Rock Band Licenses The Beatles

eldavojohn writes "The Wall Street Journal is reporting that MTV's Rock Band has gained the licenses to an undetermined number of songs. Details are scant, but it would be nice to see a whole game based on just the evolution of The Beatles' music. According to Reuters, this has been in the works for months. Hopefully I can finally hide my strained vocals to so many beautiful songs within the privacy of my home instead of drunk off my ass at a bar."

Comments

Bonus points

[Dan East]

You get bonus points for playing bass left-handed.

Re:Bonus points

[popmaker]

I wonder if they'll include "Revolution 9". :)

Re:Bonus points

[aproposofwhat]

And double bonus points for off-rhythm drumming?

Re:Bonus points

[Divide By Zero]

You kid, but that could very well be a Challenge within the game (Beatles Tribute Band: five stars and play the bass lefty and you get quadruple money or something), or even an Achievement/Trophy on 360/PS3. Didn't one of the Guitar Hero games give you an achievement for only strumming up while playing the bass?

Re:Bonus points

[azuredrake]

The achievement for 100% on expert on bass in Rock Band 1 requires that all your strums be upwards to get it. Maybe that's what you're thinking of?

Re:Bonus points

[Enderandrew]

I really hope they would.

I truly love the Beatles, but I wouldn't say most of their catalog lends to the Rock Band crowd.

Re:Bonus points

[Enderandrew]

If you name your character Pete Best, you aren't allowed to play.

Re:Bonus points

[gEvil (beta)]

And double bonus points for off-rhythm drumming?

Actually, rhythmically, Ringo (or Paul if you subscribe to that theory) was right on. It's just that a lot of the rhythms that were played were off-beat. There's a major difference between the two.

Re:Bonus points

[meringuoid]

You get bonus points for playing bass left-handed.

That would work, yeah. What's got me excited is that I'm really, really shit at the drums. So this is the game for me!

Re:Bonus points

[Chode2235]

I believe it is called syncopation.

Re:Bonus points

[SQLGuru]

Actually, while my family (wife and three girls) enjoy playing Rock Band, they keep saying there needs to be a Pop Band so that they know more of the songs......I say it's time to branch out. (RB2 is a little better, but still heavily rock.)

(And for the record, the Guitar Hero franchise has a similar song class).

Layne

Re:Bonus points

[Jennifly]

Finally songs that I am familiar with on Rock band yay! love The Beatles, best band ever! thats really great news

Re:Bonus points

[Abreu]

Sorry, but Ringo and Paul were the tightest rhythm section ever. Most bands tend to slow down or speed up the tempo at the beggining or the end of a song. Not Ringo.

Besides, there's a lot of reasons why an aspiring young drummer should listen to the beatles, for a quick start, read here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ringo_starr#Drumming_ability_and_appreciation

Re:Bonus points

[diskofish]

The majority of music in Rock Band/Guitar Hero is pretty popular. I've heard every single song on the radio. Yeah it's rock, but the titles are also Rock Band and Guitar Hero not Pop Singer.

I am a big fan of hip-hop, but I don't think it would be that much to play in a rock band setting. It's centered around rhythm and lyrical flows rather than a melodic progression. There are of course as always, exceptions.

As for the next version of DDR,I wish they'd license some Wu-Tang.

Re:Bonus points

[Isotopian]

I believe that's what the Kareoke Star games are for. It's Rock Band because it's primarily about the instruments - Pop Band would suck, because playing a 3 chord progression of power chords gets really old, really quick. Although it would be very entertaining to watch people figure out that so much of pop songs are identical.

Re:Bonus points

[SQLGuru]

We have Karaoke Revolution games, but they are a lot less interactive (they are all just la la la, nothing to actually DO). Rock Band is great because (up to) four people can be playing *At The Same Time*......and it's physical. For Karaoke Revolution, we always finish in the exact same order:
My oldest and My wife can both sing and finish at the top (virtual tie)
My yougest is next
The middle daughter is next
And then me (I'm a programmer, I can't sing).

In Rock Band, there's actually competition (ooo, I got 96% to your 94%) that varies by who is playing their strongest instrument. And because it also has a Group vs System dynamic, you don't mind being the "worst". But they are girls that like Pop, so even if the songs are popular, they aren't popular in my house.....therefore, the need for a Pop Band. And sure, they may use a limited note set, but game designers should be able to come up with something else.....even if the orange fret just controls the stage effects.

