After months of speculation, officials from developer Harmonix have confirmed that the standard hardware and software bundle for the forthcoming rhythm action game
Rock Band will be priced at $169.99 in the U.S., with a release date of November 23rd.
Speaking to consumer
website GameSpot, a representative from Harmonix – original creators of the best selling
Guitar Hero series – confirmed the price, which is much above the norm for any normal retail product, including the $99.99
Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock.
The high price is due to the inclusion within the package of a wired drum kit controller, a microphone and a guitar controller. The latter is wired in the Xbox 360 version, which also comes with a USB hub, but wireless in the PlayStation 3 version.
The game will also be available as a standalone release for $59.99, with the hardware available separately. A wireless guitar is priced at $79.99 on the Xbox 360 and $59.99 on the PlayStation 3, while the drum kit controller and microphone are priced at a uniform $79.99 and $29.99, respectively, on both platforms.
Although a Wii version has long been rumored it is still unconfirmed, however a PlayStation 2 version of the game will be released at a lower price of $159.99 on December 10th. All versions of the game have been delayed until next year in Europe, ostensibly to allow for the licensing of specific local content.
