The rumors have been swirling about for quite a while now, and while preliminary confirmations had already been spotted by clever investigators over at Joystiq, MTV hosted a joint conference call with Apple Corps, Ltd. to simultaneously confirm and dash our hopes. Officially announcing one of the most impressive "gets" in the music-game licensing war, Apple Corps CEO Jeff Jones, Harmonix CEO Alex Rigopulos, and others were on hand to deliver the news: The Beatles will be releasing their first-ever interactive music title. Apple Corps, the Beatles' own music management firm, has agreed to let the original British invaders appear in a virtual virtuoso video game from Harmonix and MTV Games -- just not necessarily Rock Band.
Conference details, a scant few game confirmations, and the full press release, are after the jump.
This morning's conference call, preceded appropriately by the likes of "Eight Days a Week" and "Ticket to Ride" on the hold music reel, was hosted by MTV CEO Judy McGrath, MTV President Van Toffler, Rigopulos, Jones, and others, who were all appropriately "thrilled" about the new Apple/MTV Partnership. Citing the Beatles' 40-year history and 600 million records sold, the group announced that Harmonix and MTV had signed an "exclusive partnership" with Apple Corps, which would take the form of a "Brand new video game featuring the Beatles." Marking the first time that the Beatles will appear in any interactive format, this is a project that has been in the works for the last 17 months, and will stay in the works for roughly another 12 -- no release date (or even game title) has been confirmed, but the group is projecting a Holiday 2009 release. Nobody was willing to discuss much about the actual game, but the following details have been confirmed:
The Beatles game will be its own, standalone product
The game will not carry the Rock Band label; since "It's not a Rock Band game, it's a Beatles game," as stated by Rigopulos
The game has been discussed with, and given the blessings of, the entire Apple Corps team, the surviving Beatles, and their families, including Sir Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, Yoko Ono Lennon, and Olivia Harrison
This is not simply a Rock Band expansion pack
Rigopulos and Jones remained exceedinly tight-lipped about the content of the game itself, stating they were not prepared to speak yet on crucial details such as expected gameplay mechanics, specific song inclusions, what platforms the game will appear on, whether there will be new peripherals or gear for the game, and most importantly, whether or not the songs would eventually be made available for download or export into Rock Band, like this year's AC/DC game. On the one hand, Rigopulos did say the game wasn't even carrying the Rock Band label, which doesn't sound encouraging, but on the other hand, he didn't say no, either.
Still, in order to keep the rumor mills going strong, the conference did contain a few candid moments -- answers to questions that began with the phrase, "We're not prepared to discuss that, but..."
The gameplay wasn't specified yet, but, if one is "familiar with Harmonix's games," one ought to expect interactive music performances and some new features as well, making this an "interactive music-making game"
No confirmation on whether we'll be able to play as the Beatles, or what kind of Beatles imagery we can expect, but, "a visual exploration of Beatles imagery" is a "big part" of the game, which "will be an unprecedented, experiential progression through and celebration of the music and artistry of The Beatles," all the way from Please Please Me to Abbey Road
No word on whether new peripherals will be released with the game, but -- and this is a big one -- the game will be compatible with existing music game peripherals
That last point is fairly telling, I think, in terms of what we can expect the gameplay to involve. For me, obviously, the major sticking points will be whether I can ultimately put those songs into my Rock Band catalog, and whether or not the game is a Wal-Mart exclusive. Rigopulos urges us all to "Stay tuned for more details over the coming months," when MTV and Apple Corps will eventually be announcing the game's title, features, and more.
Press release:
New York, NY – October 30, 2008 – The Beatles’ extraordinary music and phenomenal legacy is set to rock across the universe in the form of a video game through an exclusive partnership between Apple Corps Ltd., Harmonix and MTV Games, a part of Viacom’s MTV Networks (NYSE: VIA, VIA.B).
This partnership 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. Published by MTV Games and developed by Harmonix, the world’s premier music video game company and creators of the best-selling Rock Band®, the game will be an unprecedented, experiential progression through and celebration of the music and artistry of The Beatles. The game was creatively conceived with input from Sir Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr, along with Yoko Ono Lennon and Olivia Harrison, and enjoys their full blessing. In addition, Giles Martin, co-producer of The Beatles innovative LOVE project, will provide his expertise and serve as Music Producer for this groundbreaking Beatles project.
