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Apple Corps Ltd., MTV And Harmonix Announce "The Beatles: Rock Band," Worldwide Release Set For 9/9/09

Update (6/16/09)
  • The leaked set list was not accurate, Harmonix said in a statement issued Monday. "The rumored 'leaked' list is not the disc track listing for "The Beatles: Rock Band". We'll be announcing more tracks throughout the summer. Stay tuned to thebeatlesrockband.com for the most up to date information about disc songs and downloadable content!", the statement said.

    Update (6/15/09)

  • We're not a big fan of internet rumors (see the Paul McCartney box set drama), buta blog claims to have the entire setlist of "The Beatles: Rock Band." You can see the details in our Beatles Examiner.com.

    Update (6/3/09) Discussion about the game is all over the internet. See Beatles Examiner: Will 'The Beatles: Rock Band' live up to the hype?

    Update (6/2/09)

  • "The Beatles: Rock Band" will introduced at E3 Monday, but not by Dhani Harrison. Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, Olivia Harrison and Yoko Ono turned out to make it an all-star event. A partial song list was revealed, plus the fact that the "Abbey Round" album will be included in the downloads. A charity download of "All You Need Is Love" will be available for XBox. There's no word on whether this will be cross-platformed.

    We have extensive coverage on Examiner.com and we'll defer to that, since there's a ton of information - videos, pictures, press releasees, etc., there. Here's our coverage:

  • Beatles Examiner: Beatle news briefs: 'Beatles: Rock Band' cranks up the buzz to level 20!
  • Beatles Examiner: Two Beatles bring Beatlemania to launch of 'The Beatles: Rock Band' at E3 (pictures)
  • Beatles Examiner: 'Beatles: Rock Band' (full) trailer and live demo from E3!
  • Beatles Examiner: Tell me what you see: 'Beatles Rock Band': first screen shots, trailer link!
  • Beatles Examiner: Beatles announce 'Beatles: Rock Band' debut details, song downloads
  • Beatles Examiner: 'Beatles: Rock Band' announces first songs available for game
  • Beatles Examiner: 'The Beatles: Rock Band' E3 report! Paul, Ringo, Yoko, Olivia and Giles Martin are there!
  • Beatles Examiner: 'Beatles: Rock Band' to get first public showing today at E3 gaming convention
  • In addition to the coverage above, we were interviewed by Bertone's Beatle Bonanza about the day's events.
  • One more thought: The appearance of the four members of the Beatles brain trust shows how staunchly they're behind this game. We'll bet the cynics among us are wondering if the same kind of support will come for the remasters. Well, we are, anyway.

    Update (5/23/09)
  • Dhani Harrison will demo "The Beatles: Rock Band" at E3 in early June, reports Music Radar. You can read more about it here.

    Update (5/21/09)

  • "The Beatles: Rock Band" unveiled a new preview screen today. A spokesman for MTV Games wouldn't tell us what it meant, but just told us to enjoy what shows up on the site.

    Update (5/13/09)

  • On Tuesday, another controller was revealed for "The Beatles: Rock Band" : it was McCartney's Höfner bass. "The Beatles: Rock Band" wireless Höfner bass controller, a replica of the bass used by Paul McCartney, will be included in "The Beatles: Rock Band" Limited Edition Premium Bundle. The Rickenbacker 325 and Gretsch Duo Jet controllers have already been revealed previously. The controllers will be available for Xbox 360®, PLAYSTATION® 3, Wii™ and will be compatible with all Rock Band titles. "The Beatles: Rock Band" guitars can be pre-ordered.

    Update (5/12/09)

  • The details about "The Beatles: Rock Band" keep coming slower than molasses. Alex Navarro, in an interview with Eurogamer, says more details will be leaked at the E3 Expo, including a partial track list. "You're looking at E3. It's not going to be the full tracklist that we announce, but we'll have some info at that point. We're gonna tease it a little bit." Navarro makes additional comments about "The Beatles: Rock Band" about 4:20 of this video interview at Eurogamer TV. There's no footage of the game in the interview. Navarro says the company has been "over the moon" since the project was announced and calls working with the Beatles "humbling." Asked who's the best Beatle, Navarro says, "No comment. I'm a PR guy. I can't take sides."

