Rock Band UK Bundles/Pricing Discussion

[Scrawn]

Pathetic rip-off. I won't be buying Rock Band at that price, no way.

What little bit of respect I had left for EA stemming from the fact that they brought us Deluxe Paint is rapidly diminishing.

[raven2751]

Originally Posted by EAUK_Omni

My apologies to those who couldn't register. There are two register links, the top one worked but the one that was part of the intro text did not work. This is now fixed so let me know if you have any further problems registering.

We have been reading all of your comments and will definitely be passing them on for you.

your apologies are noted however i think we would like to know why we have to pay more than double for the instruments then the game when the US got it all boxed together

this is why the UK is refered to as RIPOFF BRITAIN

EA will have to think hard about this as i have seen many persons in the UK refusing to purchase it at the highly inflated price of £180

this price does not justify a wait of more than 6 months over the US release date

and we wait to hear from your superiors, if you really intend to pass on our complaints

as far as i am concerned until EA decides to review it's pricing Rock Band will not have a place in my home

[macto]

The thing is, they're not just losing my custom for not buying the game in the first place but they're also losing all the DLC possibilities as well. Microsoft are selling their consoles at a loss to then make their money on games sales. By me not buying Rock Band, I won't be buying any DLC either or any other EA games for that matter out of principal. If other people think the same way I do, they (EA) stand to lose a lot of money by trying to grab too much in the first place.

Surely with a game that has so much potential they could at least sell it to us at the same rate as America. I'm not hoping for a retail price of £85 (the same as the US) because they have hidden taxes etc as we have VAT but surely anything over £110 is unacceptable.

[Applecorp]

Originally Posted by macto

The thing is, they're not just losing my custom for not buying the game in the first place but they're also losing all the DLC possibilities as well. Microsoft are selling their consoles at a loss to then make their money on games sales. By me not buying Rock Band, I won't be buying any DLC either or any other EA games for that matter out of principal. If other people think the same way I do, they (EA) stand to lose a lot of money by trying to grab too much in the first place.

Surely with a game that has so much potential they could at least sell it to us at the same rate as America. I'm not hoping for a retail price of £85 (the same as the US) because they have hidden taxes etc as we have VAT but surely anything over £110 is unacceptable.

Excellent point. Rock Bands revenue is based on DLC, If (and it's a big IF) people boycott this game then that is potentially a huge loss of sales from downloadable songs.

[DoctorMambo]

I feel so strongly about this pricing issue that I won't be giving any more money to EA full stop. I'm sure they'll survive without my money and I'm damn sure I can survive without their games.

[Cab00se]

2 more guaranteed sales lost here, my buddy and I were both planning on getting this launch day, and though I can afford it, there's no way I'm going to let EA think its OK to charge such a ridiculous price.

[proevobeatsfifa]

I'm sure many of you post on other gaming forums across the net, all of which i'm sure are getting the same sort of reaction to the pricing

I would urge all of you to ask everyone to come here and post there objections - the more negative posts on the official board the better - we need to bring all of this together to give EA a real look at the revenue they are missing out on

For example, there are 5 pages of negative comments (not to mention the duplicate threads) on the UK Official Xbox.com forums, here: Xbox.com | United Kingdom and Ireland - Are you disgusted with Rock Bands European pricing

337 negative comments over at Kotaku, here: Rock Band: Europe Totally lalalalaed Over On Rock Band Pricing

Now on those 2 alone, lets say including those that posted here already, that 400 people won't be buying Rock Band now, that had intended to

400 people who won't be buying all that DLC

Your move EA

[Applecorp]

Originally Posted by proevobeatsfifa

I'm sure many of you post on other gaming forums across the net, all of which i'm sure are getting the same sort of reaction to the pricing

I would urge all of you to ask everyone to come here and post there objections - the more negative posts on the official board the better - we need to bring all of this together to give EA a real look at the revenue they are missing out on

For example, there are 5 pages of negative comments (not to mention the duplicate threads) on the UK Official Xbox.com forums, here: Xbox.com | United Kingdom and Ireland - Are you disgusted with Rock Bands European pricing

337 negative comments over at Kotaku, here: Rock Band: Europe Totally ****ed Over On Rock Band Pricing

Now on those 2 alone, lets say including those that posted here already, that 400 people won't be buying Rock Band now, that had intended to

400 people who won't be buying all that DLC

Your move EA

Excellent post and a much needed bump.

Keep this thread alive people. DO NOT buy this game at this rip off price.

Buy it and feel ashamed.

[City Of Paradise]

looks like EA have just lost a whole lot of customers including me. This has to go down in history for one of the worst desicions ever ! really EA do you really think europe are that desperate for your game ..... f-off to america if your going to treat us that way. HOLY COW IM MAD, i think i might go rip my fifa in half and go buy pro evo. Guitar hero FTW !!

[OffTheSelf]

Go to hell EA, go to hell.
You have been scamming the consumer for far too long now and just in case you are not aware, you ARE the most hated company in the western market even before this announcement.

I swear to you that I will NEVER buy another single EA endorsed product if you don’t get you act together.

Equal price as America and I say you should give us dome free downloadable content as a sign of good will.

[davemoseley]

It feels odd going through the process of signing up for these forums, only to say that I won't be coming back... a little like calling a friend to tell them you're not speaking to them anymore. But I feel I need to add my voice to others, so EA hear us loud and clear.

I've been waiting since last summer for this game, since that first demo video of Welcome To The Jungle. I've seen the US date come and go. I've been on YouTube every week watching people play the latest DLC, thinking about how that's another one I'm definitely going to buy when I get the chance. I am, by all counts, psyched for this game. And I will not be buying it.

And I'm not alone.

