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The Beatles: Rock Band album DLC priced, dated, detailed
Harmonix has revealed approximate release dates, pricing, and track listings for the first three downloadable albums to hit The Beatles: Rock Band's Music Store. Abbey Road will arrive first on October 20 at a price of $16.98 (1360 ), with individual tracks for $1.99 (160). Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band will follow in November, and Rubber Soul will arrive in December. Full track listings are after the break, in case you aren't intimately familiar with Beatles albums.If you purchase the full Abbey Road album, you'll have the option to play the B-side medley (from "You Never Give Me Your Money" through "The End") as one continuous track. Along with this news, Harmonix confirmed that the "All You Need is Love" DLC track (160) will be available as a timed-exclusive for Xbox 360 on the game's September 9 launch date.
Rumored 'SingStar: Beatles' was a Beatles: Rock Band microphone pack
Harmonix's Sean Baptiste has repeatedly denied the baffling rumor of a The Beatles: Rock Band-based SingStar Beatles game on the Rock Band forums. One of his denials indicated that there was some element of truth buried deep within the rumor. "This isn't true, just a misheard rumor," he said. "I'll have more details later in the day about whatever it is they misheard."A Harmonix/MTV Games spokesperson gave us the real info: it isn't SingStar, it's a The Beatles: Rock Band microphone bundle -- and even that is in the realm of hypotheticals. The spokesperson told us that the companies "have been working very closely with all of our partners to create various retail promotional opportunities in Europe to support the existing installed base of existing music video game hardware with potential offerings such as "The Beatles Microphone Bundles."Someone must have heard discussion about a pack that was like SingStar: Beatles, and mistakenly believed it was SingStar: Beatles. The full statement is after the break.
All (but one) of the 45 Beatles: Rock Band tracks revealed
It's been a long, painful and oftentimes confusing process, but it looks like the hunt for the full setlist for The Beatles: Rock Band is drawing to a close. A recent MTV Games press release has revealed the full setlist for the highly anticipated mop-topped rhythm title -- leaving room for a bit of speculation as we enter the final stretch for the game's release. You can check out the list of 44 confirmed tracks after the jump, and see the new additions in the trailer posted above.So what's the last track going to be? Our money's on "Hey Jude" -- that breakdown at the end would serve as an epic finale to the game's Story Mode. What tune from the cleverly misspelled band are you still holding out hope for?
MCV: EA releasing SingStar: The Beatles 'within days' of The Beatles: Rock Band
MCV reports that a PlayStation 3-exclusive Beatles version of SingStar will be released this fall, published by The Beatles: Rock Band publisher MTV Games and distributed by EA. Why MTV Games and not regular SingStar publisher Sony? Well, "MCV understands that SingStar: The Beatles will effectively be an instrument-free port of The Beatles: Rock Band." We'll now have a brief intermission for the collective "what?" The title will supposedly be released "within days" of The Beatles: Rock Band and will include SingStar mics. While it remains to be seen if this (possibly nonexistent) spinoff game also has the potential to make people cry, its mere existence almost certainly will.
The Beatles: Rock Band execs say Yoko Ono 'gave the designers hell' [update]
Update: Harmonix has issued a clarification of the statements through its forums, saying that quotes were "mischaracterized by some in the press" and the development team was "tremendously grateful that she gave us the gift of her attention." We'll update this post further if we hear more from Harmonix or MTV Games on the subject. (Thanks, James!)The late John Lennon's wife, Yoko Ono, is notorious for a number of somewhat less than pleasant experiences related to The Beatles' career. According to Wired, she's still offering a controlling hand in The Beatles' affairs -- notably, The Beatles: Rock Band. "She gave the designers hell," said Paul DeGooyer, senior VP of electronic games and music at MTV. Harmonix exec Alex Rigopolous chimed in, saying that Ono "held our feet to the fire" and asked for changes to things that had long been finished. "We were like, 'Oh, gee. Thanks.' It would have been nice to know that six months ago, but yes, 'Thank you very much.'" Though we didn't get a chance to ask during our interview with Harmonix this past week, we doubt that Ms. Ono will be appearing in The Beatles: Rock Band in any form when it arrives this September.%Gallery-68343%
Video interview: Harmonix's John Drake
09.09.09 is less than a month away, and Harmonix is ready to reveal all the secrets of its upcoming The Beatles game. We chatted with Harmonix's John Drake to go over the recently unveiled Story mode, and the exciting unlockables hidden away in The Beatles: Rock Band. Below is a small text excerpt of the entire video interview:Any chance we'll see any more archival videos and photos released as DLC?I don't think so just because of how downloadable content works on three different consoles, and to keep parity, how it would need to be engineered. I know our code team's pretty amazing, but that sort of stuff is not how we look to share that media. It's a pretty secure and safe media that we really want to keep close to the vest, just as Apple has kept it in their vaults. I don't see it being downloadable content. What you see on the disc is what we have for extras for the moment.Will we see any retail expansions for the game in the future?Unless we need to introduce a radical new feature, we're going to stick with that core disc and stick with that DLC mentality: add albums and songs on top of that. The Beatles have a finite catalog, but it's an infinitely amazing catalog with finite songs, so we're still hoping to get as much content from Apple as we can and give it to fans to customize their Beatles playlist.