Layne

Re:Bonus points

[Stormwatch]

they keep saying there needs to be a Pop Band so that they know more of the songs

I'll go meta and ask: how about a "Game Hero" - a music game with music from games?

Re:Bonus points

[Ihmhi]

Um, Beastie Boys?

There's lots of Rock/Hip-Hop options. Obligatory, Linkin Park (who has a song in Rock Band 2). One I'd love to see is It's Going Down by the X-ecutioners

.

Re:Bonus points

[tenton]

The achievement for 100% on expert on bass in Rock Band 1 requires that all your strums be upwards to get it. Maybe that's what you're thinking of?

Same achievement for Rock Band 2, also. Except Rock Band 2 comes with the ridiculously easy "So What'cha Want", which consists of playing one note (the green one) over and over again, but not at a fast pace.

Re:Bonus points

[coolsnowmen]

...there needs to be a Pop Band so that they know more of the songs...

Perhaps then people would realize just how simple the music is in most pop songs.
I mean, if the song had a really boring guitar line, then don't you think it would be a poor choice to put in guitar hero?

Then again, that is probably secondary to the fact that the more popular a song is, the more it costs to license it. It doesn't bother me; I love the bizarre b-side songs that have been in the guitar Hero series (freezepop anyone?).

Re:Bonus points

[jedidiah]

I think there's a Beastie Boys tune on one of the novice levels in GH3.

Re:Bonus points

[geekoid]

It still doesn't change the fact that Ringo is the luckiest musician in the history of the world.

An average drum player at best.

I could go on with my detailed reason why the Beatles weren't all that good, even for the time but that ends with pitch forks and torches.

Re:Bonus points

[gEvil (beta)]

An average drum player at best.

I'm pretty sure that you're not a drummer since any reasonable drummer wouldn't say something so silly. Really. And yes, I am a drummer.

Re:Bonus points

[cayenne8]

"I am a big fan of hip-hop, but I don't think it would be that much to play in a rock band setting. It's centered around rhythm and lyrical flows rather than a melodic progression."

Yeah....so far they've stuck to actually putting music into the game.

:)

Re:Bonus points

[cayenne8]

"NO. Aspiring drummer should avoid the Beatles...Unless your dream in life is to be a lucky mediocre drummer."

Actually...I prefer Keith Moon.

Man...you watch some of the Who's old videos...when he was really young...My God he was fast. His hands and sticks were a blur some times.

Kinda funny...he played the drums more like a lead instrument that a rhythm device.

Not to mention, he was doing it all on an incredible amount of drugs and booze. He kept it going for quite awhile...heheh...but, it is still kinda funny to see the film where he'd taken animal tranquelizers before a gig..and passed out on the drums, and Pete had to ask for a drummer in the audience to come fill in.

I wonder what ever happened to THAT guy...talk about a bar story that can't be beat. "Oh yeah? Well one night, I played drums on stage with the Who at a sold out concert...."

Re:Bonus points

[LardBrattish]

Now, I'm not about to diss the Beatles but anyone who says "Ringo and Paul were the tightest rhythm section ever" needs to listen to a whole lot more "Rush"

Re:Bonus points

[aproposofwhat]

Ringo and Paul were the tightest rhythm section ever

You've obviously never heard of Sly and Robbie, then?

Re:Bonus points

[The_reformant]

Isnt there a famous quote from John Lennon saying "Ringo's not the best drummer in the world, he's not even the best drummer in The Beatles". Despite what wikipedia tells you he's a really lame drummer.

For the wife...

[Foldarn]

The wife LOVES the Beatles. I'd get this for her, not even for myself!

Rock Band before iTunes?

[log1385]

It surprises me that this happened before the Beatles released their songs to iTunes. That's pretty revolutionary. Does the future of popular music rest with video games?

Re:Rock Band before iTunes?

[flitty]

Metallica and Aerosmith say yes, video games are the future of music. So using that, I would say No, it's not.

Re:Rock Band before iTunes?

[BarryJacobsen]

Does the future of popular music rest with video games?

