Europe from the US) additional tracks for Europe that the original game didn't have and to be downloaded at a cost for americans, as well as hell no one can deny they're trying to make a little extra money as well.

    In any event the normal price for this would have been GBP 140 taking into account the previous analysis so there's an extra GBP 40. But again don't be fooled by thinking that they're ripping you off GBP 40... simply they've been so inefficient in all of this that it was get the game out now and at that price or delay it even more and that is obviously not as sellable...

    I'd try to think first as to the reasons why games in all of europe are 1,66x the price of that in the US before thinking that Rock band is such a special case... Things in the US in general not just video games are very cheap now..

    Best....
    Edited by 1 at 11/04/08 @ 02:17

  • motslaps #266 4 years ago

    Not fucking buying this at that price

  • iapetus #267 4 years ago

    candilga: Most gaming equipment/software has an RRP that's marked up by about 50% over the US equivalent. We already know why that is. Rock Band goes way beyond that (closer to 110%), so yes, it is a special case.

    Even compared to other products within their own markets it's expensive. Rock Band costs 2.8 times the price of a standard game in the US. It costs 4 times the price of a standard game in the UK. Sure, games are more expensive in the UK than in the US, but even by those standards Rock Band is massively overpriced - by an amount that would be addressed if EA were to include the game in the instrument pack.