Why all the poor reviews

[Sumo]

I was on Amazon.co.uk earlier looking at the reviews that people have written for Rock Band and I was amazed.

This must be EA's most looked-forward to game from the year so far, if not last year as well yet the reviews are so poor.

On a scale of 1-5, 39 people out of the 58 people who reviewed the item gave it 1 star.

"Firstly make a note that for £130, you don't get the game. That's £50 extra. You could get all £180 worth in the US for $170 - that's just £85"

That particular review amazes me. For what you can get in Europe for £180 you can get exactly the same in the US for £85? What makes the US so superior that they can get the game for half as much as us Brits? Absolutely disgusting in my opinion. Surely if EA want a good reputation, they can't continue to go round ripping people off.

But what i was wondering, are people only giving this a bad review due to it's price, or is the game and equipment infact as crap as most people seem to be making out. Maybe people are just bitter about the prices that they give the game itself a bad review? From the videos I've seen, it actually looks quite fun. The drumming and guitar combo would surely wipe the floor with Guitar Hero? and karaoke is great fun when you're with a few friends.

I was considering buying Rock Band until I saw that review which I posted above. No, EA. Stop taking us for fools and face the reality. People are being ripped off, but is that your customer policy? rip them off as much as possible to maximize profits?

Disgraceful.

[iapetus]

Originally Posted by sumo0506

That particular review amazes me. For what you can get in Europe for £180 you can get exactly the same in the US for £85? What makes the US so superior that they can get the game for half as much as us Brits? Absolutely disgusting in my opinion. Surely if EA want a good reputation, they can't continue to go round ripping people off.

Glad to hear you feel that way - it's what a lot of us have been saying here for a long time. And the only way to deal with it is not to buy the game - every sale EA loses as a result of their obscene pricing is a victory for the good guys.

Originally Posted by sumo0506

But what i was wondering, are people only giving this a bad review due to it's price, or is the game and equipment infact as crap as most people seem to be making out. Maybe people are just bitter about the prices that they give the game itself a bad review? From the videos I've seen, it actually looks quite fun. The drumming and guitar combo would surely wipe the floor with Guitar Hero? and karaoke is great fun when you're with a few friends.

Check out the reviews in more detail. There are two star-ratings in an Amazon review - one for 'fun' and one for 'overall'. The majority of reviews give it 4-5 stars for 'fun' - indicating that it's a great game to play - and 1 star for 'overall' - indicating that there are other reasons you should avoid buying it. In this case, the price.

Originally Posted by sumo0506

I was considering buying Rock Band until I saw that review which I posted above. No, EA. Stop taking us for fools and face the reality. People are being ripped off, but is that your customer policy? rip them off as much as possible to maximize profits?

Yes, that appears to be exactly their customer policy. All games cost more in the UK than the US, but the margin is normally about 50%. That covers VAT at 17.5%, potentially slightly higher import duties, and an additional markup for a more expensive retail chain, which is what allows companies like Play and Amazon to discount prices from the RRP. In this case, though, the markup is 110%, which is way out of line with the rest of the market, and is not acceptable, particularly on a title where the business model relies on making money from players after purchase with downloadable content.

Maybe there's a valid reason for the increase in price. But EA are still refusing to make any comment on the reasons for the pricing, instead preferring to hide behind the desks with the lights out and hope it'll all go away. Their cowardice when it comes to speaking to their customers (sorry, ex-customers) is the clearest sign that there is no justification for the price rise and that it's just a sordid money-grab, expecting to use European customers to pay off the problems they brought on themselves with their hideous reliability problems in the US. Sorry, but I'm not willing to pay for someone else's replacement drum pedals.

Glad to hear you've changed your mind about buying on this basis - the more people who refuse to pay EA's rate, the more likely it is that they'll see sense and charge a fair price (which going by the market rates would be £130 for the full kit - band in a box and the game - before discounts by companies such as Amazon and Play).

Edit: It's worth pointing out that most of the recent five-star reviews are based on misinformation, claiming that the game is included in the BiaB bundle - which it isn't. The pattern seems to be 4/5 star reviews until the price announcement, at which point the reviews pretty much universally drop to one-star overall apart from people who were misled by Amazon customer service. If they were right, then my review would most likely have been five-star as well, not one-star with a recommendation not to buy the game.

