I missed this part of the conference. Have they shown off the new plastic instruments yet?
I missed this part of the conference. Have they shown the new plastic instruments yet?
I hope you can play the entire B side of Abbey Road without stopping. :omg
I missed this part of the conference. Have they shown the new plastic instruments yet?
(http://www.thebeatlesrockband.com/inc/img/large/instruments.jpg)
You should be able to. You could make playlists in RB2.
Are those all in the $250 set?
Game looks seriously awesome, cannot wait to pick up. I'm content with my RB1 guitars, though.
You should be able to. You could make playlists in RB2.
Are those all in the $250 set?
I have a sealed copy of RB2 somewhere. LOL should play it.
Sadly no, the Rickenbacker 325 guitar and the Gretsch Duo Jet guitar are sold separately-- for $100 a piece. I will take a pass.
Man, I just saw the video for Here Comes the Sun. It looked bloody amazing. :bawl
Game will fail unless it has "Hey Bulldog" and "Don't let Me Down". Don't listen to this faux beatle fan Malek. Listen to me, the one who is wearing his Beatles shirt while watching the conference."Don't Let Me Down" seems like a given because the rooftop venue is in the game. And "Hey Bull Dog" should be in the game because of its awesome bassline.
seriously whats with the mixed up note colors?
[img]http://media.coveritlive.com/media/image/200906/php9SdqEn_DSC7122.JPG[img]
Game will fail unless it has "Hey Bulldog" and "Don't let Me Down". Don't listen to this faux beatle fan Malek. Listen to me, the one who is wearing his Beatles shirt while watching the conference."Don't Let Me Down" seems like a given because the rooftop venue is in the game. And "Hey Bull Dog" should be in the game because of its awesome bassline.
seriously whats with the mixed up note colors?
[img]http://media.coveritlive.com/media/image/200906/php9SdqEn_DSC7122.JPG[img]
I just checked my guitars and drums; those notes look perfectly fine. The first highway on the left is of bass in Overdrive.
Edit: Do you play in Lefty Flip?
Paul McCartney won't sit on any thing Fur, don't say that, faux fan.
and i was sayin paul would no showummm
and i was sayin paul would no showummm
"JOhn would've never been there."
I prefer the Naked version of Let It Be, but a lot of that has to do with sound quality (and Don't Let Me Down) and I'm expecting the remastered original to possibly change my mind. The only substantially improved track on Naked is Across the Universe.
I prefer the Naked version of Let It Be, but a lot of that has to do with sound quality (and Don't Let Me Down) and I'm expecting the remastered original to possibly change my mind. The only substantially improved track on Naked is Across the Universe.If the recording breathes a little better, yeah. For me, it's difficult to abide Spector's flattening of everything.
i suggest they take the word "rock" out of the title
Where is Daydream Believer
Where is Daydream Believer
Take notes Drinky; this is how you troll.
It's clear that Harmonix is planning on making this game an entirely separate, different platform with the news of downloadable albums. I don't mind at all, to be honest.
It's hard to play Rock Band without looking silly.
No exports to RB2. Yoko Ono broke up The Beatles and now she broke up the Rock Band platform. :yuck
Across the Universe prooved something with the Beatles doesn't have to be called "The Beatles" to sell. They could've called it a million things.
The Beatles: Rock Band has been playable at E3 this week. So, being fans of both The Beatles and Rock Band, we figured we'd go check it out.
Thing is, while "we" may be fans of The Beatles, "I" am not. I don't hate them, just…never got into them. Which puts me in a unique position! Since I wouldn't be gushing over simply getting to play a music game as The Beatles, I could take a good, hard look past the fanboyism and see how the game itself is shaping up.
What Is It?
It's Rock Band. Starring The Beatles. You play as them, you play their songs, you play at famous venues that hosted the band, you even get to use real-life imitations of their real instruments. For a Beatles fan, it probably doesn't get much better than this.
What We Saw
We first saw a band made up of Harmonix staffers and Rock Band community members play a few songs, then we were free to go rock out on instruments, and songs, of our choosing.
I played through "Here Comes The Sun" on guitar and "I Wanna Hold Your Hand" on bass.
How Far Along Is It?
The game is out in only a few months (September), and it shows. It's pretty much done.
