The release date for the long-awaited Guitar Hero competitor from EA, Rock Band has finally been honoured with it's European release date. Hitting shores May 23rd. The game will be semi-exclusive to the Xbox 360 at first, but will be released for other major consoles later in the summer (no dates on these).

The game remains the same as the US release, but the price certainly does not. With a price hike of over double the US retail price. Coming in at £280 ($355) or €240 ($380), it's no longer a toy to be used recklessly, in fact if your on a Xbox, it could have cost more than your console with the recent price-drops in the region.

The response to the announcement has been less than gratifying for producers Harmonix, so Greg LoPiccolo, vice president of product development has offered the community an explanation for the pricing, "We're not making a killing on Rock Band in Europe. We are incredibly sensitive to pricing issues. We are painfully aware that the higher the price we charge, the less copies we'll sell. The fact of the matter is the costs of releasing in Europe are far higher than in the US." he also goes on to mention that shipping costs to Europe are "really high," and the UK has its own, extra VAT (value added tax) of 17.5% on top and also that Euro retailers have the freedom to discount the product as they choose, unlike US stores.

As for LoPiccolo's conclusion, "We're not gouging you primarily because doing so doesn't serve our interests. 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....We've sold a ton of these in the US at a far higher price point than people are used to paying for a video game because it really is a new and different experience that you have to experience to believe."

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