Wouldn't that be the future of the past's popular music? It's not like Fall Out Boy (or whoever is popular now) is releasing straight to Rock Band before going on iTunes.

Re:Rock Band before iTunes?

[ganjadude]

Let us not forget, Paul and Ringo do not own all the beatles music rights. Micheal Jackson bought a bunch of the rights from nuder Paul... Who was the one who taught him to make sure he holds on to his music rights no less. Im sure that he has either sold/lost most those rights to others and if not he probably needs the cash so is doing this. Without knowing what songs are on it, we dont know who is giving the OK

Re:Rock Band before iTunes?

[gEvil (beta)]

Jackson bought the publishing rights to the music. For the most part, this covers sheet music, lyric printing, cover versions, etc. The actual sound recordings, which are what Rock Band would use, still belong to Apple Corps Ltd.

Re:Rock Band before iTunes?

[Enderandrew]

I thought the Beatles struck a deal with iTunes last year. Maybe I'm wrong as I don't use iTunes. However I understand why Apple records would be upset that Apple computers clearly violated their earlier deal and got away with it.

Re:Rock Band before iTunes?

[Thyamine]

I know you were being funny, but I think at this point who knows how things will go. It used to be that having your music in a commercial was 'selling out'. Now bands/musicians realize it's a crazy good way to get themselves in front of people. Games are the same way, especially a music oriented game.

Re:Rock Band before iTunes?

[Tokerat]

Jackson bought the publishing rights to the music.

I thought Jackson didn't own them anymore?

Re:Rock Band before iTunes?

[gEvil (beta)]

He probably doesn't. But the point still stands that whoever owns the publishing rights really doesn't have a say in whether the recordings are used in Rock Band.

Re:Rock Band before iTunes?

[ShieldW0lf]

I know you were being funny, but I think at this point who knows how things will go. It used to be that having your music in a commercial was 'selling out'. Now bands/musicians realize it's a crazy good way to get themselves in front of people. Games are the same way, especially a music oriented game.

There are a lot of beautiful whores in the red light district in Amsterdam, sitting naked behind glass windows where walkers buy can see them. It used to be that those girls just shared their beauty with those that they cared about. But now they realize that it's a crazy good way to get their beauty in front of a lot of people and make some money.

Re:Rock Band before iTunes?

[Critical Facilities]

Michael Jackson is still making plenty of money from the Beatles' music. Also, a music publisher has plenty of say as to who can license music that they hold the rights to. This is precisely why we're seeing more and more Beatles' music in commercials for Target, or for use in the Cirque du Soleil. It ain't cause Paul McCartney wants to, it's because Michael Jackson wants some cash.

Re:Rock Band before iTunes?

[BarryJacobsen]

He probably doesn't. But the point still stands that whoever owns the publishing rights really doesn't have a say in whether the recordings are used in Rock Band.

Does that include the lyrics that are displayed on the screen during Rock Band, though?

Re:Rock Band before iTunes?

[killmofasta]

I never heard that Rock Band uses the actual recordings. I always heard them as a bunch of session guys. The sound of the instruments is certinly diffrent.

Where are the tapes?

Looks like you'll never hear Creedence Clearwater Revival on Rock band. Fantsy records owns the rights, but has none of the recordings, but the'll probibly get some session guys in, if Fantsy drops their pants.

Re:Rock Band before iTunes?

[HTH NE1]

Apple Corps & Paul McCartney's ex-wife still gets paid. I don't remember which ex.

I'd assume the one that is still alive, except for the state of copyright laws mandate dead people still get paid for 70 more years to encourage them to keep producing new works.

Re:Rock Band before iTunes?

[aldop]

Sony/ATV owns a large chunk of the publishing rights to The Beatles catalog.

Rights to the recordings (mechanicals) are still owned by EMI and Apple Corps, Ltd.

Re:Rock Band before iTunes?

[Wescotte]

Rock Band already has Fortunate Son by CCR as a download.

Re:Rock Band before iTunes?

[fyrewulff]

It's a pretty good cover too.

Re:Rock Band before iTunes?

[Lectoid]

Fortunate Son is a cover

http://xboxlive.ign.com/articles/902/902400p1.html#update

Re:Rock Band before iTunes?

[kurzweilfreak]

Smashing Pumpkins recorded a song just for Guitar Hero World Tour.

