Rock Band man defends Euro price Comments by Ellie Gibson

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...

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.

Imports work tho, don't they?

"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??

"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,

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.

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

"a bit put off"

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

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.

"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

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

I thought it didn't come with any peripherals?

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.

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.

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

@ 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".

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.

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.

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?

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

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.

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........

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..

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.

@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

@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.

"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.

@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)

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.

£180 is too much for a computer game, it doesnt matter how you spin it and tell me its "special" so we should make allowances.

Even Rip off Britain has a limit and he can f**k off if he thinks even casual gamers will front up that much cash.

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.

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.

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

"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).

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

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!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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.

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.

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

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."

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.

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?'

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.

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

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.

Hear, hear, Shuya.

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

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.

@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 :)

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.

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