Hands-on with The Beatles: Rock Band story mode
Click to see more colours. One thing is obvious after playing the closely-guarded story mode of The Beatles: Rock Band: this is no quick cash-in. The rewards system included in the game features some extraordinary (and oftentimes exclusive) extras that no Beatles fan will want to miss. Rare archival photos, audio and video chronicle the meteoric rise of the Beatles, providing an almost-encyclopedic document of the band's career.Unlike the previous Rock Band games, the entire setlist will be available from the get-go in The Beatles: Rock Band. Considering the mainstream appeal of the Beatles, Harmonix realized it was foolish to lock away the core content of the game from the masses. Instead, the story mode provides something sorely missing from the first two Rock Band games: context. The tour mode of the previous titles attempted to emulate the experience of being a band on the rise, but did so through a simple numeric representation of how many fans players have accumulated. The Beatles offers cutscenes, both rendered in the game's engine and through animation, that begin inside one of the band's earliest venues: The Cavern Club.Players will have to play through a number of pre-selected songs in order to progress onto the next part of the story, visiting venues such as the set of the Ed Sullivan Show, Budokan, Shea Stadium, and the rooftop of Apple Records. Those who manage to get 5-star ratings on all the songs will unlock a number of extras, such as photos that chronicle the history of the Beatles. These images include intimate details fact-checked by Paul McCartney himself.%Gallery-70046%
Rumor: Full setlist for The Beatles: Rock Band confirmed
The contents of the 45-song setlist for The Beatles: Rock Band have been pieced together from various sources (trailers, articles, interviews) over the past several months, but it now appears that the lineup is finalized (and the early, unofficial ones were spot-on). The latest issue of Game Informer contains a cover feature on the game, in which the mag lays out the full, official song listing, this according to a Joystiq tipster.We haven't seen the issue itself in the flesh paper stock, but the listing jibes with with the otherwise unconfirmed, piecemeal ones we've already seen online. We've placed the full list after the break for your perusal (and comments, since we're sure it's not going to please every Beatles fan). Be sure to check out the September 2009 issue of Game Informer (they've got two swell variant covers!) for more new info on the game.[Thanks, Juan]
The Beatles: Rock Band DLC to include Sgt. Pepper's, Rubber Soul albums
It's quite a bit easier to predict The Beatles: Rock Band album DLC than it is for the regular Rock Band song packs, limited as it is to, you know, Beatles albums. That leaves the timing and order of the releases as the major variables. In a rather lengthy feature about Harmonix's upcoming tribute project, The New York Times reveals two more albums that will join Abbey Road as DLC soon after the game's release: Rubber Soul and Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. We're glad we won't have to wait until we're sixty-four to play songs from Sgt. Pepper's with a little help from our friends.[Via Shacknews]
Buy Guitar Hero 5, get Guitar Hero: Van Halen for free
Even if you're experiencing some music game overload, you have to take notice of something like this: Those who buy Guitar Hero 5 during the month of September will be able to send away for a free copy of Guitar Hero: Van Halen, which will be sent to them before it arrives in stores. OK, it's not quite enough to cure our Beatlemania, but damn it if it doesn't make picking up GH5 considerably more appealing. [Update: This offer is good only in the USA.]
Can't buy you this new The Beatles: Rock Band trailer
Because it's free! Above, you'll find a trailer showing off "Ticket to Ride" in The Beatles: Rock Band. If you're wondering where all of the notes and, uh, gameplay is, The Joystiq Hall of Science™ saw fit to remove them so you wouldn't be distracted from those dashing fellows creating these tunes. Actually, we don't know why it's missing all of the notes and stuff, but, really, isn't our reason much better?[Thanks, Young_Nastyman!]