    Update (5/10/09)

  • A little clue for you all about "The Beatles: Rock Band", courtesy of Liz Lackey:

    Hi,

    I went into the preorder club at the "Beatles: Rock Band" website, and noticed that the game has been rated T (for teen) due to "mild lyrics" and "tobacco reference." Hope this means that "A Day in the Life" and/or "I'm So Tired" will be available to play!

    As a big fan of the Guitar Hero/Rock Band franchise, I'm really looking forward to this game's release!

    Update (5/7/09)

  • Another instrument has been added to "The Beatles: Rock Band" website homepage. It's the Hofner bass. That room's getting crowded.

    Update (5/6/09)

  • There were also major developments on "The Beatles: Rock Band" front Tuesday -- two of them. Pictures of two add-on instruments were released and a pre-order club with advance sneak peeks at the game (if you just can't wait) went live.

    Update (4/16/09)

  • The latest rumor about "The Beatles: Rock Band": It will support multiple microphones and harmonies, plus locations and gestures imitating the Beatles. More details on Examiner.com.

    Update (4/13/09)

  • In a lengthy new interview with Bullz-eye.com, Dhani Harrison reveals more on how he convinced Apple to let the Beatles become a video game.

    If you were the first person ever to design an application for the iPhone and you patented it, you would be very, very better off than we are right now, you know? But you’ve got to be the first one to do it. So I figured that Led Zeppelin or the Stones were going to do it unless we just got on to it. So I got cracking with the guys from Apple. I kind of almost bullied them into believing how amazing it was.


    And he gives a glimpse into what might be in store once the game hits the shelves.

    And not to mention that, once the game is made, you can just keep adding songs to it. You could do the Bangladesh pack, you could do the ‘Live and Let Die’ pack, you could do the ‘Imagine’ pack.


    Other subjects discussed include thenewno2 and working on his dad's "Brainwashed" album. The interview appears to have been done before the remasters announcement, so they aren't mentioned. The site also has an interview with Dhani's bandmate, Olli Hecks.

    Update (3/26/09)
  • Rock Band is filing in: The opening page for the Beatles website with the picture of Studio 2 and the date 09-09-09, which is the date of the release of "The Beatles: Rock Band," is starting to get filled up with instruments and objects and looks a bit different than it did when it was first revealed a couple of weeks ago.

    Update (3/19/09)

  • In this well-thought article by Ben Kuchera, Ars Technica looks at what "The Beatles: Rock Band" could be and might be based on "Rock Band" in the past. They discuss the $60 added cost for the bundle and suggest some possibilities, including "they're charging more because they can."

    Update (3/18/09)

  • More news is trickling out about "The Beatles: Rock Band." This article we posted on the Examiner site during the day on Tuesday features the reaction of a Gamespot exec who says he's no big Beatles fan but who has seen the demo of the game and is excited. The Beatles aren't the only ones coming to "Rock Band." Live recordings of “My Generation,” “Summertime Blues” and “Young Man Blues” from The Who’s 1970 album "Live at Leeds" have just become available by download for Nintendo Wii owners through the "Rock Band" music store. (The songs were already available to XBox and PS3 owners.) Can we imagine that beyond the original Beatles content available through the game when it's released that additional downloadable content will be available later?

    Update II (3/17/09)

  • A game executive gives first impressions about "The Beatles: Rock Band" after seeing a demo in our latest Examiner.com column.

    Update (3/12/09)

  • Dhani Harrison talked about thenewno2's new album and "The Beatles: Rock Band" game in an interview with Billboard.com. "I did everything I could to not be a musician," he says, but he ended up one anyway. And now that he is, "I don't ever use my name for anything in terms of getting the music heard," he says. From his comments in the interview, he's been an integral part of the development of "The Beatles: Rock Band." "I took the project to Apple and sort of convinced everybody to have a presentation. My job description is...being enthusiastic. We've been working on it for the past two years. This is the first one that is going to be totally, historically accurate. It's been a real headache, but it's been the most enjoyable work I've done in my life." He says it will include "stuff that has never been heard, never been released." He also says he's been a model for some of the game's characters.