Re:Rock Band before iTunes?

[flitty]

When master tapes exist, and Harmonix can get the rights to use the song, they often use the master tapes. The announcement that the full "Who's Next" Who album was announced to be released in rock band, but because someone had lost a couple of the masters, they ended up releasing a random Who song pack with the songs they could find masters for and some live stuff. As a fan of the Audio Engineering on BloodSugarSexMagik, I bought the rock band album so I could hear some of the tracks isolated.

Re:Rock Band before iTunes?

[jedidiah]

30 years on, it shouldn't matter.

It should all be in the public domain already anyways.

This goes triple for bands like the Beatles.

Re:Rock Band before iTunes?

[ShieldW0lf]

You're right, of course. The prostitute is at least giving the johns something of value for their money in a clean exchange. The musician is using their music to manipulate people, and getting paid by those who are directing the manipulation. So, the musician is actually worse.

Re:Rock Band before iTunes?

[killmofasta]

Exactly. Then why would they ever need the origional Beatles recordings? We now know the first chord to 'A Hard Days Night'

Short straw has to be Ringo!

[elrous0]

Longer straws get to be real musicians.

Re:Short straw has to be Ringo!

[The Slashdot Guy]

All short straws, it seems.

Re:Short straw has to be Ringo!

[John Straffin]

Um... maybe because it's a game?!? Lots of folks who play air guitar or hum along with the radio have no interest in actually learning to play a real instrument or take voice lessons. You actually pointed out the major difference in your own post: "You can do your own recording and production work...". It's work to learn to play an instrument. Sure, it's worthwhile work, if you care about the learning and playing, but it's still work whereas Rock Band/Guitar Hero/Donkey Konga are games, played for fun. You know about fun, don't you?

Re:Short straw has to be Ringo!

[elrous0]

The only way to cure it is to run to say "Pete Best" three times into a mirror.

Re:Short straw has to be Ringo!

[philspear]

...it's Simon Says with a soundtrack.

Man, I should try that sometime.

Anyway, you're clearly just sore because "harmonica hero" hasn't come out yet. Out of curiosity, are harmonica players considered musicians? You say "musicians get chicks." What type of chicks go nuts over harmonicas, exactly?

Re:Short straw has to be Ringo!

[The Slashdot Guy]

I think you may have misunderstood the point I was trying to make. It's not about the fact that a game is being played. If people find it fun, good for them.

I was trying to say the the Beatles suck.

Re:Short straw has to be Ringo!

[antiseptic_poetry]

I'm a semi-professional musician, who regularly plays guitar on tour etc. I also really enjoy playing Rock Band with my friends.

Do you also avoid driving games because you own a car? As the poster above says, Rock Band is just a fun video game, nothing more.

Re:Short straw has to be Ringo!

[Toonol]

Bitching about music games and giving an anecdote about playing a real instrument... it's like the new version of posts describing how the poster doesn't even own a tv, and how enriched their life has become.

Re:Short straw has to be Ringo!

[Grimbleton]

So tell me, instead of Halo, did you join the Marines?

Instead of Super Mario, did you become a plumber?

Instead of Ace Combat, did you then go to the Air Force?

Or are you just an uptight cock?

Re:Short straw has to be Ringo!

[ShieldW0lf]

Anyway, you're clearly just sore because "harmonica hero" hasn't come out yet. Out of curiosity, are harmonica players considered musicians? You say "musicians get chicks." What type of chicks go nuts over harmonicas, exactly?

Well, I doubt John Popper has a hard time finding groupies, and he doesn't even play particularly well. I've got more of a Little Walter influence, personally... but I've pulled out a harp to amuse myself at the bus stop and had women approach me several times in the last month.

How often does that happen with Guitar Hero? Oh, right. Never.

Re:Short straw has to be Ringo!

[bigstrat2003]

Why the hell is this popular?

Because it's a fun game, and they aren't uptight dickwads about it.

Are all these people idiots?

No, but you certainly are. Games don't have to model something you can't do in real life to be fun. No one bitches about how people playing Call of Duty should pick up a real gun and join the real army. The only people who bitch about games like Rock Band are musicians who act all fucking cool about it. Grow the fuck up.

And yes, I play real guitar (as my nick might indicate). I don't feel the need to be a prick about it to everyone who doesn't, though.

