Search This Blog

Tuesday, April 08, 2008

UK pay double the US price for Rock Band


Following the news this morning that Electronic Arts has confirmed the pricing structure for Rock Band in the UK, gamers have expressed anger at the cost difference between regions.

Among the milder comments posted as first reaction to the price on Eurogamer.net were:

  • "At least Dick Turpin had the courtesy to wear a mask,"
  • "That's just disgustingly shameful, in all respects."
  • "What a joke. Months late and double the price. No sale."
Rock Band has a recommended retail price of GBP 180 when you factor in the instruments and the boxed copy of the game - a combination that would cost just USD 169 in the US, or around GBP 85 - less than half the price.

Additionally the title is region-locked for the Xbox 360, so anybody hoping to beat the price difference by importing from the US will be disappointed.

Source: Games Industry

MTV Games, Harmonix and EA Announce UK Release Date for Rock Band

Rock Band will make its UK debut on Xbox 360 on May 23

Rock Band's European tour will be hitting the UK this spring! Harmonix, the leading developer of music-based games, and MTV Games, a division of Viacom’s MTV Networks (NYSE: VIA, VIA.B), along with marketing and distribution partner Electronic Arts, Inc. (NASDAQ: ERTS), today confirmed plans to release the award-winning music video game Rock Band this spring in the UK.

The UK release of Rock Band will have an exclusive launch window on the Xbox 360 videogame console from Microsoft, beginning on May 23. Rock Band will be available for additional platforms later this summer.

Rock Band is an all-new platform for music fans and gamers to interact with music. The game challenges players to put together a band and tour for fame and fortune, mastering lead/bass guitar, drums and vocals. With more master recordings than any other music game, Rock Band features some of the world’s biggest rock artists and spans every genre of rock ranging from alternative and classic rock to heavy metal and punk.

In addition to the 58 tracks from the North American release, Rock Band will feature nine new tracks spanning German, French and UK hits including:

• Blur “Beetlebum” (English)
• Oasis “Rock ‘n’ Roll Star” (English)
• Tokio Hotel “Monsoon” (English)
• Muse “Hysteria” (English)
• Les Wampas “Manu Chao” (French)
• Playmo “New Wave” (French)
• Die Toten Hosen “Hier Kommt Alex” (German)
• Juli “Perfekte Welle” (German)
• H-Block X “Countdown to Insanity” (German)



Rock Band’s unprecedented offering of over 70 songs to date currently available for purchase and download in the US will be made available in Europe beginning on Tuesday, May 27th. Each track will be available for 160 Microsoft Points on Xbox 360. Following that date, all new Rock Band DLC will be available simultaneously in the US and Europe on a weekly basis. For a complete list of Rock Band songs available for purchase to date, please go to http://www.rockband.com/dlc.

Since its North American release in 2007, Rock Band has garnered over 40 awards including Game Critics Award: Best of Show E3 2007 and three awards at The 11th Annual Interactive Achievement Awards including Outstanding Innovation in Gaming, Family Game of the Year, and Outstanding Achievement in Soundtrack.