    Update (3/7/09)

  • We discussed "The Beatles: Rock Band" game, what might be in store for those of us who haven't played it and whether this was a good move by the Beatles in a column on Friday.

    Update (3/6/09)

  • I have to admit part of me is looking forward to the Beatles: Rock Band game. Why? If nothing else, it makes legitimate all the air guitarists and air drummers who pretended to be the Beatles. Just wondering, though: With the usual concentration on one big project each year, does this mean iTunes and the reissues are now off the radar for the time being?

    (3/5/2009) A press release issued today:

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
    March 5, 2009
    Printable Version

    Apple Corps Ltd., MTV And Harmonix Announce "The Beatles: Rock Band," Worldwide Release Set For 9/9/09

    New York, NY – March 5, 2009 – Apple Corps, Ltd., Harmonix and MTV Games, a part of Viacom’s MTV Networks (NYSE: VIA, VIA.B), today announced the 9/9/09 worldwide release of The Beatles: Rock Band (http://www.thebeatlesrockband.com). 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, PLAYSTATION®3 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.

    The Beatles: Rock Band marks the first time that Apple Corps, along with EMI Music, Harrisongs Ltd, and Sony/ATV Music Publishing, has agreed to present The Beatles music in an interactive video game format. The Beatles: Rock Band will be published by MTV Games and developed by Harmonix, the world’s premier music video game company and creators of the best-selling Rock Band®. Electronic Arts will serve as distribution partner for the game. In addition, Giles Martin, co-producer of The Beatles innovative LOVE album project, is providing his expertise and serving as Music Producer for this groundbreaking Beatles project.

    Exclusive content created by Apple Corps, MTV Games and Harmonix will be made available to fans over the next few months who participate in a pre-order campaign through major retailers. More details on The Beatles: Rock Band game and pre-order will be revealed in the coming months.

    Please visit http://www.thebeatlesrockband.com.

    ####

    About Apple Corps. Ltd.
    Apple Corps Ltd. was founded by The Beatles in 1968 to look after the group's own affairs. The London-based company has administered the catalogue of The Beatles releases of the 1960s that have sold to date more than 600 million records, tapes and CDs. Since the 1990s Apple has piloted new Beatles projects that have become benchmarks for pioneering accomplishment and which have included The Beatles Anthology projects, the 28 million-selling album The Beatles 1 and the The Beatles LOVE show and CD. Further information on The Beatles' projects can be found at www.thebeatles.com.

    About MTV Networks
    MTV Networks, a division of Viacom (NYSE: VIA, VIA.B), is one of the world’s leading creators of entertainment content, with brands that engage and connect diverse audiences across television, online, mobile, games, virtual worlds and consumer products. The company’s portfolio spans more than 150 television channels and 350 digital media properties worldwide, and includes MTV, VH1, CMT, Logo, Harmonix, Nickelodeon, Nick at Nite, Noggin, The N, AddictingGames, Neopets, COMEDY CENTRAL, Spike TV, TV Land, Atom, GameTrailers and Xfire.

    About MTV Games
    MTV Games is dedicated to creating, marketing and publishing high-quality, innovative interactive products that are relevant to the MTV audience and complement the core values of the MTV Networks brands.

    About Harmonix Music Systems, Inc
    Harmonix Music Systems, Inc., based in Cambridge, MA, and established in 1995, is the leading developer of groundbreaking music-oriented videogames. Harmonix was founded by Alex Rigopulos and Eran Egozy, who formed the company to invent new ways for non-musicians to experience the unique joy that comes from making music and have pioneered music and rhythm gaming in the US. For more information please visit: www.harmonixmusic.com .



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