[E3 2009] The Beatles: Rock Band - Beatlemania comes to video games
By Jessica Citizen - Tue Jun 2, 2009 8:52am
Forgive me a brief moment of fangirlyness.
This morning, as part of the Microsoft Press Conference, original Beatles band members Sir Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr, as well as Yoko Ono Lennon, Olivia Harrison and Dhani Harrison, came together to give the world its first look The Beatles: Rock Band, before it launches on 09/09/09 - that's September of this year!
If you'd like your first look at the game, we have a brand new E3 2009 Trailer that we can share with you - showing off the unique art style and gameplay mechanic that features in this first-of-its-kind music-based game, as you follow a revolutionary tour of The Beatles' music, career and legacy.
Download The Beatles: Rock Band E3 2009 Trailer
09/09/09 is also a special day for Beatles fans - it marks the release of the entire, digitally remastered Beatles CD catalogue.
But now - more about the game. For the first time, gamers will be able to experience the band's musical career for themselves - starting with the early touring days in 1963 Liverpool and Hamburg, traversing the globe through the height of Beatlemania (not sure if there's a mini-game where you run away from fans), all the way up to the final, immortal performance from the rooftop of Apple Corps.
The band are well-known for their unique vocal stylings, and this is represented ingame by introducing three-part vocal harmonies - but that's not the only trick up the developers' collective sleeve. Fans will be just a tad excited by the inclusion of previously unreleased authentic voice recordings from the Fab Four, recorded chatting between takes during studio recordings at Abbey Road more than 40 years ago.
With the amazing back catalogue available to them, The Beatles: Rock Band will feature 45 songs on-disk. The first ten of these were introduced on-stage by Giles Martin, co-producer of the innovative LOVE album project, and Music Supervisor / Creative Producer for the game (also son of fabled producer George):
Speaking of downloadable content - All You Need Is Love will be released exclusively on Xbox 360 as a single of sorts, with all Apple Corps Ltd, MTV Games and Microsoft proceeds going to Doctors Without Borders / Médecins Sans Frontières, a charity hand-picked by Sir Paul, Ringo, Yoko and Olivia. Created by journalists and doctors in 1971, in France, MSF is an international emergency medical humanitarian organisation currently providing aid in more than 60 countries to people who are threatened by catastrophe, neglect or violence, primarily due to armed conflict, exclusion from health care, epidemics, malnutrition or natural disasters. The organisation prides itself on its commitment to bringing "quality medical care" to people in crisis - regardless of religion, race or political affiliation.
Story Mode
The game's story mode takes gamers on an "interactive, experiential journey" meandering through The Beatles' career. Relive the band's rise to fame, through set lists, venues, clothing and instruments as you play through The Beatles' touring period (1963-1966) and their studio days (1966-1969). It all kicks off back in The Cavern Club in Liverpool - home to some of the band's earliest performances. Move on to the Ed Sullivan Show in 1964, the sold-out 1965 concert in Shea Stadium, New York, and arrive at the Budokan, Tokyo in 1966 (looks like we skip Australia, this time around).
Then the game picks up in Studio 2 at Abbey Road, as gamers get a chance to check out the studio years, brought to live with "inspired artistic visual expressions known as Dreamscapes", which promise to capture the essence of The Beatles' "genre-busting" musical and personal transformations during their later years. Finally, story mode reaches its inevitable conclusion with the band's final performance on the rooftop of the Apple Corps headquarters.
As if the game wasn't already good enough, there are custom instruments designed specifically for the game, so you can rock out in the style made famous by John, Paul, George and Ringo. There are two guitars - the Rickenbacker 325 and Gretsch Duo Jet - the signature instruments for John Lennon and George Harrison; and a large-scale controller version of the Höfner "Violin" bass as played by Sir Paul McCartney. Finally, Ringo Starr has inspired his own, Ludwig-branded Rock Band 2 drum set, with a classic pearl finish and a vintage remake of the famous Beatles drum kick head.
(By the way, the game's also compatible with all Rock Band instrument controllers, and "most" Guitar Hero and other third-party music video game peripherals, in case you don't care about the aesthetics.)
Obviously, this one's not going to be cheap - but happily I can report that The Beatles: Rock Band will be launched simultaneously around the world - in North America, Europe, Australia, New Zealand and other territories. You'll be able to pick it up for Xbox 360, PS3 and Wii, from September 9, 2009.
John, Paul, George and Ringo
This is the first time that The Beatles' company, Apple Corps, along with EMI Music, Sony/ATV Music Publishing, Harrisongs Ltd and Startling Music Ltd, has agreed to present The Beatles' music ni an interactive video game format - with The Beatles: Rock Band published by MTV Games and developed by Harmonix. Personally, I'm a bit excited.
This morning, as part of the Microsoft Press Conference, original Beatles band members Sir Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr, as well as Yoko Ono Lennon, Olivia Harrison and Dhani Harrison, came together to give the world its first look The Beatles: Rock Band, before it launches on 09/09/09 - that's September of this year!