[Scooper]

Very well said mate.

[MahrVehl]

IGN UK have posted their Rock Band review. I do have to say that while it's kind of a shame they gave the rating based purely on the quality of the game, they do spend almost the entire 2nd page of their 2 page review pointing out just how ludicrous the price and launch have been handled in the EU.

Here's a link to the review

But here's content of the review about the price:

Originally Posted by IGN UK Rock Band Review

So then, Rock Band is the current apex of its genre, a truly great and innovative thing for gaming and awesome fun to boot. But there's a dilemma here, because despite all of that, we can't honestly recommend that you buy it at full price. That RRP of £180 is a massive turd on an otherwise delicious cake, especially when compared to its equivalent US price tag. However much we loved The Evil Dead, we could hardly recommend that you pay £45 for the DVD, especially if it was less than half that in the next town over.

Of course, how much you're willing to pay for Rock Band is really up to you, and we're sure that there are people out there who think it's worth that much. But for one hundred and EIGHTY pounds you could buy a Fender Squier beginner guitar and bass, a second-hand starter drum kit and a cheapo microphone - and ACTUALLY HAVE A BAND. You could also buy an Xbox 360 and cheap game, or a Wii, or twelve hundred Chomp bars. It's simply ludicrous that we're being asked to pay so much for what's essentially a set of toy instruments. Some online retailers are selling the lot for around £145, but even that's around forty quid too steep in our estimation. Rock Band has already demonstrated its huge money-making credentials in the form of downloadable content (which, by the way, is also a smidge more expensive here thanks to the Microsoft Points discrepancy) – surely the profit margins can take a hit on the peripherals?

The way that Rock Band is being packaged over here makes very little sense, too. You can buy a pack of all of the instruments, but the game isn't included, which we bet will confuse many people who've pre-ordered the bundle and get it home to find a boxful of instruments and nothing to make them go. If you want to take advantage of your Guitar Hero guitar, you can buy drums separately – but, oddly, not the microphone, meaning that if you want vocals you have to either shell out for the entire set of instruments, superfluous guitar and all, or sing into the Xbox Live headset - although the latter option does have the added advantage of making you look not one million miles away from this.

Combine the pricing and packaging issues and this is hardly a smooth launch for Rock Band in Europe. Given that there's been a half-year interim that presumably could have been used to plan this properly, we're really quite upset about it all. It's like offering a child the biggest most delicious ice-cream in the world, then chucking them into a swamp. There are few bad things to be said about Rock Band itself – it's brilliant – but this launch is so problematic that it's hard to find anything positive at all to say about how the game is being handled over here.

See EA? We're not the only ones who think the your launch and pricing strategy are LUDICROUS! You don't listen to us, maybe you'll listen to journalists? Or is the only thing you'll listen to the reports back from retail saying that after the initial batch of money slapshing fans who obviously don't care about being royally ripped off bought thier copies of RB, you didn't sell a goddamn copy?

[SteveBryce1]

Hear, hear.

I was just reading that IGN review and was going to post it here too. I think they have it exactly right - terrific game, appalling price, appalling management of bundles, appalling delay and appalling that the price of downloads is also more expensive than in the US.

It's difficult to imagine any other ways in which EA UK could kick people who may otherwise have been customers in the teeth.

I'd love the game and earn a damn good wage, but there is absolutely no way I am buying it at £145, let alone £180.

Steve

[iapetus]

I know I've been quite vocal in my criticism of EA for the handling of this whole thing, but I will say that they aren't to blame for the increased price of downloads - the DLC has the same price in MS points in the UK and US, so any price difference there is entirely Microsoft's fault. Despite their best efforts, EA have got some things right. :P There have been offers at Tesco Jersey that bring MS points down to slightly below the US price, as well. Worth keeping an eye out for that kind of thing.

That said, good review. Glad they agree with me on the price compared to REAL INSTRUMENTS, and I'm off to buy 1200 Chomp bars.

