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     atheistium's Blog
Rock Band - "$360 rip off" edition
 by atheistium on 04.08.2008      45 comments





So we've all just seen the news. I am here to join the mass of bitching about the idiocy that is EA and frustration of being a British gamer and I am very sure this will all come out on the podcastle.

Let me break the numbers down for you. If I was to have a full Rock Band 'experience', I will be forking out a rather hefty £180. £49.99 for the game and then £120+ for the instruments. No bundle package means no savings, so lets only hope our 'trusty' retailers will come up with some kind of solution. £180 is around $360, now I quickly checked Amazon.com and their price for a bundle package is $147.99. At that part did the game & controllers nearly triple in price!!? I don't understand it at all!

I was never really into Guitar Hero that much and after playing Rock Band round Phist's house during my America trip, I was very excited about picking up the game. People are my work were also interested in playing the game so I would of had people to play with too! A may release! Everything was going so well... why EA why!?

So here I am sat here, sad panda and all. I was so excited to see that the download content will be the same and that I'd have my Still Alive's and my funs and my musics and my bands. I would has my multiplayers and my friends and I would has famous times. Now I only has sads and tears. Will I still buy it? I get 25% off... it's temping.. still :(

Attached photos:

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There are 45 comments about this post:
NihonTiger90's Destructoid Blog
I don't understand why they do this to Europe, but they just take the dollar sign off and slap a nice Euro or pound symbol in front and call it fair.

It's not, especially not with the US dollar in the shitter like it is. They just want money and are hoping you're ignorant enough to look the other way.

They're wrong.
Morrius's Destructoid Blog
http://www.grapheine.com/bombaytv/index.php?module=see&lang=uk&code=95aa110bc4b075758919eaa8b3c691f6
wardrox's Destructoid Blog
And this is why I'm importing. Even with shipping half way around the world, it's cheaper.
Samit Sarkar's Destructoid Blog
[British accent] Thanks for the link as well as the comment on me story, luv :)

Seriously, though, I don’t know if you read through all my ramblings, but I don’t live in Europe and this still pisses me off. The fact that EA has the gall to even attempt this is amazing. I’m betting they’re going to be seriously underwhelmed by the EU sales numbers.
NotAZombie's Destructoid Blog
Damn, that really sucks for you guys. Even $170 was too much for me over here so $360 is just ridiculous. Can't you get an Arcade 360 for cheaper then that now?
galagabug 's Destructoid Blog
well why don't you do something about it? maybe get a few gamers to picket outside a major retailer during launch. how about just getting a large chunk of EU gamers to stop buying games until pricing matches america/japan. better yet, continue to buy games, but import only and make it be known.
razerangel's Destructoid Blog
Im offically boycotting rock band because of this, I know they could care less about 1 less customer but I for one will no longer stand for this shafting we get in Europe.
Reaprar's Destructoid Blog
I saw you on my xbox on my teevees, I can has autograph?


Also, this is utter bullshit, I was looking foward to Rock Band, it's the only reason why I haven't bought GH3, fuck EA.
lvl54spacemonkey's Destructoid Blog
Usually I'll defend my bosses but this is obscene. Gonna be a lot of moaning in the office next week.
Y0j1mb0's Destructoid Blog
EA Sucks.
Guagloves's Destructoid Blog
God damn that is ridiculous. EA's antics must be stopped.
njsykora's Destructoid Blog
Not gonna retail for £180. I'd wait and see how Asda prices it as we all know they're gonna undercut everyone.
Phist's Destructoid Blog
Oh dang, she went thar.

Like you said, Lauren... The problem is that people would still buy Rock Band products for the rip-off price. Not enough people would object or take any action.
brad drac's Destructoid Blog
RABBLE RABBLE RABBLE RABBLE RABBLE!

I haven't decided whether or not to boycott it yet, just kind of in shock at the sheer gall of this. I honestly can't see many europeans plonking down that much bread on this game. I don't think words can adequately express my utter disgust and indignation about this. Fuck EA.
glipe's Destructoid Blog
Are you going to PAX? Pick it up there, bring it home, hundreds of dollars saved!
Teta's Destructoid Blog
I do understand all the bitching, buuuut.... (there is always a but) there is somehow a logic explanation for that price.
Let´s think about currencies for a little bit (hopefully it is written like that).
You work for x hours, and earn a salary based on a specific currency, in this case "£". So, prices in your country are in "£" because you earn that type of money.
An american guy works x hours, and earns a salary based on $ cause they use that currency.
In an "ideal" world (cause we know the world does`t work like that) both of you guys working on the same type of work should earn the same amount of money, let´s say 300. So you earn £300 and he earns $300 for x hours of work.
Now, a chocolate costs you around £2, and for my imaginary american budy it costs him $2. Perfectly resonalbe.
Using the same logic used for the rock band price, i should bitch around cause making the currency exchange the chocolate should cost me like £1.

That´s how i see the rock band pricing.
I may not be fair cause i know that living cost and salaries are different around the world, but still ppl shouldn´t think they should be charged based on other currency.

Hopefully this reply was legible since english ins not my main language.
Garbz's Destructoid Blog
£50 + £120 = £170, not £180.

Still i agree, this is fucking rediculous. Apparently though Harmonix are making a statement later today about the pricing given that they saw the reaction on the Harmonix forums.
Professor Pew's Destructoid Blog
Buy the standalone PAL game, get a friend in the states to send you the Special Edition as a gift? To escape the import tax etc.
pinksage's Destructoid Blog
Import? That is truly ridiculous though. AT the VERY least, you can play with the GH3 guitar -- but still. =(
Anus Mcphanus's Destructoid Blog
I checked around a few stores today and it looks like retailers are bundling the game with the instruments for £150.