EA Q1 sales better than expected, still slow
We've been hearing recession tales of woe for months now in the video game industry. Today is no different, as EA is posting a net loss of $234 million for its financial Q1 sales year over year versus $95 million in losses during the same quarter last year. Unsurprisingly, titles like The Sims 3 and EA Sports Active -- you know, EA's best selling Wii game ever -- helped to boost sales, but overall game sales were lower "due to slowed hardware sales." Don't worry, though, as EA promises four new IPs for the holiday season (Dante's Inferno, Dragon Age: Origins, Brütal Legend and, presumably, Saboteur) and predicts increased revenue with tiny little titles like The Beatles: Rock Band and Madden 10 landing in the next few months. (We were so worried.)
Watch four videos of The Beatles: Rock Band [update 3]
Update: Alas, the videos featured last night have been removed from YouTube due to a "copyright claim by Viacom." Sorry to everyone who missed them!Update 2: As some of our commenters have smartly pointed out, all four of the removed videos are available legally through the official website for The Beatles: Rock Band. Update 3: It seems as though even three of the four tracks have been removed from the official website for the game, and now only "Birthday" is available. Sorry again, folks! There's nothing we like more than sitting back on a Sunday evening and listening to some good music. Tonight we're offering you the chance to listen along with us, with four tracks from The Beatles: Rock Band. Better yet, we've got the videos from the game as well for your viewing pleasure, just after the break. While we're partial to the video for "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Heart's Club Band," who are we to go all willy nilly suggesting what you choose to enjoy? Kick off your slippers and get ready for sheep counting with a handful of Beatles music from us to you. Oh, and if it's your birthday, happy birthday to you. (Sorry, we couldn't resist.) %Gallery-68343% [Thanks, Jon Q!]
Rock Band slump leads to lower Viacom profits
Remember how Rock Band sales declined 67 percent since last year? It looks like the sales slump has taken its toll on Viacom's Media Networks division, which houses MTV Games. According to Gamasutra, the division reported revenues of $1.97 billion in its fiscal quarter ending June 30, an 8 percent drop, dubbed the result of "a 41 percent decline in ancillary revenues driven by lower sales of the music video game Rock Band." The Media Networks division also reported profits of $671 million, down 12 percent, which was again attributed to the performance of Rock Band at retail.Overall, Viacom reported a 14 percent drop in revenues to $3.3 billion and a 26 percent drop in profits to $586 million, though executive chairman Sumner Redstone says that Viacom has "the right portfolio of assets and the right vision to manage through this challenging climate."Will The Beatles: Rock Band get economically strapped, music-loving gamers back in stores? We'll find out in September.
Fallen Earth set to release on September 9th
Almost as if they could read our thoughts, Fallen Earth LLC announced the game's release date just as we were wondering when said announcement would be made. The game will be made available at both retail and through digital distribution, although no mention was made of which services will be offering the game for download. Launch day is now set for September 9th and, come to think of it, really isn't too long from now. Strangely enough, this happens to coincide with The Beatles: Rock Band's release date. We're sure there isn't too much overlap between people who love post-apocalyptic games and fans of the fab four. Then again, The Beatles fanbase is pretty huge and diverse, plus we're talking about a new Rock Band game.Well, those of you who plan on getting both games could always blend them into your day. Jam on about your octopus garden and then shoot some ghouls in the face with a shotgun. Actually, that sounds like a pretty good day! Yeah, those Fallen Earth guys are onto something with this idea.