[Scooper]

Originally Posted by iapetus

I know I've been quite vocal in my criticism of EA for the handling of this whole thing, but I will say that they aren't to blame for the increased price of downloads - the DLC has the same price in MS points in the UK and US, so any price difference there is entirely Microsoft's fault. Despite their best efforts, EA have got some things right. :P There have been offers at Tesco Jersey that bring MS points down to slightly below the US price, as well. Worth keeping an eye out for that kind of thing.

That said, good review. Glad they agree with me on the price compared to REAL INSTRUMENTS, and I'm off to buy 1200 Chomp bars.

Lmao. You'd probably get more use out of them. Anyway good find with that review

[aplotinus]

I’ve been critical on the pricing of Rock Band here on the forum but I now have more concerns after reading many of the reviews. First, it seems that the quality of guitar build is not that great. Harder to play because the buttons are not raised the UK Official Xbox 360 magazine bumped them to use the guitars out of Guitar Hero instead. With the cost of the instrument pack I’m also in disbelief that the guitar is not wireless (as will be the PS2 version) and better build.
Second, after 6 months wait and a few extra songs it’s a sure bet the game engine code behind the game has not been altered. So every glitch in the American version will be in the UK version.
Third, you have got to have a hell of a space to set the game up. No good if you have a small room.
If you just want to play the guitar then Guitar Hero is a better experience. Yes Rock Band is better if there are 3 of you, one on the drums, one singing, one on guitar.

[ser0t0nin]

well .. just wait till guitar hero 4. i guess activision will be so wise, to get all the customers ea missed. and btw the drums of gh4 look much better than the rock band drums. [video of the drums]

[Rod3r1ck]

Originally Posted by ser0t0nin

well .. just wait till guitar hero 4. i guess activision will be so wise, to get all the customers ea missed. and btw the drums of gh4 look much better than the rock band drums. [video of the drums]

Oh man that video looks awesome, everyone really should just wait fot Guitar Hero 4 and just leave this overpriced rock band crap!
I love the technology they have with the GH 4 drums, the harder you hit it the louder the music is and softer is the opposite, man that is awesome and its WIRELESS!! muahahah screw u rock band!

[Scooper]

Hurray. Just think. Guitar Hero 4 is said to come out at the end of the year ready for christmas, which makes sense as it would be a year after GH3. I cant remember exactly where i heard this but one of the bands involved let slip it was the end of 08 and considering how long we've had to wait for rock band. i think we can wait a bit longer

[iapetus]

If GH4 ships at a fair price, not much later than it does in the US, ideally across all platforms simultaneously, then EA might just have lost my custom completely. It's got some neat features that Rock Band is lacking - looks like better control on the drums, and I love the idea that you can set up your own tracks - and it's really just going to come down to which tracks each game ends up with.

Rock Band could have had the market wrapped up by now. Greed is going to come back to bite EA on this one if they don't sort things out before the competition arrives.

[Scooper]

Well its too late to sort things out before the competition becuz if they lower the price now theres going to be some seriously peed off people who bought it already and would basically be them admitting we were trying to rip you off but now that we've got competition we have to look at this price realistically

[iapetus]

Originally Posted by Scooper

Well its too late to sort things out before the competition becuz if they lower the price now theres going to be some seriously peed off people who bought it already and would basically be them admitting we were trying to rip you off but now that we've got competition we have to look at this price realistically

Which we all know is the case anyway, so setting the price right wouldn't change anything.

Frankly the people who bought it already deserve it - they're traitors to gaming in the first place.

[iapetus]

Not reviews as such, but there are certainly some interesting interviews on C&VG:

This one lets them off far too easily - even though it at least asks the questions about the pricing, it doesn't follow up by calling them out on the lies in the responses.

This one is a reference to an Edge article, where Rob comes off even worse, generously volunteering to allow us to buy the game and use a USB microphone to get the full singing experience without being charged full price. (!) Much as I've been in favour of putting the blame on EA and letting Harmonix off because they don't set the price, the garbage they're spouting to the media is beginning to change my mind.