What Needs Improvement?
Spice Of Life : From what I saw, the gameplay needed a little more to differentiate it from vanilla Rock Band. There are some cool extra touches to the game, like "dream" sequences playing in the background of some of the band's stranger, later songs, and overall career progression – which we couldn't take a look at today – probably has a few surprises in store as well.
But playing both those songs, it just felt like…Rock Band, only playing Beatles songs. Same mechanics, same display, same instruments. It's instantly familiar. Perhaps a little too familiar.
What Should Stay The Same?
Crazed Fans: Harmonix have gone OTT as far as authenticity goes, with each set, band member and instrument recreated perfectly in-game. There's even cute little touches you don't notice the first time around, like the fact the songs retain the original "warmup" banter between the band members.
For Beatles fans, this is the kind of thing that will have them screaming like teenage girls on the Ed Sullivan Show.
Instrumentation: On the one hand, I'm slightly disappointed that the build quality of The Beatles instruments seems no better than for regular Rock Band peripherals, especially given the game's premium price. Be prepared: they're not quite as classy as they appear in Harmonix's promo shots.
But you know what? That doesn't really matter. They're no worse than Rock Band peripherals. And these are plastic instruments that are perfect replicas of the actual instruments The Beatles used, right down to the logos and paint schemes. That'll be more than enough for most Beatles fans.
Final Thoughts
Harmonix didn't need to reinvent the wheel with this one. Just stick some Beatles stuff over the top of the existing Rock Band and count the money. And that's exactly what they'll be doing in a few month's time.
Still, we'd have liked it if, like The Beatles themselves, the developers had gone a little bonkers towards the end and tried something slightly different, slightly crazy. Because, hey, it worked for The Beatles.
Have they announced a game-only release or are you forced into the bundle?
I see your fights with Great Dave :(
Where is Daydream Believer:clap :clap well done.
I wonder which version of Let it Be they'll put up for download?
I wonder what the hardest songs in the game would be. If I had to guess, the hardest songs probably in the beatles discography:
Hey Bulldog
While My Guitar Gently Weeps
Back in the USSR
I prefer the solo in the Naked version, to be honest.
I prefer the solo in the Naked version, to be honest.
I hope they include the No Fail mode again, for those drunken parties where everyone gets maudlin over Hey Jude.
I hope they include the No Fail mode again, for those drunken parties where everyone gets maudlin over Hey Jude.
Piano controller just for Hey Jude?
I hope they include the No Fail mode again, for those drunken parties where everyone gets maudlin over Hey Jude.
Piano controller just for Hey Jude?
They'll just map it to the guitar, like the do for the Freezepop songs. Those are keyboards, right?
I hope they include the No Fail mode again, for those drunken parties where everyone gets maudlin over Hey Jude.
Piano controller just for Hey Jude?
They'll just map it to the guitar, like the do for the Freezepop songs. Those are keyboards, right?
No, it's a QY70.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-AILYikscWQ
Looks amazing. :o
so this is what complete emasculation looks like
I want to have sex with this game. How in the world can Neversoft live with themselves for their shitty Aerosmith/Metallica/Van Halen packs after seeing how a band game should be done.
I want to have sex with this game. How in the world can Neversoft live with themselves for their shitty Aerosmith/Metallica/Van Halen packs after seeing how a band game should be done.
Activision doesn't give a fuck about making a good game. They shit out as many Guitar Hero games as possible to maximize sales.
* “I Saw Her Standing There”
* “Please Please Me”
* “Twist and Shout”
* “All My Loving”
* “I Wanna Be Your Man”
* “She Loves You”
* “I Want to Hold Your Hand”
* “A Hard Day’s Night”
* “And I Love Her”
* “Can’t Buy Me Love”
* “I’m A Loser”
* “Baby’s in Black”
* “I Feel Fine”
* “Help!”
