RedOctane Speaks On Pricey Downloads
Guitar Hero series creator Kai Huang attempted to mollify some of the resentment generated by the costliness of the recently-added song bundles, which are available for 500 Microsoft Points ($6.25) for every group of three songs. Huang offers assurance that RedOctane hears the lamentations of its legions of fans, and that despite the cost of the bundles, it could have been worse:
"We ... decided to bundle the songs in packs of three because this actually helps to bring the cost of tracks down, rather than just offering them individually..."
We'll also be getting new songs one day:
"Although we are releasing new songs, it does take a long time to prep them for download. It's actually a complex process and a lot of work goes into each one. We have to license the track, create the inputs for all the notes and, if it's a new track, re-record the tune..."
This after Major Nelson sang a similar tune defending the content cost:
"It's roughly about $2 a song that you can play over and over. You can't get interactivity with a song on iTunes, and I don't want to defend it: it is what it is." He then added, "We worked with RedOctane to work on prices that make sense, and they clearly can't sell it at a loss. They have to pay the rights licensing."
It is what it is. That much is true. But it's up to you, I suppose, to believe whether 'it' is an evil corporate conspiracy or merely economics at work. Then again, it can always be both.
Bundling Guitar Hero Songs Kept Costs Down: RedOctane [Kikizo]
tiny dancer
Posted to Hot Stuff, Video Games on 17 April 2007
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