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April 11th, 2008 @ 12:51
Responding to a post in the Rock Band forums, Harmonix development manager Greg LoPiccolo has said that the European version of the rhythm action game would “not magically get cheaper because you wish it to be so.”
“We are strongly motivated to keep the price as low as possible,” he said. “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 refused to reveal details of the European pricing structure as that “would get me fired”. However, he did reveal that shipping the rather large Rock Band box from the States to Europe was one of the presiding factors.
“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.”
LoPiccolo continued, going to great lengths to assure the community that Harmonix wasn’t out to exploit.
“We’re not gouging you, primarily because doing so doesn’t serve our interests,” he said. “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.
“We’ve sold a ton of these in the US at a far higher price point than people are used to paying for a videogame, because it really is a new and different experience.”
In case you hadn’t heard, people had a minor aneurysm a few days ago when EA confirmed that the European version of Rock Band would cost £180/224EU in its entirety.
However, Greg LoPiccolo reassures us all by saying, “Once you get a crack at it, you’ll know whether or not it’s worth the money. We think you might decide that it is.”
By Mike Bowden
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April 11th, 2008 at 1:27 pm
We weren’t expecting magic, man. We just wanted you to stop being greedy fat bastards.
April 11th, 2008 at 1:28 pm
Post of the day that!
April 11th, 2008 at 1:31 pm
If it costs so much to ship the peripherals from the US, why don’t they produce the European versions in Europe?
April 11th, 2008 at 1:31 pm
“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.” Yet people have managed to import from the US and ended up paying far less while any units bound for Europe would be coming via ship from China just like lots of other stuff.
Using transportation costs as an explanation for price gouging is bloody weak.
April 11th, 2008 at 1:32 pm
But where? Seriously, where would they? Do they own any factories in the UK? If not, then they’d have to hire staff and possibly import the innards etc.
Not saying I’m right, or supporting them, just throwing stuff out there.
April 11th, 2008 at 1:38 pm
But they’re all made in China, I seriously doubt that there’s such a huge difference in costs between putting them in a boat and crossing the Pacific as there is going the other way around and going through the Suez Canal.
April 11th, 2008 at 1:39 pm
They make the peripherals in China, ship to US for branding/packaging and then over to Europe to sell them? Can’t they cut out the US bit and do that over here. They could even use some of EA’s cheap European labour. Seriously, i should be running tings.
April 11th, 2008 at 1:49 pm
If I can import PS3 Rock Band for under £180 then so can EA/Harmonix, weak dollar or not.
April 11th, 2008 at 2:36 pm
“Euro Rock Band won’t be ‘magically worth’ twice as much as in the US because you wish it to be so.”
Just keep it,
Alex
April 11th, 2008 at 2:40 pm
Transport costs aren’t going to convince me to buy the game at that price even if that is what it costs them and they aren’t fmuta. Funnily enough i was in gamestation this afternoon and there were a bunch of GH3 packs being bought so it seems like people are thinking “Sod it, i’ll go for GH instead”.
How much for Rock Band when it hits bargain bins later this summer do you reckon?
April 11th, 2008 at 3:27 pm
If not releasing ‘details of the European pricing structure’ is keeping you from being fired, maybe not selling any outrageously priced Rock Band games at all in Europe will get the job done.
April 11th, 2008 at 3:42 pm
AMG: It’s seriously unlikely that they do the branding and packaging in the US. Makes far more sense to handle the entire process at the source.
April 16th, 2008 at 5:49 am
I hate to imagine how much it will cost in Australia. The game may be good, but I don’t think it’s *that* good. I think I’ll buy some REAL drums instead!
April 16th, 2008 at 8:26 am
Real musical instruments ftw.