If you'd like your first look at the game, we have a brand new E3 2009 Trailer that we can share with you - showing off the unique art style and gameplay mechanic that features in this first-of-its-kind music-based game, as you follow a revolutionary tour of The Beatles' music, career and legacy.
09/09/09 is also a special day for Beatles fans - it marks the release of the entire, digitally remastered Beatles CD catalogue.
But now - more about the game. For the first time, gamers will be able to experience the band's musical career for themselves - starting with the early touring days in 1963 Liverpool and Hamburg, traversing the globe through the height of Beatlemania (not sure if there's a mini-game where you run away from fans), all the way up to the final, immortal performance from the rooftop of Apple Corps.
The band are well-known for their unique vocal stylings, and this is represented ingame by introducing three-part vocal harmonies - but that's not the only trick up the developers' collective sleeve. Fans will be just a tad excited by the inclusion of previously unreleased authentic voice recordings from the Fab Four, recorded chatting between takes during studio recordings at Abbey Road more than 40 years ago.
)
)
)
With the amazing back catalogue available to them, The Beatles: Rock Band will feature 45 songs on-disk. The first ten of these were introduced on-stage by Giles Martin, co-producer of the innovative LOVE album project, and Music Supervisor / Creative Producer for the game (also son of fabled producer George):
The full setlist is expected to be revealed "at a later date" - but we're also told that the entire Abbey Road album will also be available as downloadable ingame content, with more songs made available over time.
- I Saw Her Standing There
- I Want To Hold Your Hand
- I Feel Fine
- Taxman
- Day Tripper
- Back In The USSR
- I Am The Walrus
- Octopus’s Garden
- Here Comes The Sun
- Get Back
Speaking of downloadable content - All You Need Is Love will be released exclusively on Xbox 360 as a single of sorts, with all Apple Corps Ltd, MTV Games and Microsoft proceeds going to Doctors Without Borders / Médecins Sans Frontières, a charity hand-picked by Sir Paul, Ringo, Yoko and Olivia. Created by journalists and doctors in 1971, in France, MSF is an international emergency medical humanitarian organisation currently providing aid in more than 60 countries to people who are threatened by catastrophe, neglect or violence, primarily due to armed conflict, exclusion from health care, epidemics, malnutrition or natural disasters. The organisation prides itself on its commitment to bringing "quality medical care" to people in crisis - regardless of religion, race or political affiliation.
)
)
)
Story Mode
The game's story mode takes gamers on an "interactive, experiential journey" meandering through The Beatles' career. Relive the band's rise to fame, through set lists, venues, clothing and instruments as you play through The Beatles' touring period (1963-1966) and their studio days (1966-1969). It all kicks off back in The Cavern Club in Liverpool - home to some of the band's earliest performances. Move on to the Ed Sullivan Show in 1964, the sold-out 1965 concert in Shea Stadium, New York, and arrive at the Budokan, Tokyo in 1966 (looks like we skip Australia, this time around).
Then the game picks up in Studio 2 at Abbey Road, as gamers get a chance to check out the studio years, brought to live with "inspired artistic visual expressions known as Dreamscapes", which promise to capture the essence of The Beatles' "genre-busting" musical and personal transformations during their later years. Finally, story mode reaches its inevitable conclusion with the band's final performance on the rooftop of the Apple Corps headquarters.
) John: Rickenbacker 325 | ) George: Gretsch Duo Jet |
) Paul: Höfner "Violin" | ) Ringo: Ludwig |
As if the game wasn't already good enough, there are custom instruments designed specifically for the game, so you can rock out in the style made famous by John, Paul, George and Ringo. There are two guitars - the Rickenbacker 325 and Gretsch Duo Jet - the signature instruments for John Lennon and George Harrison; and a large-scale controller version of the Höfner "Violin" bass as played by Sir Paul McCartney. Finally, Ringo Starr has inspired his own, Ludwig-branded Rock Band 2 drum set, with a classic pearl finish and a vintage remake of the famous Beatles drum kick head.
(By the way, the game's also compatible with all Rock Band instrument controllers, and "most" Guitar Hero and other third-party music video game peripherals, in case you don't care about the aesthetics.)
Obviously, this one's not going to be cheap - but happily I can report that The Beatles: Rock Band will be launched simultaneously around the world - in North America, Europe, Australia, New Zealand and other territories. You'll be able to pick it up for Xbox 360, PS3 and Wii, from September 9, 2009.
)
)
)
)
John, Paul, George and Ringo
This is the first time that The Beatles' company, Apple Corps, along with EMI Music, Sony/ATV Music Publishing, Harrisongs Ltd and Startling Music Ltd, has agreed to present The Beatles' music ni an interactive video game format - with The Beatles: Rock Band published by MTV Games and developed by Harmonix. Personally, I'm a bit excited.
More News
Suggest News
RSS Feeds
Digest Subscriptions
