European Guitar Hero III pricing followed US pricing, with PS2 version SRP lower than current generation console versions. I would guess Rock Band will follow similar pricing difference, but only the game will be priced lower, instrument pack should be same price for PS2 and PS3 as it is the same hardware.
I do not think such a small difference in price will affect relative sales much.
well if the PS2 and Wii versions cost the same as the 360 and PS3 (presuming they're the same price) that puts a single game at the cost of the Wii console itself and about double the price of the ps2.
Although they already have this situation with the 360 Arcade model costing less than the game which shows they're prepared to go to that price level if their margins "because of the VAT" are that low. I think that for casual gamers it being more than the price of the console itself poses a huge phsycological barrier which may put many off a purchase.
In reference to the incredibly high price point for the 360 i think it may have something to do with the retailers themselves as the drums etc. take up alot of storage space. something many shops especially in towns dont have to spare (more of an issue over here than USA i believe, as GAME is the only major retailer here and its stores arent very big) and so will demand to either pay less for it, or that the RRP is set higher so they have higher profits to make storing it more worthwhile. Though im sure if it was at a lower price point they wouldnt need to store them for long :)
@vGInfidel, Any guesses on the price for these versions of Rock Band in Europe?
I would think that at least PS3 would be the same price as the 360 version, but there is the possibility of the PS2 and Wii versions costing less - and with the high prices of the PS3 and 360 versions, that could mean better sales for the PS2 and Wii versions even with missing features.
VideoGamer reports that EA has slated Rock Band's release on PS3, PS2 and Wii in Europe for August 29. This means the Xbox 360 will have three months of exclusivity on the exorbitantly priced game before it releases on other consoles.
Harmonix's PR states it has not made an official announcement on a European release for any other consoles beyond the Xbox 360. We'll update this story if things change, but for now this release date is still in the rumor territory.
"VP Greg LoPicolo: '...we're not gouging you, primarily because doing so doesn't serve our interests. We can only build our franchise if you buy our games. You may conclude that Rock Band isn't worth the price charged, and that is your prerogative. But it's not magically going to get cheaper because you wish it to be so.' "
Product development manager of Harmonix has also made comments about Euro pricing.
Greg LoPiccolo wrote, "We’re not making a killing on Rock Band in Europe. We are incredibly sensitive to pricing issues. We are painfully aware that the higher the price we charge, the less copies we’ll sell.
"We are strongly motivated to keep the price as low as possible. That said, we don’t propose to lose money on it. The fact of the matter is, the costs of releasing in Europe are far higher than in the US, in some ways uniquely so for Rock Band compared to other game titles, because of the size of the peripherals."
LoPiccolo declined to reveal cost structure details - "That would probably get me fired, and rightly so." Instead he highlighted the extra cost involved with shipping a larger product box and doing so outside the US: "Seriously, I was shocked to learn how much it costs us to ship an RB peripherals box to Europe. It’s way more than you’d expect."
According to LoPiccolo it doesn't make sense to compare the manufacturer-recommended US and UK prices for Rock Band. He wheeled out the old VAT line, stating, "That’s not the whole discrepancy, but it’s a big chunk of it." LoPiccolo also observed that European retailers are free to cut the price of games, unlike their US counterparts. "So a reasonable price comparison is what you actually pay, not just the SRP, which means two different things in the two territories.
"We’re not gouging you, primarily because doing so doesn’t serve our interests," LoPiccolo continued. "We can only build our franchise if you buy our games. You may conclude that Rock Band isn’t worth the price charged, and that is your prerogative. But it’s not magically going to get cheaper because you wish it to be so."
No, sales tax affects all Euro goods. For example, PS3 is $400/€400, X360 pro is $350/€270, normal games are $60/€60-65. This game has retail price point of $170/€240, much higher than usual US/EU price increase difference.
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."
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.
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."
This is a real shame as having seen Rock Band at the EA stand at the last I series LAN event in the UK (UK's biggest LAN event) it looks like a blinder of a concept and blows bubbles at the GH franchise.
Even at this price though I think it will do well in Europe it just could of done better.
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I do not think such a small difference in price will affect relative sales much.