[murt1987]

I feel like everybody else here so I wont go into the same again but I am disgusted. Another customer lost.

BTW, shouldn't we be giving out to MTV aswell?????

[GIGAFATTYMON]

Come on guys, the mentally ill need our sympathy not our hate.

[Venix123]

I simply can't afford rock band anymore. It sucks, cos I really want it. The LONG wait, in which I was holding out not buying guitar hero all ended in me buying GH II and III, and now I simply can't justify more money on games. Especially not £180...

[UNHAPPY]

Wow, just disgusting!

Are they trying to say these cheap plastic controllers are now costing more to make? I think not!

No sale here! And after your region locking on Army of Two, I'll be thinking twice about buying and EA games!

[Dichotomy]

I, like all the others posting here, am also shocked at the price EA thinks it's customers will pay for a game. I know the company keeps making financial loses (which in my opinion has a lot to do with lack of creativity and risk on most of their titles - I mean most people aren't going to buy the next fifa on the grounds that the new improved engine now makes the grass have an unnoticable impact on the ball physics ), but to expect us to pay for those losses is unreasonable.

Before guitar hero 3 came out I'd never played this sort of game and tbh it didn't really interest me. Still I figured there must be something to it as everyone else likes it so I picked up GH3 on release for £54. I knew about RB at this point and realised that with the initial info given I would have an extra guitar for bass from GH3 (and, since I own a PS3, I've since found out that information was not true which was the first nail in RB's coffin for me).

I reasonably expected to pay in the region of £100 (with online discounts and shopping around) for all of RB (if I could get a guitar and a game for £54 on release I don't see why that is unreasonable even by UK inflated prices) so everyone who is saying £130 to me seems to be willing to pay a premium. £180 though? I guess maybe if the equipment is all made of gold . Still I was after a proper 1080p telly anyhow so that's 1/3 of the price there.....

[Beardso2000]

aint no way no how i'm paying £180 quid for this game!
seen the US version for $150/$160 so naturally i guessed around £120 over here. but £180!!

GET A GRIP EA!!!

another customer lost at that price, lets just hope Play.com price is alot closer to the make for a REVISED RRP

[iapetus]

Originally Posted by SuperSafc

can u not just import it from America then

1) We shouldn't have to. EA shouldn't be treating Europeans like third class citizens in the first place. If it's cheaper for us to import it from the US than buy it in the shops it would be even cheaper for EA to do the same, showing that any argument they bring forward to justify the price is invalid.

2) Downloadable content is region locked.

3) The game hardware is notoriously unreliable, and I wouldn't trust EA to honour the US warranty in Europe given how they've treated us so far.

[ChuckR]

I see an EA "spokesperson" has attempted a defense over on Kikizo.com:

The spokesperson defended the decision in part by pointing out that Rock Band has been built with its audience in mind and will work with many of the peripherals people have in their homes.

"Rock Band has been designed as an open game," the spokesperson said.

That means the game will work with the Guitar Hero guitars and USB microphones that many people already own.

Drums, the crucial third instrument included in the Rock Band equipment bundle, will also be sold separately. Though no final pricing has been confirmed, the spokesperson suggested the standalone drum kit would sell for around £70.

So, we can use other peripherals (I'm assuming nobody in the US can do this? What do you mean they can?!?!) therefore there's no problem with this flagrant price gouging of European customers? We can buy the little toy plastic drums for near enough the same price that the ENTIRE collection can be purchased for in the US and EA expects us to just suck this up? It may have been "built with its audience in mind" but it certainly wasn't priced in the same fashion!!

Sales = Sales - 1

Future Customers = Future Customers -1

[Deap]

I cant believe EA,

They are so money hungry, its like this damn EA downloader thing they made, (oh look what steam has achieved! lets rip that off for more Cash!)

My point is they don't give a lalalala about the consumer. well, with how clearly this is heating up I hope it reflects come purchase day when nobody but the odd millionaire buys the game.

YOU HAVE NO RIGHT TO CHARGE US THIS MUCH EA.

**** YOU!

[iapetus]

Originally Posted by ChuckR

I see an EA "spokesperson" has attempted a defense over on Kikizo.com:

That means the game will work with the Guitar Hero guitars and USB microphones that many people already own.

I can't believe EA have the temerity to make this claim when they haven't had the common decency to sort out that issue for the PS3 wireless guitars.

Actually, I can. But it's still disgusting.

[Schuey19]

Nothing new to add other than yet another lost potential sale.
Refuse to pay more for a game than it cost to buy the console to play it on.
**** EA, **** Harmonix and **** Rock Band

[SirSenden]

Haha, in theory it's a good idea.. "right £130 or whatever is out of reach for the common gamer and only the die hard fans will get it.. let us bump the price up to £180 just so we can get more money."

I imagine that was the plan but seriously, how do EA justify such a price? The best thing is, harmonix fans are telling everyone to just blame EA.. which is absolutely lala.. they're stupid enough to let EA handle the item anyway.

[GMP88]

Like alot of people above, i've registered solely to express my complete digust at the latest stunt EA have pulled.

Do you think parents will buy little jonny a £180 game? Do you think little jonny will buy it himself? It appears even those who could afford it think its a damn stupid idea. Lets hope it tanks proper good.

Its a shame too, as there are no other good games for me to spend my (not very) hard earned cash on...wait a moment, is that GTA4 i forsee eating up my evenings and, sadly, weekends for the next few months?

EA ... < 2 fingers+raspberry> JOG ON

[SteveBryce1]

Totally agree with the above. I am a single bloke earning a bloody good wage, but on principle I utterly refuse to fork out twice as much as the Americans for exactly the same product. It's just utterly unjustifiable. £120 would have been extortionate. £180 is just completely nuts.