Rock Band: EU Release Date Announced But With Sting in Tail

[Nodz86]

To my joy EA have announced Rock Band for europe but the downside is the mark up on it, £180 thats £95 quid more than the USA who get it at around £85. I know that when ever something comes to the UK they swap the $ to a £ sign and not use the exchange rate but its even more annoying when EA is doing it. Also ALL DLC will be availible from day one thats about 70 tracks.

 

It wont stop me buying the full bundle tho.

 

 

'Rock Band' bundle to cost £95 more in UK

Tuesday, April 8 2008, 15:03 BST

By David Gibbon, Gaming Reporter

Following the announcement that Rock Band will be released on May 23 for Xbox 360, a report claims the full package will cost UK buyers around £95 more than the equivalent bundle in the US.

 

While US gamers can buy Rock Band, complete with bundled instruments, for $169 (around £85), in the UK, EA has decided to split up the US bundle and sell it all separately.

 

According to Eurogamer, EA plans to charge around £180 for the Rock Band bundle, offering the standalone game for £49.99 and an instrument package for £129.99. This gives a total cost of £179.98 - almost £95 more than the same package in the US.

 

EA also plans to sell separate wireless guitars for £59.99 and a drum kit for £69.99.

 

Responding to the news, one gamer said: "Once again we get stiffed in Europe on pricing. It disgusts me. There doesn't appear to be the mention of buying the microphone on its own so people like myself who have two Guitar Hero guitars can't simply buy the solus game, a drum kit and a separate mic".

 

Linkage:

http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/gaming/a93335/rock-band-bundle-to-cost-gbp95-more-in-uk.html

 

Originally found out through Major Nelson:

http://majornelson.com/archive/2008/04/08/rock-band-coming-to-europe.aspx

 

Edit: Better Review

 

Rock Band gets official Euro date

News by Rob Purchese

Today 08:00

Electronic Arts will be releasing the Xbox 360 version of Rock Band in Europe on 23rd May.

It will be a timed exclusive for Microsoft, with PS3, PS2 and Wii offerings to appear "later this summer".

(Update: EA has now clarified pricing details, too, having left them out of its original announcement. The instruments will be GBP 129.99 / EUR 169.99 with the game sold separately.)

Euro Rock Band will feature a selection of exclusive songs, as was rumoured in March. These include tracks from Oasis and Blur plus adopted German favourite Die Toten Hosen, which might mean "the trouser hose". But also might not.

We will get the full compliment of existing downloadable tracks on 27th May, too. This adds up to a meaty 70 songs, which you can get a load of over on the official site.

Going forwards, both European and American versions will be given fresh tracks at the same time each week.

The full list of Euro-exclusive songs can be found below.

English

 

• "Beetlebum" by Blur
  
• "Rock 'n' Roll Star" by Oasis
  
• "Monsoon" by Tokio Hotel
  
• "Hysteria" by Muse

German

 

• "Hier Kommt Alex" by Die Toten Hosen
  
• "Perfekte Welle" by Juli
  
• "Countdown to Insanity" by H-Block X

French

 

• "Manu Chao" by Les Wampas
  
• "New Wave" by Playmo

EA is hosting an event today to showcase the game to the European press, so hopefully we'll have more on the announcement soon.

Meanwhile, pop over to our Rock Band import review to find out more.

[Loz]

Paying twice as much for a game 6 months old is appauling.

 

A good way to think of it is "Being European Tax"

[Nodz86]

Paying twice as much for a game 6 months old is appauling.

 

A good way to think of it is "Being European Tax"

 

Well I've just been on the official Rock Band Forum and its full of patition threads and threads with people moaning about the price

[Pherelas]

No way am I spending £180 on an xbox game, thats stupid. I was looking forward to this aswell. I was expecting it to be about £120 tops really. Think about it, thats 4 tanks of petrol, 432 bottles of 1664, 4 or 5 other xbox games, brand new mobile, a small HD TV, 4 or 5 good concerts, 2 meals out for two ;) , or 1 / 2111 th of a Zonda Roadster.

[CarMadMike]

Thats a disgrace, 96 pound more, 95!!!!!

 

Someone was bored werent you phil :P

[macd79]

thats terrible prices i dont think that will be much of a succes in europe

[The Queen]

Yeah I see that, cmm :D

 

It is very overpriced though. Is it sort of like Guitar Hero, well that idea? As I have never heard of it before :p

[Nige]

Well EA, I already hate you for a couple of reasons now I can officially add this to that list aswell :mad:.

 

£195 ????????????????????

 

 

WOW this is almost has bad as not putting in the CFL (Canadian Football League !) teams in the Madden games :(.

[Camel]

WOW this is almost has bad as not putting in the CFL (Canadian Football League !) teams in the Madden games :(.