[aplotinus]

RedOctane have announced first details of Guitar Hero 4 to be released Christmas 2008. I’m not sure if this will just be a US release or worldwide. Certainly the drums look better with cymbals added; like Rockband the game will also feature vocals. If RedOctane can get the logistics and price correct this could be Rockband’s death? I’m sure they would have taken note and learned from EA’s poor handling and release of Rockband. I’m now going to wait.

[iapetus]

Originally Posted by aplotinus

I’m now going to wait.

You're not alone.

EA just missed their opportunity to tie up the music game market completely in Europe. Had Rock Band been released at a reasonable price, GH4 would have been dead in the water. Instead they've pretty much handed the market to their main rival.

Good going, guys.

[Scooper]

Originally Posted by iapetus

You're not alone.

EA just missed their opportunity to tie up the music game market completely in Europe. Had Rock Band been released at a reasonable price, GH4 would have been dead in the water. Instead they've pretty much handed the market to their main rival.

Good going, guys.

Correction: At the right price and six months earlier when there was no news of GH4 coming out

[aplotinus]

I agree that EA have “missed the boat” with Rockband. If it had been released Christmas 2007 it would have sold on a grand scale.

However, it’s now up to RedOctane to deliver. They are not dumb girls/guys over there and would have taken note of the arguments over pricing and packaging. If they can deliver the instrument package & game for £129.99 they are onto a winner. The drums look 100% better than Rockband being wireless and velocity sensing. Even though development is at an advance staged my concern is that they will not be able to produce the units needed at release. I can see the US getting it for Christmas and Europe around March/April 2009.

[MahrVehl]

Originally Posted by aplotinus

The drums look 100% better than Rockband being wireless and velocity sensing.

Whilst the drums look good the whole velocity sensing thing looks like a complete gimmick. If it's not a gameplay feature (and I can't see how it would be) then it becomes just a pointless bit of junk that the game doesn't use but they use it as a selling point.

Not that I'm a huge fan of the RB drums after getting to see them up close.

[aplotinus]

“velocity sensing thing looks like a complete gimmick”

You are obviously never played a real instrument then! Velocity sensing would give the game a whole new dimension. Harder hit pads give a different sounds to softer hit pads instead of one sound however hard you bash the pad. Seems to me it will give a better game experience and is not just a gimmick.

[iapetus]

Originally Posted by Scooper

Correction: At the right price and six months earlier when there was no news of GH4 coming out

I think had the price been appropriate the news of GH4 wouldn't have made all that much difference. There wouldn't have been any of the negative reporting on the game - IGN wouldn't have described it as being like a turd on a delicious cake, Amazon wouldn't have had a two-star review average for it... With another six months to wait for GH4 (at least), enough people would have been happy to go with Rock Band now. I certainly know I would.

I probably still would, if EA would address the pricing. Every day they continue their conspiracy of silence and extortionate pricing, though, the probability decreases.

[MahrVehl]

Originally Posted by aplotinus

“velocity sensing thing looks like a complete gimmick”

You are obviously never played a real instrument then! Velocity sensing would give the game a whole new dimension. Harder hit pads give a different sounds to softer hit pads instead of one sound however hard you bash the pad. Seems to me it will give a better game experience and is not just a gimmick.

You're right I've never played drums, but then again unless the strength of the drum hit affects the outcome of the game in some way (i.e you make the note if you hit it harder and you don't make it if you don't hit it hard enough) the velocity sensing is like hitting the whammy bar in GH on a hold note when it's not a star power note, sounds different, doesn't change your score or the outcome of the game, so it's superfluous and gimmicky, imo of course.

I just think the time spent on features like that could have been used in other ways that affect the game in more useful way.

[druggedUK]

I can't believe some of you are won over with 'wireless' and 'velocity sensing'.

The first doesn't really matter, it's not like you can move around with a drumset, is it?

And velocity sensing? It's just a gimmick, I mean, why would you care if it sounded louder or quieter, it could end up sounding a bit **** if the volume is constantly fluctuating between loud and quiet on the drums. It's just a feature you'd probably try out and then forget about, it's not like you'd really be concentrating on altering how hard you hit the drums when you have notes flying at you at 100 miles an hour on Expert level...

[Scooper]