We don't know if you're like us, but we've basically been waiting our whole lives to play The Beatles: Rock Band. Well, we got one step closer at E3 2009, as we were able to actually snuggle up close and personal with the full kit and see what was what (and show off our totally sick harmonies on "Here Comes the Sun"). We have to say, Harmonix has absolutely outdone themselves with this bundle -- from the Ringo-style Ludwig drum set to Paul's unmistakable Höfner Violin bass... it's all here, and it all looks brilliant. We took the boys out for a little spin (you can see our own Ross Miller on drums there), and captured just a few photos for your enjoyment. Hit the gallery below for all the goods!

To give its latest Hero franchise a solid berth, Activision lined up quite a special night last evening --you know you're in for a good party when the opening act is a percussion overload courtesy of Travis Barker and DJ AM. Once the rafters stopped vibrating, attendees were treated to the first glimpse of DJ Hero being played in public, and we caught it on video (embedded below), showing the new (and repetitive-stress inducing) scratch and fade mechanic. It looks to be familiar enough that Guitar Hero fans should be able to get into it, but different enough to deliver would-be mixers a challenge. Think you can carry the beat? We'll see when it ships in October.

Last night Microsoft held an E3 2009 post-press conference event, and while Natal wasn't anywhere within our reach, we did happen upon Harmonix's Beatles Rock Band stage, an appropriately cliché setup on the rooftop of The Standard Hotel. We'll be getting more thorough hands-on time with the instruments later in the week, but for now, enjoy a glimpse at the concert ensemble, blasting forth with (confirmed!) three-part harmony.

The avoirdupois of the world rests on your shoulders as you await the mind-numbing riffs of Painkiller. You wonder how you'll prevent yourself from engaging in overdrive prematurely as your locks bang to and fro. Then you look down and see EHX's Overdrive pedal a stone's throw from your left foot. Exhale.

[Via Boing Boing]

Finally, a few whispers straight from the horse's mouth. While we've heard rumor after rumor regarding the actual hardware to be bundled in with the sure-to-be-hot The Beatles: Rock Band, MTV Games, Harmonix and EA have come forward today with a few succulent tidbits to keep you interested until the 09.09.09 launch. We're told that the Limited Edition Premium Bundle will include the game itself, a Höfner Bass (which will undoubtedly do Sir Paul McCartney and southpaws the world over no favors by being right handed), a microphone, a microphone stand, undisclosed "additional special content" and the real kicker -- a Beatles-inspired and Ludwig-branded Rock Band 2 drums, complete with a classic pearl finish and vintage replica Beatles kick drum head.

The whole kit is slated to launch worldwide this September, with USers having to pay $249, Europeans paying €199 and Britons paying £179. Finally, we're told that North American and European fans who pre-order any version of the game will be eligible to join the The Beatles: Rock Band Pre-Order Club and "receive breaking news and access to exclusive game elements including art and behind-the-scenes footage directly from MTV Games and Harmonix." Oh, goody!

Wouldn't it be great if you and your mop top-clad friends could all sing together in the upcoming The Beatles: Rock Band? According to a rumor found in the latest issue of Game Informer, Harmonix is doing just that: including multiple-microphone support for players to harmonize on the tracks. Not much else is given, but a NeoGAF forum poster who last week claimed to have played an early version adds that three mics were being used -- one for each instrument -- and there was also a new harmony trainer mode to ensure your vocal talents were up to snuff. We'd advise a good bit of skepticism, no matter how much sense it seems to make or how many of you dreams would come true if this turned out legit. In the meantime, you can go back to deciding which of the Fab Four you're gonna pretend to be first when the game launches on September 9.

[Via Joystiq]

Read - Multi-mic support
Read - Harmony trainer

When we were kids, many of us wanted to play the drums but were discouraged by parents more concerned with angry neighbors and damaged hearing than musically fulfilled children. We certainly got our payback when we forsook all those years of expensive private school to become bloggers, but can't help but wonder how different things would have been if we'd had Jaime Oliver's Silent Drum Controller at our disposal. It's a transparent shell covered with an elastic head that the player can stretch with their fingers. A camera positioned to the side detects the shape of the deformation and translates that into sound, chillingly demonstrated below. Yes, it is multi-touch, and was clever enough to win the recent Guthman Musical Instrument Competition at Georgia Tech. The competition was partly sponsored by Harmonix, so could we see a Silent Drum in Rock Band 3? For the sake of future generations, we certainly hope so.