 

Putting the who in what???

[YeOldeTDUMan]

just read this ... well i was expecting it to be expensive ... remember Guitar Hero is 60-70 quid ... this contains a guitar, a drum kit and a mic

 

checked play.com ... from the Major Nelson article ... and they have 40 for the game and 100 for the controllers (excluding the odd pence), however does the kit only include 1 guitar as I thought it was a 4 player with 2 guitars? in which case thats an extra 60 quid ... so a 200 quid game all in!

 

I think I'll convince a mate of mine to shell out for it instead

[Nodz86]

just read this ... well i was expecting it to be expensive ... remember Guitar Hero is 60-70 quid ... this contains a guitar, a drum kit and a mic

 

checked play.com ... from the Major Nelson article ... and they have 40 for the game and 100 for the controllers (excluding the odd pence), however does the kit only include 1 guitar as I thought it was a 4 player with 2 guitars? in which case thats an extra 60 quid ... so a 200 quid game all in!

 

I think I'll convince a mate of mine to shell out for it instead

 

Well you do only need one guitar if you plan to play by yourself or over XBL as the guitar can be used for either rythem, lead or base, but if you want friends round you can either use a GH controller (if you or a mate owns one) but wont be able to use all the functions on RB or buy another one.

 

 

Anyways with the price all they have done is change the $ sign to a £ our euro sign which is quite common when they release stuff over here. Its happened with several games a products.

[Pherelas]

Will the american intruments work over here?

[Nodz86]

Will the american intruments work over here?

 

not sure they are wireless (iirc) so if there batteries are the same and the wireless tech on the US consoles is the same as here then i would think so. but then if they are wired then it would only be powered off of usb. (btw i used the term console as this is out on PS3 and 360 and Wii is coming soon).

 

Just done a quick search on the official forum but as it hasn't got a search filter (disabled until you become a member) I sort of give up after the 4th page.

 

found this on gamefaqs board but not sure how true it is:

 

The XBox 360 version won't work because it's region coded. The reason that the PS3 version will work is because Blu Ray (the games at least, I think movies as well) aren't region coded. The controllers will work but not the game.

 

The original poster/topic creator asked as there are loads of PS3 version availible on ebay that work over here but no 360 versions.

[Nige]

Putting the who in what???

 

You know the Madden games ?????

 

The NFL game ??????

 

Well EA have not once put any Canadian Football League teams in their madden game ever .......

 

 

Which is frankly crap, there is a big enough fanbase for it in Canada and hell I would go so far to say even the Yanks wouldn't mind it either.

 

 

Anyway back on topic, I certainly wont be buying it until its around £90 and even then I will still have to think about it.

[Nodz86]

You know the Madden games ?????

 

The NFL game ??????

 

Well EA have not once put any Canadian Football League teams in their madden game ever .......

 

 

Which is frankly crap, there is a big enough fanbase for it in Canada and hell I would go so far to say even the Yanks wouldn't mind it either.

 

 

Anyway back on topic, I certainly wont be buying it until its around £90 and even then I will still have to think about it.

 

Am I right in saying that Madden has to aquire its rights and is licenced by the NFL thats why it only has NFL teams and none from the CFL.

 

Back on topic if you want it for around that price nige get a PS3 and import it then you'll have a blu ray player and then you can get GT5 when it comes out and drive Kimi's car.

[Nige]

Am I right in saying that Madden has to aquire its rights and is licenced by the NFL thats why it only has NFL teams and none from the CFL.

 

Back on topic if you want it for around that price nige get a PS3 and import it then you'll have a blu ray player and then you can get GT5 when it comes out and drive Kimi's car.

 

I suppose but the EA NHL games are licensed by the nhl but have the ahl (American Hockey League), swedish & Finnish elite leagues in them so I don't understand why the Madden games can't have the CFL league !!! Thats the only thing that will make me buy the Madden games :).

 

Yeah I want it but come on I am not just gonna buy a PS3 just for Rockband & GT5 Prologue am I ?????????

 

I can live without Rockband, GT5 Prologue & Blue Ray :D.

[Nodz86]

Yeah I want it but come on I am not just gonna buy a PS3 just for Rockband & GT5 Prologue am I ?????????

 

But the past few nights on the box you have admitted you are tempted to get one but you would not openly admit to owning one if you were to buy one.

[Nige]

But the past few nights on the box you have admitted you are tempted to get one but you would not openly admit to owning one if you were to buy one.

 

Yes I did :D !!!!!!!!!!

 

 

Hell I might even be playing GT5 Prologue as I type this right now .........

[CarMadMike]

So what your saying, Buy the game over here, and then buy the controllers from the usa?, save 50 odd quid