* “Ticket to Ride”
* “I’ve Just Seen a Face”
* “I’m Down”
* “Drive My Car”
* “In My Life”
* “If I Needed Someone”
* “Day Tripper”
* “Taxman”
* “She Said She Said”
* “And Your Bird Can Sing”
* “Paperback Writer”
* “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band”
* “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds”
* “Good Morning Good Morning”
* “I Am the Walrus”
* “Hello Goodbye”
* “Revolution”
* “Back in the USSR”
* “While My Guitar Gently Weeps”
* “Birthday”
* “Everybody’s Got Something to Hide Except Me and My Monkey”
* “Helter Skelter”
* “Hey Bulldog”
* “Come Together”
* “Something”
* “Octopus’s Garden”
* “Here Comes the Sun”
* “Don’t Let Me Down”
* “Dig a Pony”
* “I’ve Got a Feeling”
* “Get Back”
Wow, no "Yesterday"?
Wow, no "Yesterday"?
They're releasing their discography as DLC anyways so who cares. I'm just glad I'll be able to play my two huge requests, Hey Bulldog and Don't Let Me Down on release. Then again, I do have direct contact with one of the execs at HMX :teehee
Update: A Harmonix spokesperson has confirmed to us that this leaked list of songs is definitely not the track list for The Beatles: Rock Band, saying, "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 intro to the game has A Day in the Life in it.
The Beatles: Rock Band priced at AUD 349
Australian online retailer JB Hi-Fi has listed The Beatles: Rock Band full band pack bundle on its website at AUD 349.
If accurate, the listing indicates a similar retail price of around GBP 170 to the original Rock Band, although the site doesn't suggest its price is the official recommended retail one.
The bundle includes Ringo's drums, Paul's Höfner bass and a pair of microphones. Rickenbacker 325 and Gretsch Duo guitars will be sold separately and will be released, along with the bundle and standalone game, on September 9 across all territories.
The following tracks and venues have been confirmed for The Beatles: Rock Band:
"Twist And Shout" (Cavern Club)
"Do You Want To Know A Secret" (Cavern Club)
"Can't Buy Me Love" (Ed Sullivan Theater)
"I Wanna Be Your Man" (Ed Sullivan Theater)
"Eight Days A Week" (Shea Stadium)
"Paperback Writer" (Budokan)
"And Your Bird Can Sing" (Budokan)
"Yellow Submarine" (Abbey Road Dreamscape)
"Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" (Abbey Road Dreamscape)
"With A Little Help From My Friends" (Abbey Road Dreamscape)
"Within You Without You"/ "Tomorrow Never Knows" (Abbey Road Dreamscape)
"Birthday" (Abbey Road Dreamscape)
"Dig A Pony" (Rooftop Concert)
"I've Got A Feeling" (Rooftop Concert)
"I Saw Her Standing There"
"I Want To Hold Your Hand"
"I Feel Fine"
"Taxman"
"Day Tripper"
"Back In The USSR"
"I Am The Walrus"
"Octopus's Garden"
"Here Comes The Sun"
"Get Back"
So it's pretty much a given that Something and Come Together will be in the game.
Right?
RIGHT?
I'll have to kill people if they're not in the game.
They probably won't be included in the game because Abbey Road will be the first album available for download. If Harmonix included "Something" and "Come Together" they'd be creating a disincentive for consumers to purchase the album.
I think it's lame that a game devoted to a single band will be missing some of the band's best material just to help download sales.
So it's pretty much a given that Something and Come Together will be in the game.
Right?
RIGHT?
I'll have to kill people if they're not in the game.
They probably won't be included in the game because Abbey Road will be the first album available for download. If Harmonix included "Something" and "Come Together" they'd be creating a disincentive for consumers to purchase the album.
I think it's lame that a game devoted to a single band will be missing some of the band's best material just to help download sales.
Last song is supposed to be a surprise.
What other massively big Beatles song are we missing outside of Hey Jude?
Also, for you kids that can read, here's an awesome 9-page article about the creation of The Beatles: Rock Band called "While My Guitar Gently Beeps":
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/16/magazine/16beatles-t.html?_r=4&pagewanted=1 (http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/16/magazine/16beatles-t.html?_r=4&pagewanted=1)
Yoko Ono almost broke up the game, too! :maf
It comes out this week!
Who's buying it?
So, how will one have more than one person singing? Drum, bass, guitar and one mic is 4 ports. The PS3 only has 4 USB ports...
The LIPS mics work with TB:RB and that RB2 patch should hit by the end of the month.
The biggest omission is Strawberry Fields Forever.
