"Arguably" the most popular band of all time?
Where's the argument? What other "band"
affected world culture, politics, and generation
after generation in GROWING numbers such that
you can't even measure their influence since
they are the measurement by now. Today's kids
might not know The Beatles well, or suspect
their influence upon today's culture... but it's
everywhere. This game only reinforces their
likely dominance or continued cortextual
influence over several more generations, I
suspect. Other people may prefer other bands,
but there is NO band after The Beatles that is
not influenced directly or indirectly by them.
Argument over and out.
Beatles to star in 'Rock Band'
Summary
The Fab Four's Xbox 360, PS3, and Wii debut arrives on 9/9/09. It will be available as $250 limited-edition hardware bundle or $60 game - with stand-alone guitars at $100 each.
Topics
After widespread rumors, MTV Games-owned Harmonix announced that it was developing a rhythm game based on The Beatles, arguably the most popular band of all time. At the time, Harmonix cofounder Alex Rigopoulos insisted that the game would be an all-new game, and "not just a Rock Band expansion pack" a la the AC/DC Live: Rock Band Track Pack.
"Let me make this clear," Harmonix cofounder Alex Rigopoulos told the Wall Street Journal. "It's a full, new music game built from the ground up."
Today, MTV Games and Beatles record label Apple Corps revealed that the game would, in fact, bear the branding of Harmonix's signature Rock Band franchise. This morning, the companies announced that The Beatles: Rock Band will be released on September 9, 2009--i.e. 9/9/09--in North America, Australasia, and the European Union. (Previously, the game was expected in Q4 2009.) It will ship simultaneously on the Wii, Xbox 360, and PlayStation 3, but not on the PlayStation 2, unlike Harmonix's last project, Rock Band 2.
Distributed via the Electronic Arts Partners program, The Beatles: Rock Band will indeed be a brand-new game featuring songs and visual elements that span the group's entire career, from Please Please Me (1963) to Let It Be (1970). It is not yet confirmed whether the Beatles themselves will be featured as playable characters.
In the US, the game will be available as a $59.99 a la carte game for use with instruments from previous Rock Bands and other compatible hardware. The Beatles: Rock Band will also be available as part of a $249.99 limited-edition bundle with an all-new drum set, guitar, and microphone modeled after the Beatles' own instruments. Also announced were Beatles: Rock Band-branded stand-alone guitars for $99.99 each.
To date, the Rock Band franchise has sold more than 10 million copies. In January, Harmonix promised that all of its efforts would go toward creating the Beatles game along with new downloadable content for existing Rock Band games, with no other series entries set for this year.
This article was originally posted on GameSpot.com.
Talkback Most Recent of 13 Talkback(s)
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lawyerose@...6th Mar 2009 -
mrlinux6th Mar 2009 -
they are amazing, but...
... they don't have several records. They aren't
the best selling band of all time, etc. That's why
it's 'arguable,' even though we all agree they are
the best.
evilkillerwhale@...10th Apr 2009 -
RE: Beatles to star in 'Rock Band'
I agree with you lawyerose, it is just sad to see that we are pushing younger generations away from learning music and replacing it with music video games.
Pklat6th Mar 2009 -
beatles
pklat, that's is very narrow minded of you.
I have 2 sons that had no interest in music until we purchased the Rockband game. no matter how I tried to show them how good music could be, they showed no interest. Now they are interested in alot of music, they are buying Cd's and mp3's and not just of the bands featured in the game, they are exploring a whole new world of music they didn't know existed. Its a new generation, and a new generation cannot be expected to follow the previous ones in what they do. there is so much more available now that wasn't when I was younger.
they also now want to learn "real" guitar. The drums in these games also teach a sense of rhythm. Sorry but you are way off base.
these music games you think are so terrible are the best thing to happen to the music industry since the album.
ekffazr6th Mar 2009 -
RE: Beatles to star in 'Rock Band'
Hopefully, MTV doesn't release a Yoko Ono Hero video game and make this one fall apart.
stvogel@...6th Mar 2009 -
And the collective youth says..
Beatles who?
supercharlie6th Mar 2009 -
RE: Beatles to star in 'Rock Band'
Narrow minded it may seem, but you will not hear anyone say "I'm gonna go and learn music theory because I was playing guitar hero". What I am trying to say is that, even though there are some good aspects of video games, it seems that video games are starting to replace those skills that need time to acquire, with skills that are easily "trained" by video games playing. The main example is the sheer amount of bands that emerge with absolutely no musical abilities what-so-ever, who shine with a one hit, and die out as fast as they come to the public ear.Pklat6th Mar 2009 -
RE: Beatles to star in 'Rock Band'
Pklat, do you really think the Beatles were interested in music theory (at least at the beginning)? And do you really think that there were no one-hit-wonders in the 60's? Or the 70's, 80's and 90's, for that matter?
Okay, so maybe Rock Band isn't quite equivalent to reading a book or learning an instrument, but isn't it still infinitely better that the kids are playing stimulating video games rather than just watching tv? Bonus that it's now in group settings.
CongratsFactory10th Mar 2009 -
Beatles who?
The Beatles were interested in performing music, not music theory. One of the reasons George was brought into the band was because he actually knew how to tune a guitar...
Anyway - I think it's great that kids might actually be able to soon answer that previous hypothetical question... "Beatles who?"
WebNinja9th Apr 2009 -
RE: Beatles to star in 'Rock Band'
If I would have had this in 1964 I would have entered the Music business at "some level" and not waited for 20 years to learn to play Guitar!
The Stones win the longevity race ( Great Music) but The Beatles recorded ALL of their Music in only 7 Years and they didn't just "Push the Envelope". They were the envelope.
If You don't get it then all I can say is I wish You had been there and along for the Ride.
YA! YA! YA!
fallstrutt@...7th May 2009 -
Greatest Band of All Time
I would agree that The Rolling Stones is probably the greatest Rock and Roll band, however, they do not have the influence The Beatles have had, but, there are other, much less mentioned bands and artists that have probably exceeded The Beatles in influence.
Take, for example, The Velvet Underground. Never a popular band in its time, but it greatly influenced a goodly number of musicians over time.
Another very influential person, especially with British musicians, has been John Mayall and the various incarnations of his bands. Eric Clapton, Mick Fleetwood, Mick Taylor, John McVie, Jack Bruse and many others have been under his tuteledge.
Speaking of Clapton, he and Jack Bruse left the Bluesbreakers to form their own band with Ginger Baker (like Charlie Watts of the Rolling Stones, a jazz drummer) known as Cream, the first power trio in the rock pantheon, proving that less can be more.
There are many others not known to the general populace who have been extraordinarily influential in the rock arena. It is just thta the Beatles have had a better PR machine than others, and thus, in the public mind, seem to dominate as influencers.
steve@...10th May 2009 -
RE: Beatles to star in 'Rock Band'
i do not think it is right that you can not get the beatles rock band for play station 2. what about all of us that have spent our money and bought play station 2, do we not matter. i think this is very unfair and discrimaniting.
debrnbc11th Sep 2009
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