"We are strongly motivated to keep the price as low as possible. 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."
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According to LoPiccolo it doesn't make sense to compare the manufacturer-recommended US and UK prices for Rock Band. He wheeled out the old VAT line, stating, "That’s not the whole discrepancy, but it’s a big chunk of it." LoPiccolo also observed that European retailers are free to cut the price of games, unlike their US counterparts. "So a reasonable price comparison is what you actually pay, not just the SRP, which means two different things in the two territories.
"We’re not gouging you, primarily because doing so doesn’t serve our interests," LoPiccolo continued. "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.
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