Re:Short straw has to be Ringo!

[Locke2005]

Q: What do you call a guy who spends all his time hanging out with musicians?

A: The drummer!

Re:Short straw has to be Ringo!

[suraklin]

How often does that happen with Guitar Hero? Oh, right. Never

Depends on the women you hang out with. Some of the geek girls I hang out with are impressed with the rock band skills.

Re:Short straw has to be Ringo!

[HTH NE1]

It's time for another Good Idea, Bad Idea.

Good Idea: playing the accordion at a polka festival.

Bad Idea: playing the accordion anywhere else.

Re:Short straw has to be Ringo!

[bigstrat2003]

I always bitch when I see grown adults dedicating weeks of their time developing skills in inane games of pretend.

Way to mischaracterize it. They aren't dedicating weeks of time to developing skills, they're dedicating weeks of time to playing a fun game. The skill development is a natural consequence of spending time, not the goal.

Particularly when they start trying to show off how "awesome" they are at it like they're looking for a cookie. It's disgusting.

Agreed, but the vast majority of people who play the game don't do this, so you're being an asshole to 75% of the players for the actions of 25% (numbers pulled from thin air). Hardly fair of you. More to the point, I have NEVER seen someone on /. bashing the game after someone brags about their skills, they just bring it up out of thin air. Hell, I have NEVER seen someone bragging about their skills for that matter... because they understand that it's just a fucking game.

Re:Short straw has to be Ringo!

[residieu]

It took me maybe an hour to get the hang of Guitar Hero and be able to do a pretty good job having fun "strumming" and "fingering" along to some good songs.

If I'd decided instead to just learn to play guitar, I bet I'd have the guitar tuned by that point. Then I'd spend weeks struggling to get my fingers in to the proper position to play a few basic chords, and not getting anything that even sounds like music for quite some time. Not going to be playing "Talk Dirty to me" any time soon.

Just because something is inane and pointless doesn't mean it's not fun, either. And just because you don't think it's fun doesn't mean I don't think it's fun.

Re:Short straw has to be Ringo!

[Chris Burke]

Blah blah blah.

Since you say in another post you're against adults spending weeks gaining skills in 'inane games of pretend', your obviously not a fan of video games in general (since that's what they all are). That's nice for you, but why don't you just avoid game-related stories since you don't belong and have nothing to contribute to them?

Re:Short straw has to be Ringo!

[dougisfunny]

Its fun in the same way that playing horseshoes or boccie ball. You throw the horseshoe/throw the balls/play the notes.

They are the following:
1) Something that is competitive. With yourself, and against others.
2) You have a metric for how well you're playing.
3) You can improve with practice how close you get to the goal.

People like to compete, be it with themselves or others. So they can say I'm getting better, or I'm better than you.

That is why Rock Band is fun for people.

Re:Short straw has to be Ringo!

[enderjsv]

"I always bitch when I see grown adults dedicating weeks of their time developing skills in inane games of pretend."

1. Then what the hell are you doing in a video game forum?
2. For someone who has, so far, 6 or more posts in a video game forum, you seem far too familiar with "inane" activities to be judging.

Re:Short straw has to be Ringo!

[Abreu]

Dang, I miss Freakazoid!

Re:Short straw has to be Ringo!

[Abreu]

I always bitch when I see grown adults dedicating weeks of their time developing skills in inane games of pretend. Particularly when they start trying to show off how "awesome" they are at it like they're looking for a cookie. It's disgusting.

Well, don't bother coming to our kickass game of Dungeons and Dragons, then...

Re:Short straw has to be Ringo!

[philspear]

How often does that happen with Guitar Hero? Oh, right. Never.

So now all activites are measured against "will women want me more if I do it?"

There goes EVERY videogame. As well as going to the bathroom.

Guitar hero is fun, that's why people do it.

Re:Short straw has to be Ringo!

[meringuoid]

And you're not Putting Those Nerds In Their Place.

This being /., it would be kind of redundant even if he was.

Re:Short straw has to be Ringo!

[cslax]

I'm pretty sure that was Animaniacs.

They must be trying to change the game...

