Coming 09/09/09 baby!
Now, when are those Beatles remasters coming?
And it’ll be a Rock Band game after all! It’s The Beatles: Rock Band. I guess both name brands were important. And it sounds like they’re doing the marketing part right this time: 09/09/09 sounds like it’s the release date world-wide and for all platforms. So maybe this time the critical success will be matched by sales success that matches (or surpasses?) Guitar Hero games.
Unless you’re a real Beatles fan, I’m betting that most folks won’t get the significance of the date.
I would imagine that a lot of people have heard of “Revolution #9”. It’s not like the white album was super-obscure.
This almost perturbs me, if only because the appearance of Revolution #9 in a music game would morally obligate me to travel to Alex Rigopulos’s house and rip his wife in half in an effort to restore justice to the universe. But I’m the one person that likes pretty much every Beatles product EXCEPT The White Album, and who would not have gotten the reference in any meaningful sense because his every attempt to penetrate the obese musical slop pile was stymied within forty five minutes out of sheer excruciating auditory boredom.
I guess it’s as good a date as any to pick, though, except for the fact that it is a Wednesday, of all days, though if the distributors can get everything synced up properly with the retailers it will end up being no different from an average game release for me at that rate.
Commence to the insults of me and my musical flavors.
Actually, Brian, I know lots of people who don’t like the white album. That’s pretty valid, as it always seemed to me to be a collection of solo songs by each member released under the Beatles name. I personally like quite a lot of the songs on it, but even I would be hard pressed to put it in the same league as Abbey Road (my fave) or Revolver.
I am so unbelievably buying this one.
or
I am going to buy the shit out of that!
or
I will be John Lennon and my roommate can be paul McCartney and we can get in epic fights over the music. Also, I will refuse to be in the room when Maxwell’s silver hammer is played.
Here’s hoping for “Tomorrow Never Knows.” Great tune for the rhythm section.
I love the Beatles and wonder how they’ll fuck us Europeans over this time.
Will the game be avaliable in Beatles home country at all, or do actual Livepudlians get to buy it sans instruments or only with the special gold plated euroinstruments?
It’s not like RB2 has been properly launched yet.
Shockingly enough, Hanzii, this is supposed to be a simultanous release worldwide.
APPLE CORPS LTD., MTV AND HARMONIX ANNOUNCE
“THE BEATLES: ROCK BAND,”
WORLDWIDE RELEASE SET FOR 9/9/09
New York, NY – March 5, 2008 – Apple Corps, Ltd., Harmonix and MTV Games, a part of Viacom’s MTV Networks, today announced the 9/9/09 worldwide release of The Beatles: Rock Band. The music-based video game, an unprecedented, experiential progression through and celebration of the music and artistry of The Beatles, will be available simultaneously worldwide in North America, Europe, Australia, New Zealand and other territories for the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, PLAYSTATION3 computer entertainment system and Wii home videogame console from Nintendo.
The Beatles: Rock Band will allow fans to pick up the guitar, bass, mic or drums and experience The Beatles extraordinary catalogue of music through gameplay that takes players on a journey through the legacy and evolution of the band’s legendary career. In addition, The Beatles: Rock Band will offer a limited number of new hardware offerings modeled after instruments used by John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr throughout their career.
The Beatles: Rock Band will be offered as standalone software and hardware as well as a limited edition bundle. The game will be compatible with all Rock Band instrument controllers and other current music-based video game peripherals.
Available on 9/9/09:
• The Beatles: Rock Band Software - Xbox 360, PLAYSTATION 3, Wii: $59.99 MSRP
• The Beatles: Rock Band Standalone Guitars - Xbox 360, PLAYSTATION 3, Wii: $99.99 MSRP
• The Beatles: Rock Band Limited Edition Premium Bundle: Xbox 360, PLAYSTATION 3, Wii: $249.99 MSRP
Please note: Pricing outside of the US to be announced at a later date.
Hurr hurr.
Waaaaait a second. Why is the limited edition premium bundle seventy more dollars than the other Rock Band bundles have been? Unless I’m forgetting or the second one was more expensive or something.
Read the press release…
In addition, The Beatles: Rock Band will offer a limited number of new hardware offerings modeled after instruments used by John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr throughout their career.
Premium!
I’m guessing instead of just one guitar like previous bundles it’ll also have a bass. That Höfner violin bass is just too iconic.
Also I’m guessing it includes two guitars (a guitar and a bass at least), because they don’t want to diss the non-john lennon members so much.
250 bucks?
Saving now! :0
I hope the core game is more then just a collection of Beatles songs in the standard GH/RB style of play.
Yes. It’s that big a deal. This is a game that you release on its own and bundle up with plastic instruments for $200-250 a box.
Why is that a big deal? Because teens don’t buy the boxed instrument version of Rock Band. Parents do.
And I guarantee that this version of Rock Band will be purchased for use in our home. And millions of others, too
For a genre which has become crowded and known for its watering down of a cool idea by licensing the same music across two platforms, this will add the all important exclusivity that is pointed to as the grail around here during similar discussions of the console wars.
Result: EA: 1
Activision/Blizzard: 0
Rock Band overachieved in the “nabbing exclusives” department first with AC/DC (live only, but still!) and this. They managed to get the only two artists not in iTunes / Zune MP.
Now, let’s get the Led out as well! =)
Yeah, this release is gonna be huge. I’m still surprised all the negotiations got done as quickly as they did. No Beatles on iTunes yet but we get a video game? Pretty sweet actually.
You know, I’m not shocked. Didn’t Apple Music hate Apple Computers for ever and ever on account of the whole lawsuits and brand confusion and whatnot? Besides - they still sell CDs at full price. I wouldn’t put my music on iTunes either.
Still an impressive get for Harmonix, though. I’m not optimistic about Led Zeppelin (the scuttlebutt that I’ve heard is that all of the survivors hate the very concept of music video games, and it’s not like they really need the money), but maybe The Beatles can get the rest of music into games where I can do them.