It comes out this week!
Who's buying it?
Placed my order last night; I'm getting one-day delivery to a friend, who'll drop it in the regular mail the next day. Jonesing hard for this.
Didn't The Beatles play in Japan once? ???
I know what you're saying, but that's not exactly true. They performed over 1,000 times in Hamburg alone, according to Malcolm Gladwell. But that was before Beatlemania.Didn't The Beatles play in Japan once? ???
The Beatles didn't play live a whole lot anywhere.
It comes out this week!
Who's buying it?
Placed my order last night; I'm getting one-day delivery to a friend, who'll drop it in the regular mail the next day. Jonesing hard for this.
Japan loves The Beatles, right? You'd think they'd make a limited run of the game over there...
It comes out this week!
Who's buying it?
Placed my order last night; I'm getting one-day delivery to a friend, who'll drop it in the regular mail the next day. Jonesing hard for this.
Japan loves The Beatles, right? You'd think they'd make a limited run of the game over there...
It comes out this week!
Who's buying it?
Placed my order last night; I'm getting one-day delivery to a friend, who'll drop it in the regular mail the next day. Jonesing hard for this.
Japan loves The Beatles, right? You'd think they'd make a limited run of the game over there...
You'd think. Though the 360 version would be a difficult sell, there are lots of PS3s selling with the new slim form launch, and there's no shortage of Wiis. I am guessing the contractual situation is a mess here. Also, I note that Rock Band was announced for Japanese release over a year ago, prior to Rock Band 2's launch but no news has followed that. It's possible that the Japanese distribution contracts make things even messier than their already complicated state in the West.
I've been meaning to bitch about this for a long time now, but where the hell is Hey Jude? It's not even slated for DLC...
The Helter Skelter drums achievement is near impossible unless you are a pro.
Finish any song as a Bassist with Lefty Mode turned on, hitting at least 50% of the notes.
Played some RB2 tonight instead. Why do all RB games have shitty achievements?
The Helter Skelter drums achievement is near impossible unless you are a pro.
why is it so hard?QuoteFinish any song as a Bassist with Lefty Mode turned on, hitting at least 50% of the notes.
Awesome for left handers 8)
Album Review
Rock Band
The Beatles
Rock Band
[Electronic Arts; 2009]
9.5
Here's the story of the Beatles, as told by the intro to The Beatles: Rock Band. They started as four lads in a basement club, covering Chuck Berry for hours at a stretch. Girls screamed, and the band got bigger and bigger 'til it stormed the world (specifically, America). Tours and celebrity and more screaming girls followed, until suddenly the world was a drag-- and they ascended a magic escalator to the sky, where they rode the giant elephant god Ganesha up to the edge of the creation. They became saints, or gods, or something just as sacred, and on a tablet it was written: "You don't mess with the Beatles."
That was Harmonix's mantra going into the project. The developers knew if they were going to handle one of the biggest properties in popular culture, they would take excruciating care to make it loyal, even worshipful. The visual design is warm and adoring, and each Beatle looks gentle and kind-- especially John Lennon, who's so beatific you almost forget that George Harrison has died, too. And the Beatles dominate the game. They're the only people on the virtual stage: Eric Clapton never plays guitar and Billy Preston and Yoko Ono are expunged. More importantly, the Beatles ignore you. Every song is shown with period dress and setting: You can't play "Helter Skelter" in the Cavern in Liverpool or "Boys" at their 1969 rooftop concert. When you screw up, the screen just fades to black. In the first few clubs, the camera regularly cuts to those girls in the audience, screaming, in love. But they're not screaming for you.
You, the player, are the disciple. You're here to study the music: To play as fast and loud as the band did in its youth, to finish the delicate "Dear Prudence" without a single bum note, to master Paul McCartney's bass line to "I Saw Her Standing There" on expert. The challenge is moderate compared to other music games, and harmony vocals are the only new feature: While the Beatles used strings, tape loops, and other effects, these are all channeled through the standard four instruments (guitar, bass, drums, and mic), and playing the strings for "I Am the Walrus" with the guitar controller works better than you might expect. But the harmony vocals make it a far better party game than previous Rock Band editions. I've played with two additional singers, a guy who likes to belt Rush and a woman who's in a choir, and listening to them chant "GUTEN MORGEN GUTEN MORGEN GUT" was worth the price right there.