[jskline]

This is tantamount to a complete change of rules in the sales of these. The original target markets are the youth. Most youth could care less about the Beatles and especially the early stuff. They want the metal, they want the punk-funk, they want that sort of stuff that is modern and from their era, not something from prehistoric times.

I can say that with a little moniker of authority as I am a working musician, and have been for quite a number of years both professionally and privately.

Also being a Dad, who at this juncture is 53 years old, (soon to be 54) with a 12 year old and 13 year old at home (yea' they're mine!), and a 20 year old that just moved back in. They like it when Dad plays his old Beatles albums (Yea, I still have the vinyl) and CD's, but when they are listening to their players or stuff on their computers, it's always their modern music that they like. Most times they tolerate Dad listening to this stuff in the car or van, but many times bring their MP3 players and plug their phones in their ears and they're off in their own worlds.

So I have a thought that this will be a gargantuan marketing flop. I don't see much out there in the way of parents my age that would buy this sort of thing. I could be wrong but even my band mates have indicated that they wouldn't spend money on that.

Re:They must be trying to change the game...

[DragonTHC]

I'm 32 and I listen to just about everything. My son will grow up listening to everything.

I am a musician and my son will be as well. I am under the impression that children need indoctrination in music.

The beatles will always be in my top 3 no matter what happens. I will try to instill an appreciation for all music in my son.

So how do you deal with the 3-chord knockoffs being published these days? There's a very low wheat/chaff ratio.

Re:They must be trying to change the game...

[flitty]

Depends. If they actually make a separate game, like the Rock Band AC/DC disc, they will kneecap their potential customers. Personally, I, being a younger fellow, had never really listened to many of the older songs in Rock Band 1&2. I had heard them, but only in the background. When you are forced to play the songs, and really listen (when they are actually good songs), you get an attachment to the songs. They need to give out 3 free Beatles songs and 3 free AC/DC songs as promotional material for the separate games, and they could sell these add ons no problem.

Re:They must be trying to change the game...

[WoNY]

Speaking as one of those METALCORE PUNK CRAZED youth - sort of, I'm 22 - I can say that I will mail a blank check to Harmonix for this game, if need be. My friends in my age group feel the same way - so do my little cousins who were born in the 90s.

If you couldn't communicate to your kids good taste in music as a professional musician...

Re:They must be trying to change the game...

[hansamurai]

Well, the average US gamer's age is 35 years old, that's still not quite in the range of growing up with the Beatles but who hasn't grown up listening to them? I think this will go over well. Parents, when faced with the option of buying Guitar Hero World Tour or Rock Band 2, they might have heard that they can get Beatles' songs with Rock Band 2, and that's the deal breaker.

Re:They must be trying to change the game...

[Junior J. Junior III]

Really, the songs ought to just be add-on modules that you can install and play whatever you like. Games like Rock Band or Guitar Hero should be thought of as platforms.

I'm 33 years old, I love video games, I like the Beatles, I play Rock Band/Guitar Hero, and there's several million people who are just like me. I think they'll be fine on sales.

If they want to do a Jazz Band or a String Quartet game, I'll start worrying more about sales. Those would be pretty cool games, but probably won't have a mass market appeal in quite the same way as a game based on pop does.

Re:They must be trying to change the game...

[Abcd1234]

Most youth could care less about the Beatles

Umm, the phrase is "*couldn't* care less". Why would we care if the youth *could* care less?

Re:They must be trying to change the game...

[Joe Random]

So I have a thought that this will be a gargantuan marketing flop. I don't see much out there in the way of parents my age that would buy this sort of thing.

You're forgetting that there's a generation that's halfway between you and your kids. As a 3X-year-old, I and my similarly-aged friends are huge fans of Rock Band. Bear in mind that we're probably one of the earliest generations to have grown up with video games (enabling us to see past the stigma of games being "for kids"), so we're most certainly within the target demographic for the game. We're also of the age that we're not put off by The Beatles, and would almost certainly find the songs to be both familiar and entertaining.

So no, I don't think this will be a marketing flop at all. It just won't appeal as strongly to non-game-playing-Beatles-fans (obviously), nor to teens. Then again, there's been a significant spike in album sales of some of the classic rock featured in Rock band (citation not included on grounds of laziness), so I wouldn't be at all surprised to see this being a hit with the kids, too.

Re:They must be trying to change the game...

