Major Nelson explains Guitar Hero song packs pricing schemes

While Guitar Hero II is selling well, some people found the downloadable song packaging and pricing (and we quote), “overpriced.” It averages out to around US$ 2.00 per song, and this is drawing comparisons with Microsoft‘s cutthroat competitor… Apple and its 99-cent pops.

Short version is, people are kinda El Kabonged over it, especially after the entire microtransaction outcry from last year. So Joystiq took the time to chat up Major Nelson before the New York City event and bring the issue to fore. The Major explained the following factors which contribute to the pricing and packaging of the sings in bundles of three:

It’s not just a song. “It’s not like you go to iTunes, and you’re buying the same thing. There’s testing that’s involved, and there’s also licensing involved. There’s a lot of elements involved… you can’t get interactivity with a song on iTunes, and I don’t want to defend it: it is what it is.”

The Xbox 360 Guitar Hero content cannot share the investment made on the PS2 Guitar Hero. “You can’t look at it that way, it’s a different platform. You have to consider the Leaderboard. People like to say it’s the same, but the licensing is not the same. You have to re-license it… The contracts have to be renegotiated on a new platform, and it’s also involving digital distribution, so there’s a lot of things involved.”

He knows what he’s talking about. He used to work in the broadcasting industry. And licensing is indeed a female dog.

And if the songs weren’t bundled into threes, they’d be more expensive than a two-dollar bill. “If you have three songs entering the approval process, individually, that’s three times more problems–and there’s more probability for error. So, let’s bundle them together, and test them as a unit and drive the price down.”

Oh, and while they’re there, Joystiq slipped in a few questions about Halo 3. When asked what his reaction is to a three-week beta (too short, darn it), the Major had to raise his hands and say “go ask Bungie.” The good news is, he’s been told by the Xbox Live people that XBL should be able to hold up to all that traffic.

On the other hand, some of you guys might be quite busy dreaming of a way to Limewire Guitar Hero II content to notice.

While Guitar Hero II is selling well, some people found the downloadable song packaging and pricing (and we quote), “overpriced.” It averages out to around US$ 2.00 per song, and this is drawing comparisons with Microsoft‘s cutthroat competitor… Apple and its 99-cent pops.

Short version is, people are kinda El Kabonged over it, especially after the entire microtransaction outcry from last year. So Joystiq took the time to chat up Major Nelson before the New York City event and bring the issue to fore. The Major explained the following factors which contribute to the pricing and packaging of the sings in bundles of three:

It’s not just a song. “It’s not like you go to iTunes, and you’re buying the same thing. There’s testing that’s involved, and there’s also licensing involved. There’s a lot of elements involved… you can’t get interactivity with a song on iTunes, and I don’t want to defend it: it is what it is.”

The Xbox 360 Guitar Hero content cannot share the investment made on the PS2 Guitar Hero. “You can’t look at it that way, it’s a different platform. You have to consider the Leaderboard. People like to say it’s the same, but the licensing is not the same. You have to re-license it… The contracts have to be renegotiated on a new platform, and it’s also involving digital distribution, so there’s a lot of things involved.”

He knows what he’s talking about. He used to work in the broadcasting industry. And licensing is indeed a female dog.

And if the songs weren’t bundled into threes, they’d be more expensive than a two-dollar bill. “If you have three songs entering the approval process, individually, that’s three times more problems–and there’s more probability for error. So, let’s bundle them together, and test them as a unit and drive the price down.”

Oh, and while they’re there, Joystiq slipped in a few questions about Halo 3. When asked what his reaction is to a three-week beta (too short, darn it), the Major had to raise his hands and say “go ask Bungie.” The good news is, he’s been told by the Xbox Live people that XBL should be able to hold up to all that traffic.

On the other hand, some of you guys might be quite busy dreaming of a way to Limewire Guitar Hero II content to notice.