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Rock Band (Xbox 360)
EA clarifies Rock Band European Pricing
EA clarifies Rock Band European Pricing
Eurogamer - April 8, 2008
Submitted by Mushashi (5) at 2:44AM PST on April 8, 2008
Europe, unlike the US, will not get all of the instruments bundled together with the game.
Instead, you will have to fork out for an Instrument Edition at GBP 129.99 / EUR 169 - comprised of the drum kit, guitar and microphone - then buy the game separately for GBP 49.99 / EUR 69.99.
Anyone after the whole lot will be looking at a total of GBP 180 / EUR 240, then.
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1Mushashi posted on Rock Band (Xbox 360) at 5:01PM PST on April 8, 2008. RE: EA clarifies Rock Band European Pricing@vGInfidel,
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.[ Oracle ] [ Level 30 ] [ Rank: 5 ]bids
1vGInfidel posted on Rock Band (Xbox 360) at 4:17PM PST on April 8, 2008. RE: EA clarifies Rock Band European Pricing@Mushashi,
hes cited the 17.5% VAT as a main cause as well, although this doesnt account for being over double the price does it?[ Oracle ] [ Level 22 ] [ Rank: 150 ]bids
2Mushashi posted on Rock Band (Xbox 360) at 4:07PM PST on April 8, 2008. RE: EA clarifies Rock Band European PricingHarmonix have replied about the European pricing
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."[ Oracle ] [ Level 30 ] [ Rank: 5 ]bids
1welshbloke posted on Rock Band (Xbox 360) at 2:20PM PST on April 8, 2008. RE: EA clarifies Rock Band European PricingA symptom of a weak dollar?
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.[ Oracle ] [ Level 30 ] [ Rank: 60 ]bids
1lstormy10 posted on Rock Band (Xbox 360) at 12:13PM PST on April 8, 2008. RE: EA clarifies Rock Band European Pricing@Mushashi,
The pricing is pretty outrageous compared to the U.S. pricing, though software and hardware tends to cost more in Europe, but not this much of a mark-up.
Definitely will stunt sales of Rock Band - not a good thing for the building of the franchise in Europe.[ Oracle ] [ Level 20 ] [ Rank: 294 ]bids
1Mushashi posted on Rock Band (Xbox 360) at 2:51AM PST on April 8, 2008. RE: EA clarifies Rock Band European Pricing@Mushashi,
This announced pricing means this game costs more than the console to play it, I have doubts this game will sell well in Europe. Guitar Hero is much cheaper than this but has not sold large numbers like it does in US yet.[ Oracle ] [ Level 30 ] [ Rank: 5 ]bids
18Mushashi posted on Rock Band (Xbox 360) at 2:44AM PST on April 8, 2008. Article: EA clarifies Rock Band European PricingEurope, unlike the US, will not get all of the instruments bundled together with the game. Instead, you will have to fork out for an Instrument Edition at GBP 129.99 / EUR 169 - comprised of the drum kit, guitar and microphone - then buy the game separately for GBP 49.99 / EUR 69.99. Anyone after the whole lot will be looking at a total of GBP 180 / EUR 240, then.[ Oracle ] [ Level 30 ] [ Rank: 5 ]
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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."