[hal2814]

Yeah, kids these days like things modern and from their era... like Aerosmith and Pat Benatar and Cream and the Sex Pistols. Guitar Hero III is chock full of older music and that Aerosmith Guitar Hero package sold very well. I can't imagine the Beatles doing any worse. I would agree with your assessment except that your original assumption: "The original target markets are the youth." is waaay off. The appeal might not skew as high as 53 year olds who already know how to play an instrument, but there are plenty of 20 and 30-somethings out there who are attracted to these games.

Re:They must be trying to change the game...

[Miseph]

"So how do you deal with the 3-chord knockoffs being published these days? There's a very low wheat/chaff ratio."

There have always been bands full of low talent hacks, and the wheat:chaff ratio has always been low. The crap bands will be forgotten, and in 30 years when everything new right now counts as "classic" they'll wonder how we managed to have so much amazing music with so little shit. That's just how it works.

Re:They must be trying to change the game...

[dido]

Well, the influence of the Beatles in modern rock music is hard to escape. I would even go so far as to say that almost all modern popular music today has been influenced by the music of the Beatles in one way or the other. Even metal and thrash. Listen to "Helter Skelter" sometime... A serious rock musician would recognize this fact and keep open ears.

Re:They must be trying to change the game...

[Divide By Zero]

You mean you don't think the video gamer demographic is waiting with bated breath for Viola Hero? "Man, you guys, AFI's pretty sweet, but I wish we could just play some -chamber music-."

Yeah, probably right.

(I'm 30, just got Rock Band 1 and 2, and would buy the HELL out of some Beatles DLC.)

Re:They must be trying to change the game...

[Techguy666]

This is tantamount to a complete change of rules in the sales of these. The original target markets are the youth.

You must have been away from video games for a while... Have you priced out a full-out Rockband set? Rockband 2 sells for about $190 US. To play on a $300 console. That's out of the price range of most youth. If you want to move on to a "premium drum set", that's another $300. A "premium" guitar? $70. Then there are the customizable skins at $20 a pop... You can also buy a synchronized light and fog machine... A Rockband obsession can cost you more than $1000 easily.

Amazon's 6 screens of fake band game accessories would attest that Rockband and Guitar Hero have broadened their audience to include older, wealthier crowds.

Also, while not quite in the same era as the Beatles, how many of today's teens would care for "Guitar Hero: Aerosmith"? They created that anyway. I would argue the Beatles may be more universally accepted by different age groups.

Re:They must be trying to change the game...

[gEvil (beta)]

When I was growing up, I never really listened to the stuff my dad listened to except when he chose the radio station. I didn't mind any of it, but I never went out of my way to listen to most of it on my own. Now that I'm in my 30s, I can really appreciate being raised on the Beatles, Floyd, Zeppelin, CCR, Boston, Heart, etc.

Re:They must be trying to change the game...

[Merls the Sneaky]

You can't teach "good taste", sure the 60-70 had great music, but if everyone had good taste WTF was everyone running round with the giant flare/bellbottom pant and the platform shoes?

Re:They must be trying to change the game...

[Enderandrew]

Perhaps you missed the recent Slashdot article on how the average new video game player was something like 33. And plenty of people who grew up with video games are in their 40's and 50's.

Re:They must be trying to change the game...

[ari_j]

Shockingly enough, that even applies to the 80's. If the 80's can have a later reputation for being full of great bands, then no decade is really in danger in those terms. It's mostly a question of what the next generation is exposed to - do their parents play a lot of Britney Spears and Miley Cyrus, or will the kids get exposed to actual talent? I have good taste in music despite my mother's bad taste when she was my age, but a lot of that may come from my father so I can't be sure if there are other avenues that my own children would have if I didn't have an unending playlist of good music for them to learn from.

Re:They must be trying to change the game...

[gstoddart]

aybe they are trying to cater to a new market. Afterall, isn't it the dads who afford these 60-100$+ video games? They should be able to get some enjoyment out of it as well. ..... So yeah, I think this is a great move, they are going to get a whole new market interested in the game.

I don't have numbers to support this, but I'm pretty sure a lot of adults are already the ones playing Guitar Hero and Rock Band. I know a lot of people in their 40s who are huge fans of the game.