The 45-track setlist balances better-known Beatles songs ("Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds", "Day Tripper") with deep cuts chosen for gameplay. (The loping, sad "Dig a Pony" is an instant favorite.) The game even bends the canon, reaching out to the Love soundtrack's mix of "Within You Without You" with "Tomorrow Never Knows", which gives you the melody of the first with the drums of the second. Many songs also cut off before their fade-outs-- which was the right call, but it sounds strange on a song as burned in your brain as "Yellow Submarine".
The first chapters take place in concert settings in front of screaming crowds. But after the Beatles quit the road in 1966, the game segues to the Abbey Road studio, where each song gets a "dreamscape." These vignettes recycle well-worn references for each song, and none of them would make the creators of Yellow Submarine lose sleep. Covering the band's psychedelic period, they're a thin metaphor for the fact that the band was well off their tits, but they also reinforce what an insular and magical place these recordings seem to emerge from-- especially if you skip the turmoil behind the scenes.
That's not to say the game ignores their history. Good scores unlock rare photos dug from the archives, as well as clips of sound and video. You get their 1963 Christmas fan club record, a rough rehearsal for "Ed Sullivan", and a promotional film for "Get Back" edited out of outtakes from the Let It Be film. And there are clips of the band just chatting or goofing around.. They're candid, but the candidness doesn't make the band seem more human; rather, you feel like you're eavesdropping on a whole new level of divinity.
The storytelling is at its finest in the last act, the rooftop show in London in 1969. The audience has aged and the band is tired. We never watch them fight, but the break-up is implied in the climax of "I Want You (She's So Heavy)", where the camera jitters until the song cuts off. But encore "The End", the unannounced 45th song, is the proper send-off: Ultimately, the band was judged by the love they made.
The word "love" sums up the entire vision for the game. Where past Rock Band and Guitar Hero titles emphasized the thrills and the grinds of rock, The Beatles: Rock Band feels completely different: it's soothing and cozy, and the songs keep luring you back not just because they're excellent and fun, but because the familiar recordings, the nostalgic visuals, and the Beatles' smiling faces make a peaceful, loving place. As a painstakingly crafted piece of fandom, it's a bullseye.
But all this worship has a drawback. Discussing Rock Band 2, which doesn't use the likeness of any real stars, Harmonix's Helen McWilliams once told me, "We want it to be about you, and your rock star fantasy... You're there with your band, for each other, and you're fulfilling your rock star dream together, and the audience is there for you." The Beatles: Rock Band is the total opposite. The "characters" are untouchable, and the tracks don't even toss you a freestyle section. Your only choices are to get the song right, or not. Sure, it's a cliché that most videogames make you save the world, but at least in those games, you know you're needed. I've never felt less important in a game than this one.
But I'll let 'em get away with it. After all, they're the Beatles.
— Chris Dahlen, September 9, 2009
Played some RB2 tonight instead. Why do all RB games have shitty achievements?
Played some RB2 tonight instead. Why do all RB games have shitty achievements?
RB2 is very managable. I could get 1000 if I had someone to do endless setlist with. Or I bothered to set up the drums.
Played some RB2 tonight instead. Why do all RB games have shitty achievements?
RB2 is very managable. I could get 1000 if I had someone to do endless setlist with. Or I bothered to set up the drums.
Bladder of Steel is still one of the shittiest achievements ever.
It's easy if you are a nerd who can FC garbage like Through the Fire and Flames. Most songs are pretty basic, but some will provide a decent challenge.
I got the game at Gamestop and they gave me a code that let me get three free DLC songs. I go on expecting to get All You Need Is Love, since it's already out, but all the songs are out on October, and only Day in the Life was the good one amongst them. :'(
Some of the edits made in this game to the songs is flat out disgusting and disgraceful to any true Beatles fan. The "Quiet man, quiet" at the end of Hey Bulldog is the biggest, most embarrasing addition to ever grace a song since Greedo shot first.
