How did we miss this, a nine-page article in the New York Times about The Beatles: Rock Band? Is it overkill? Perhaps. Rock Band isn’t exactly new, and The Beatles aren’t exactly some unsigned band, but you have to consider the Times’ audience: older folks who probably saw The Beatles live at Shea Stadium, and who would be genuinely excited to see the band show up on iTunes one day (despite the fact that ripping their CDs is quite simple).
So, nine pages later, what have I learned?
• Releasing the game the same date as newly remastered CDs, which will be ripped to FLAC two days before the official release, is an “irresistible marketing tactic.”
• Harmonix thinks that, yeah, Rock Band has been big, but with The Beatles, well, the music genre will explode.
• It took months to convert The Beatles’ master tapes into digital versions, primarily because the band used to record only on two- and four-track tapes.
• Harmonix focused on “fun” songs rather than “iconic” songs, if that makes any sense
• Yoko really does come across as an insufferable woman. (“Stop talking about the technology. Let’s talk about the idea of what we are trying to accomplish here. John needs to own the performance, he needs to own the room. Where he’s looking and the look in his eye at every moment matters and affects people.”) She does, at one point, call the game “legitimate art,” though.
• People who say, “why don’t you play a real guitar, dork” suffer from schizophonia. It’s related to the fact that, generally, people disapprove of lip-syncing.
• Even though Harmonix will sell the downloadable songs as whole albums, you’ll still be able to buy individual songs.
That’s about it.
I can honestly say that I’ve never heard a Beatles album. How many of you can say that?
Oh, and to answer my own question from the headline, I’m probably about a two out of 10. A one seems too callous, but these games just aren’t my thing. Not to hate on those who do, of course, but I’ll pass.
0.
Huge Rock Band fan, but only about a 2 for this game. I think all the 1-band games (GH: Metallica, GH: Van Halen) are a dumb idea and would rather have just a couple of Beatles songs as DLC for RB2.
8… it’s all about the harmony lines
I agree with 8, specifically for the harmony.
Supposedly they are incorporating more than one singer (where the second singer has harmony).
Minus infinity. “All my life, people have been shoving the Beatles in my face.” – Airheads
If they were smart, they’d create clients for both the Prisoners (Mac users) and the Free (Linux users). Of course, this being Microsoft, we can all sleep soundly knowing this will NEVER happen.
“I can honestly say that I’ve never heard a Beatles album. How many of you can say that?”
I don’t think anyone that could say that would actually admit to that. But here it is. I will give you credit for that, in some clueless kind of way.
It is very odd feeling – When I read that line.
I do realize now that the name TechCrunch carries some weight. The idea that a writer here had not actually heard a Beatles album just shocked me and dumbed the site. Deep inside I think I have this feeling of being mislead.
I wonder if the editors are of the same mind – or if when they read that they were embarrassed they hired someone who never heard a Beatles album.
My 9-year-old niece loves the Beatles.
I realize now, that I am a Beatles snob! I have this feeling inside that says if you do not know who the Beatles are, in fact, do not like the Beatles, you have no culture or appreciation for things that do no have a Pepsi logo attaches to them.
In my head, the idea of not appreciating the Beatles is like saying “I do not know how to use a computer.”
If a prospective employee came into my office and said, “I do not like the Beatles” it would be in the same category as if they slipped up and said the ”N” word, or “I hate Jews”.
It is very odd, I just found out I am a Beatles snob.
Be careful out there, there are a lot of us.
10; i’m taking the day off work.
0
Rockband sucks… and I would never buy this for GH. I think the beatles made 2 or 3 songs that dont make me want to die in horrid farming accident involving a combine. Yoko is a ***** and should have had a horrid farming accident.
Julian seems like a nice person that got seriously screwed.
Well you’re a sad human being.
Buying it on the day it comes out, and taking the next day off of work.
10.
-10 f*ck that game
And so are you.
Finally the biggest band of all time comes to Video Games big 10 from me already pre ordered it;)
10 x Infinity. I have been looking forward to this game since I first bought Rock Band 1 and thought “Gee, they should make one of these that is just Beatles’ music!”
When I read the announcement on 10/31/08 that it would actually be a reality I almost exploded with joy and when 9/9/09 hits I will probably have to change my briefs after playing for 30 seconds. My excitement for this game is incalculable.
0.5 can they make a better one?
0
I’d have to say 9. I’m hesitant to give the game a 10 without knowing the full line up of available songs. Thankfully, Harmonix knows more about doing this genre properly than Treyarch does with the Guitar Hero franchise, so The Beatles: RB should be way more interesting (and FUN) than any of the single band Hero games released so far. Day 1 purchase.
I am a huge rock band fan, but the Beatles? What demograph are they trying to hit? Dead people? They should of just offered it as DLC. I play with a lot of my friends and all of us think that ya 40 years ago they were great but so was pong. Think about it. This one will fall on it’s face just because of the beatles.
WRONG!
Fall on it’s face? Yeah right. We are talking about the same band right? THE BEATLES? I mean hello only the biggest thing just behind The Lord himself. If there was a God of music it would be the Beatles. Oh I get it your probably a Michael Jackson fan right.
“I play with a lot of my friends….40 years ago they were great….”
Your right about one thing, they were great 40 years ago, and they are still great today. Too bad God didn’t give everyone brains. . .
10+ for me! I agree the Beatles are the stuff. I already pre-ordered my Beatles Rockband.
As for Don Smith…So what if some of them are dead? You’ll be dead too one day you know. They just happened to go before you. You act like they are the only dead people in the world. That making a video game of them is SOOO terrible because they are dead.
Anyway…the Beatles deserve to be a Rockband game, and I am glad that even though I was born wayyyy after the Beatles time, when they were still playing together, that I can still enjoy 3D animations of them! The BEATLES Rock!