Not exactly a huge saving and I for one am boycotting EU Rockband so I'll probably import it if I get it now. As much as I love Muse, Blur and Oasis they ain't worth the extra bones... this is bullshit.
Crunshii's Destructoid Blog
import. its cheaper.
ScottyG's Destructoid Blog
Bummer, especially considering that the game is region locked according to Play-Asia. You'd almost think EA planned to do that.

I wonder if the instruments are region free (is region locking the controllers even possible?)... Worst case if they are is you buy the game locally and import the instruments. I'm sure some state-side D-toiders would be willing to help with that. :)
Reaprar's Destructoid Blog
@Teta
That's a nice theory, however, It doesn't work like that, generally for other products we infact are priced the same, fairly, alot of products we get for the same amount as Americans (dvds/cds/etc) however, with video games we always seem to get the short end of the stick and generally end up paying double.
Necros's Destructoid Blog
Wow. Sucks to be you. I mean, it really sucks to be you.
ceark's Destructoid Blog
I dunno, Teta's theory sounds legit to me. Inflation is perfectly natural even thought it doesn't always evenly apply across the board on all products. I have several friends working in britian in the same industry and they make nearly double what I make, but their cost of living is nearly double as well. it more or less evens out.
Teta's Destructoid Blog
@Reaprar
So you get DVD´s and CD´s for £15 when it costs $30 in america (converting $2 to £1)?
AngelsDontBurn's Destructoid Blog
OOF. Sorry.
razerangel's Destructoid Blog
@Teta: It should work like that but if you work for $8 dollars an hour its worth less in the global market than £8 an hour, so in reality us Brits get to pay twice what americans do for the same stuff because the companies see the opportunity to charge the same numerical amount and get more acutal money for it.
Butterflies and Hurricanes's Destructoid Blog
That really sucks, and I'm sorry to hear that you guys keep getting impaled with costs over there!
But I must say I love the picture, I have an unhealthy obsession with Panda's and that was my second surprise Panda sighting of the day! Thanks Doll, hehe even if you didn't mean to make my day :)
WaveMaster's Destructoid Blog
Fucking bullshit. Even if I had the money I wouldnt pay 250 euros/180 £ for Rock Band. This is just not right.
atheistium's Destructoid Blog
@Teta I can see where your coming from but even with our higher salaries our cost of living is still more expensive than your cost of living, even with our pay. So no, it's not that simple :-)
decoyb's Destructoid Blog
Wow, I'd buy US systems from now on if I was in the UK. HDTV video standards are all the same right?

In most gamestops I've seen they've literally built walls of unsold rock band bundles. They probably use them to protect the stores at night. There's no reason they cant take the unsold ones, put in a EU copy of the game and send it on it's way for a few bucks more than the US version.
xomb13's Destructoid Blog
Its Europe's plastic, they make it from Platinum thus the price difference. I thought everyone knew that!

In fairness tho its not surprising from a company that updates rosters and charges full price and the release of buggy games.
Sharpless's Destructoid Blog
I've never been so happy to've long ago abandoned my birth continent.
Sadie G's Destructoid Blog
Lauren don't be sad panda.
Especially since I want your babies.
Tamz's Destructoid Blog
Ridiculous, i really hope the retailers sort something out - 10% student discount can only get me so far.
Tempus's Destructoid Blog
We've sold about 20 copies for PS3, imports of course at the place I work. I took a couple of pre-orders for it today @ £162 inc VAT. Not *that* bad considering. I didn't check the buying price but will be able to see. There's probably a price hike involved as our place is mad for it. Either way, with no "current" gen console other than my DS, I can't even comment on buying it :D And I like it that way.
Puppetpallmich's Destructoid Blog
even if you take into account how everything usualy cost about double over there. they are still paying more which realy sux
dvddesign 's Destructoid Blog
I'd just import the instruments at that point and buy the game there. They'll work the same and probably be a lot cheaper to import than buy locally at that point.
Demios's Destructoid Blog
I imported my PS3 copy about 2-3 weeks ago, it still worked out cheaper than this and it was stopped in customs, which added more to the price.

Basically fuck EA for making Europeans wait and then shaft us with a insane bundle deal.
PetiePal's Destructoid Blog
I wonder why it's so expensive...I mean if it's MADE for Europe it's not an import issue...and isn't the Euro worth like twice of our money? Shouldn't you get the game for like $80 then with everything?
Reaprar's Destructoid Blog
Woah, super late reply but yes, for the most part, dvds are £15 here, there's some exclusions, once or twice I've seen them go for £30-£40 and wtf'd because most come new at £15-£20.
pheonix-blood's Destructoid Blog
woah, we have been fucked again. GREAT!
Rayl's Destructoid Blog
It seems i've been pointed in the right direction as you share my exact view on this... "wonder" that EA have brought upon our lucky british souls.

I would have wanted to help chip in with my mates to get this as i do not have the proper console to get it on but now that sentiment has faded away into nothingness and bleh.

Looks like it's Mario Kart for me! *skips off to drag his copy of Guitar Hero 2 for trade in*

You saw no skipping.
Morrius's Destructoid Blog

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Destructoid, hello. I'm Lauren - but most of you will know me as atheistium. I'm a little British person and I love to game, write and have epics luls. As I said I love to write - you can check some of my Destructoid front page articles and my editor work at Tomopop.com. I also have a small hobby blog that is just about general entertainment I enjoy such as Anime, Music, Toys and Gaming. Check out my current gaming set up.

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