Do You Want to Know a Secret? Seven more songs revealed from The Beatles: Rock Band
Twist and shout! On top of the recent late-night video debut of eight songs to be featured in The Beatles: Rock Band, Harmonix has just revealed seven more tracks that will appear on the game's set list. With a little help from my friends, you'll be able to play with Harmonix's latest revolution: the three part harmony. I've got a feeling that if you and your bird can sing, you'll be playing this game eight days a week. Here are all 15 of the new tracks: "Twist And Shout" "Do You Want To Know A Secret" "Can't Buy me Love" "I Wanna Be Your Man" "Eight Days A Week" "Paperback Writer" "And Your Bird Can Sing" "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" "With a Little Help from My Friends" "Within You Without You / Tomorrow Never Knows" "Yellow Submarine" "Revolution" "Birthday" "Dig A Pony" "I've Got A Feeling" Check out last night's video -- as well as our impressions of the game from a recent sneak preview -- after the jump! %Gallery-68343%
The Beatles: Rock Band set list not compromised by Michael Jackson's death
One of the more profitable items in the late King of Pop's idiosyncratic collection of odds and ends was his ownership of ATV, a music publisher that owned the rights to over 200 songs from the Beatles' repertoire. Years after this acquisition, Jackson agreed to a merger with Sony, forming Sony/ATV Music Publishing. Jackson retained 50 percent of the publishing rights to the Beatles tracks until his recent untimely death -- despite rumors to the contrary, he never sold his stake in the merged company.Why is this news relevant to you, dear reader? Well, many faux-rockers have been worried that Jackson's passing would affect the final set list for The Beatles: Rock Band. Fortunately, Harmonix recently confirmed to IGN that the game's tracks won't be compromised by MJ's death, or the dispersal of his assets -- including the Sony/ATV stake -- that will take place in the coming weeks. However, we expect that Elephant Man Bone Collector 3 will miss its fall launch window by a sizable margin.
Mizuguchi, Suda 51 weigh in on E3's new motion controllers
In this week's Famitsu, three major Japanese developers discussed this year's E3 and how they feel about the various motion technology displayed. Grasshopper Manufacture's Suda 51, Q Entertainment's Tetsuya Mizuguchi and Level-5's Akihiro Hino all somewhat agree on what they see as the future of gaming. "Hardware-wise, it was all about Project Natal," Mr. Suda said, as translated by 1UP, noting his excitement on the possibility of creating a game specifically based around its technology."It's not a shift from 2D to 3D or in the number of polygons, but it's games trying to open up an entirely new door," Mizuguchi agreed, continuing, "I thought it would take longer, but it's happening faster than I expected." Ironically, when the trio chose the most exciting games at E3, the list quickly filled with Western-developed games, from Splinter Cell: Conviction and Assassin's Creed 2 to The Beatles: Rock Band. Could they resist the ubiquitous Final Fantasy name drop? No, no they could not. "The visual quality was so impressive that I doubted it was even a game," Hino said of AC2, adding, "Final Fantasy XIII is the same way." Impressed/interested by the motion technology but still loving AAA-franchise sequels? Sounds like the whole game industry right now.
Former Beatles, widows involved in The Beatles: Rock Band development
It looks like Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, Yoko Ono and Olivia Harrison have more to do with The Beatles: Rock Band than thrilling journalists at Microsoft's E3 media briefing. In an interview with Crispy Gamer, the game's lead designer, Chris Foster, intimated that the former Beatles, along with Ono and Harrison, have shared quite a bit of input with the team at Harmonix.Foster calls the group "the shareholders," and states that they helped put together the song list, its venues and gave input as to whether the game's "dreamscapes" adequately supported the songs. "They looked over all the characters, the animations ... they really kept us honest on whether we were capturing the spirit of the band as they were performing, which was a huge challenge for us," says Foster, noting that it's necessary to capture the joy that The Beatles expressed when playing.According to Foster, seeing the former Beatles and their widows at Microsoft's E3 briefing "is about as validating as everything." He adds, "They don't get together for almost anything ... it has to be something important, something they believe in."
Xbox 360 wireless mic sold separately this fall for $50
We're having a hard time wrapping our heads around this one, so do us a favor and bear with us while we put our heads down and power through. Microsoft is releasing a wireless microphone this fall meant to be used with "your favorite Xbox 360 music games," a list that includes: Lips, Guitar Hero: Metallica, Rock Band 2, Disney Sing It: High School Musical 3: Senior Year, Lips: Number One Hits, and The Beatles: Rock Band.We know, we know -- you're asking yourself, "Why would Microsoft release more peripherals? Just to add extra confusion to the Joystiq instrument compatibility matrix?" According to Microsoft, the mics are meant to assist in your living room rockstar efforts, and will retail this fall for an "estimated retail price" of $50. Meanwhile, the promise of Lips mics working in Rock Band 2 has yet to arrive and an asterisk in Microsoft's press release from earlier today indicates that these new mics won't work either without a title update. Does that mean we'll finally see the allowance of Lips' mics in RB2 when these new mics ship in the fall?