"The project is a fun idea which broadens the appeal of The Beatles and their music. I like people having the opportunity to get to know the music from the inside out," Sir Paul McCartney said.
"It gives me great pleasure to be part of The Beatles / Apple and Harmonix / Rock Band partnership,” said Ringo Starr. “The Beatles continue to evolve with the passing of time and how wonderful that The Beatles’ legacy will find its natural progression into the 21st century through the computerized world we live in. Let the games commence.”
“It’s cool. I love it and hope it will keep inspiring and encouraging the young generation for many decades,” said Yoko Ono Lennon.
"People are having so much fun playing Rock Band. Combined with The Beatles tracks, it is a great way to either listen or participate,” said Olivia Harrison. “If you like the music, it doesn't take much persuasion to get you to play."
“Introducing the genius of The Beatles to a whole new generation of music lovers through original and inspired ways is extremely exciting to us at Apple Corps,” stated Jeff Jones, CEO, Apple Corps. “We are truly pleased to be working with the innovative forces at MTV and Harmonix as they embody our mutual passions for music and creativity.”
"Many of us have been part of a generation that has long enjoyed an enduring love affair with The Beatles and now we're looking to extend that love affair for future generations to enjoy," said Van Toffler." “Our inspiration for this project comes from a keen sense of history and a place of utmost reverence and respect for the band, their music and their heritage."
“The impact of The Beatles is forever ingrained in the hearts, minds and souls of millions the world over,” said Judy McGrath, Chairman and CEO of MTV Networks. “The Beatles are the reason many of us are WHERE we are, and some of us are WHO we are."
"We are honored to be part of this new way for people to discover the timeless music and art of The Beatles - the most creatively and commercially successful, critically acclaimed, and influential band in the history of popular music," stated Paul DeGooyer, MTV's Senior Vice President of Electronic Games & Music.
“By presenting their music and artistry through the creative filter of a groundbreaking video game, we are giving legions of fans and music lovers all over the world a profound, new way to experience The Beatles,” said Alex Rigopulos, CEO and Co-Founder, Harmonix. “This game will be a celebration of the Beatles undeniable legacy.”
Given the excessive pricing on the AC/DC "track pack", I'm wary of this announcement as well as what it means for the future of such games. The surviving members of Led Zepplin, for example, may declare that in the interests of artistic integrity they'll only ever sign on the dotted line if they get their own complete standalone game for it... and so on and so forth with every major band in existence.
There were some AC/DC songs I'd like to pick up, but not a whole set, and especially not an overpriced bundle that only includes live recordings instead of the studio originals I love and I can only find at Wal-Mart. Now you're telling me I can get to "A Hard Day's Night" and "Hello Goodbye", but only for another $60 and I probably won't get to play them in Rock Band either? F*** that.
The rumors have been swirling about for quite a while now, and while preliminary confirmations had already been spotted by clever investigators over at Joystiq, MTV hosted a joint conference call with Apple Corps, Ltd. to simultaneously confirm and dash our hopes. Officially announcing one of the most impressive "gets" in the music-game licensing war, Apple Corps CEO Jeff Jones, Harmonix CEO Alex Rigopulos, and others were on hand to deliver the news: The Beatles will be releasing their first-ever interactive music title. Apple Corps, the Beatles' own music management firm, has agreed to let the original British invaders appear in a virtual virtuoso video game from Harmonix and MTV Games -- just not necessarily Rock Band.
October 31st, 2008 at 8:34 pm
Given the excessive pricing on the AC/DC "track pack", I'm wary of this announcement as well as what it means for the future of such games. The surviving members of Led Zepplin, for example, may declare that in the interests of artistic integrity they'll only ever sign on the dotted line if they get their own complete standalone game for it... and so on and so forth with every major band in existence.
There were some AC/DC songs I'd like to pick up, but not a whole set, and especially not an overpriced bundle that only includes live recordings instead of the studio originals I love and I can only find at Wal-Mart. Now you're telling me I can get to "A Hard Day's Night" and "Hello Goodbye", but only for another $60 and I probably won't get to play them in Rock Band either? F*** that.
November 4th, 2008 at 8:57 am
No, no, no, no, Daniel. You don't f*ck The Beatles, The Beatles f*ck you.