Played a bunch on guitar. Was...ok? The songs are great, but I dunno a lot are kinda dull on guitar. The more rocking stuff plays better there. Dig the presentation though I wish they'd just let me do all the story mode song groups in 1 session than dump me out to the menu each time. The intro was amazing. Looking forward to doing vocals after I finish guitar.
So I saw All You Need Is Love DLC is on XBLM, is it not coming to the PS3?
most of the songs in the final tier aren't really fun. they're the kind of songs that aren't hard but really annoying.
I unlocked Yoko Ono and all my other Xbox games stopped working
Abbey Road is 10/20, the same day as the Queen pack. Good jon timing that out, Harmonix.
Abbey Road is 10/20, the same day as the Queen pack. Good jon timing that out, Harmonix.
Abbey Road is 10/20, the same day as the Queen pack. Good jon timing that out, Harmonix.
Abbey Road is 10/20, the same day as the Queen pack. Good jon timing that out, Harmonix.
Queen are shit anyway
Or would it just never have come out, with Activision's legal dept. and Apple Corp's and Viacom's departments never being able to see eye-to-eye?
Reading the wikipedia article on B:RB, it appears that both Activision and MTV/Harmonix were simultaneously pursuing the Beatles' catalog of music. I've only played GH2 and GH3 since most people here scared me off from buying GH:WT, and I've not tried GH5's demo. But the statement left me wondering, what would Guitar Hero: The Beatles be like? What would be different?
Or would it just never have come out, with Activision's legal dept. and Apple Corp's and Viacom's departments never being able to see eye-to-eye?
With this month's NPD figures showing that Harmonix's The Beatles: Rock Band outsold Neversoft's Guitar Hero V, Beatles publisher MTV Games wants to set the record straight on some misconceptions about music games and the Activision/MTV battle.
"We outsold them two-to-one on a revenue basis and we outperformed on a unit basis as well, despite the fact that they had an eight-day advantage, and were giving away free software," said MTV Games general manager Scott Guthrie to Gamasutra, referencing Activision's offer of a free copy of Van Halen with Guitar Hero V. "At the end of the day, The Beatles: Rock Band clearly outperformed them, and we're not done yet. We're anticipating a very successful holiday period."
The Beatles outsold Guitar Hero V by about 20 percent on a unit basis, according to further NPD data sourced by IndustryGamers, but Guthrie's claim to Gamasutra of doubled revenue suggests Beatles consumers may have been willing to spend more on the game's multi-instrument bundle -- suggesting in turn that the game may have attracted more new consumers who don't already have plastic instruments in their home.
Looking at the wiki, Abbey Road is 1360 MSP for the album, or 160 MSP per track. But Abbey Road consists of only 8 additional tracks, so that's 170 MSP each. It costs MORE to buy it as a pack than individually?
The footnote says it's part of the "medley" which is "part of the full album purchase" - maybe they're offering a 16-minute track including all the medley bits? I don't get it.
I bought this today and played it for about an hour this evening with the 'rents. :rock
I'll be curious to see if the DLC album has any song-specific visuals accompanying it like the main game does for the studio sessions. It's more work for harmonix, but I'd be far more interested in grabbing the albums if they do. The visuals in the studio songs were my favorite part of the game.
I'll be curious to see if the DLC album has any song-specific visuals accompanying it like the main game does for the studio sessions. It's more work for harmonix, but I'd be far more interested in grabbing the albums if they do. The visuals in the studio songs were my favorite part of the game.
It is actually confirmed that DLC will get their own dreamscapes.
Most of abbey road is pretty boring on guitar. Her Majesty is probably the most entertaining song not already in the game.
Most of abbey road is pretty boring on guitar. Her Majesty is probably the most entertaining song not already in the game.
I sing and play guitar at the same time, so I don't find anything very boring.
Haha you cant even gold star it.
1st on Her Majesty on Bass :rockHoly crap! Congrats!
Most of abbey road is pretty boring on guitar. Her Majesty is probably the most entertaining song not already in the game.
I sing and play guitar at the same time, so I don't find anything very boring.
So all the Beatles DLC will have dreamscapes? Damn...I am going to need a XBL point card sale.
Played the medley last night. was awesome :rock
I don't know if you can buy RB add-ons through the Amazon XBL store, but it might be worth a shot.
Does anybody know if I can use RB instruments from the 360 version on my PS3?