[Via Crave]

Do you love the Beatles? Do you love Rock Band? Are you ready to totally lose it? If you said yes, that's good -- because MTV Games and Harmonix have just announced a partnership with Apple Corps, Ltd. to bring the band's music and instruments to the Rock Band universe. According to the PR, the game (which apparently lets you do all kinds of awesome Beatles-related rocking) will also premiere with a set of new hardware "modeled after instruments used by John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr throughout their career." Right now they've just got a holder page up with a launch date of September 9th, but as soon as we get our eyes on the gear, we'll let you know.

Update: Here's some more information to cleanse your pallet. The game, known henceforth as The Beatles: Rock Band, will be sold software-only for $60 on Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and Wii (note the extra Hamilton over the usual Nintendo pricing). The standalone guitars will be sold separately for $100, and if you're opting for the Limited Edition Premium Bundle, featuring the game and all instruments, it'll set you back $250. No word on pricing outside of US just yet. Despite the Rock Band branding, it's considered a standalone title and no one is talking right now about any connectivity, downloadable content or transferring of songs between Beatles and other RB games. According to Joystiq, you'll be able to rock out to 45 songs from the band's 1962 to 1969 EMI catalog. Full press release after the break.

So we still don't know what that blasted mystery port is for on the back of the Rock Band 2 drum kit, but this one sure made our hearts beat a little faster. If you'll recall, it was Ion that dished out the premium drum kit earlier this summer, and this gives you the option to add in another cymbal if two just aren't enough. Too bad you can snag an actual cymbal on clearance for less than the $49.99 Ion's asking for this one; at any rate, she ships next week if you're interested.

Our super sophisticated estimation process has it that a whole 2.89 of ya even care that Microsoft's Lips microphone won't work with Rock Band or Guitar Hero, but we're about to make just south of three Earthlings a lot happier. Harmonix and MTV Games have been working with Microsoft to provide compatibility (via a patch) with Rock Band 2, though there's no definite date to latch on to. Alright Activision, the bar has been set -- you up to the challenge?

[Via Xbox 360 Fanboy]

You know the supposed Guitar Hero: World Tour keyboard that never materialized? If you were really looking forward to that, get ready to have your hopes dashed on another mystery instrument that will probably also never come to be. According to Harmonix, that extra port on the back of the updated drum kit -- which previously was said to be for a second kicker -- is actually for something that's totally not a second kicker. What exactly will fill that port, though, the company isn't saying. Speculation is rife about another nebulous keyboard peripheral, but if you ask us our money's on a high hat, or maybe that other fundamental aspect of the drumming experience yet to be captured in the silly plastic instrument game genre: the triangle.

[Via N4G]

With all the incompatibility out there among Guitar Hero / Rock Band instruments, it's a real treat to see something like this. The Director of Publisher Relations at SCEA has posted an update that promises compatibility between instruments and software for upcoming titles; for instance, Guitar Hero: World Tour's guitars and drums will work with Rock Band 2 and Konami's Rock Revolution software, and Rock Band 2's guitar and drum set will work with Guitar Hero: World Tour and with Rock Revolution. Furthermore, the team is still "working hard to ensure compatibility between the Guitar Hero and Rock Band titles currently on the market," though we are told that an announcement on that could surface "shortly." Rock 'n roll harmony, baby.

[Image courtesy of BeSportier]

Buh. So, this is getting confusing. According to sources over at ShackNews, the Rock Band 2 Special Edition bundle that was originally set to launch on September 14 exclusively on Xbox 360 will hit stores on October 19. For you fanboys keeping score, that's the same date that the game will hit for other consoles. It's still not clear if the game and instruments will still show up on retail shelves on September 14, but if you were looking to get your groove on in September, you may want to chill.

[Via Crunchgear]