I think the whole music-game thing has gone well outside the "traditional gamer" market.

I'd be curious to know how many middle-aged people are rocking out to these games.

Cheers

Re:They must be trying to change the game...

[Tokerat]

I doubt it's going to be a whole new game.

Just download it from the Playstation store.

Re:They must be trying to change the game...

[owlnation]

I don't think this be a flop at all. Yes, the primary market isn't necessarily the youth market. But then... they already have that market.

As a 40+ year old who remembers seeing the Beatles perform on the roof of Abbey Road on TV this does interest me. I am not of the video game generation. No game has interested me at all until the Wii came out -- it was the first game unit that actually looked fun to me. I don't want to shoot things, role play or play driving games -- games consoles had no appeal for me whatsoever until the Wii. The youth market, and especially the youth market for teenage males with far too much aggression to resolve, is WELL catered for. This appeals to a different market and is inclusive. It's about time that game makers realized there's millions of potential customers they've been missing, because they don't understand ANYTHING but male teenage violence.

Re:They must be trying to change the game...

[gstoddart]

I'm 33 years old, I love video games, I like the Beatles, I play Rock Band/Guitar Hero, and there's several million people who are just like me. I think they'll be fine on sales.

I think until they completely saturate the market for these games, they'll be fine.

These music games seem hugely popular, and my (utterly non-gamer) GF is totally hooked on them. We have GH3, GH4, GH:Aerosmith, Rock Band. We have friends who have all of them as well, and know a lot of people totally hooked on them.

I'm pretty sure that Beatles tracks on a Rock Band edition would do just fine.

When I hear stories about bands debuting songs inside of music games, it's hard not to think that the popularity of these things has reached a point where they're a significant enough factor that the music labels are really taking notice of it.

Cheers

Re:They must be trying to change the game...

[rolfwind]

I am a musician and my son will be as well.

Your son will rebel against your authoritarian ways in his teenage years by being a book nerd;)

Re:They must be trying to change the game...

[fortyonejb]

While your opinion is welcome, your authority is through the lenses of your own experience, or perceived experience. In my experience, as a part time guitar teacher, my students have begun asking for totally different songs since the advent of guitar hero. Where the kids wanted to learn the latest by today's "hot bands", they are now asking me how to play "Jessica", "Carry On Wayward Son", "Barracuda", "Rock and Roll all Night", you name it, if it was on guitar hero they love it. Also these songs are all over their IPods. The interesting thing is that they want to learn the old songs, not the new ones. I predict this will sell incredibly, its the beatles. Kids will become exposed to it, pick up on it and love it. I never heard a teenager mention Kansas in the past 10 years until guitar hero. These games have a way of bringing the "old" back.

Re:They must be trying to change the game...

[sakonofie]

FTA:

Beatles songs available on a Rock Band game are likely to be popular, but analysts point out that the challenge will be in reaching out to Beatles fans, many of whom are in their 50s and 60s, and marketing the game in a way that will persuade them to buy a videogame console and try the game.

From the parent:

So I have a thought that this will be a gargantuan marketing flop. I don't see much out there in the way of parents my age that would buy this sort of thing. I could be wrong but even my band mates have indicated that they wouldn't spend money on that.

Everyone I know that has Rock Band is a twenty-something (like myself unsurprisingly), and all of them are going to buy and download a Beatles song for Rock Band. It is always an easy choice to get a song that everyone knows and no one dislikes. Beatles fit this criteria quite nicely.
I'd be surprised if they don't have a fine ROI from just people like myself. No extra marketing or target markets required.

Re:They must be trying to change the game...

[ChinggisK]

I don't know about that, I'm 20 and I would love to see some Beatles stuff in Rock Band (actually I'd prefer Guitar Hero, but this would make me strongly consider going for Rock Band next time). Though maybe I'm just an odd one.

Re:They must be trying to change the game...

[residieu]

Yeah, it's like football games. All they REALLY need for Madden 2009 is an updated roster for the teams, but they make you buy the whole game instead. I don't want to have 5 versions of Guitar Hero and 5 versions of Rock Band. I want one Rock simulation game that has an ever-expanding range of music I can play.

Re:They must be trying to change the game...

[Govno]

Chalk up one 40s player who is addicted to Rock Band (and rb2) drumming. I can't say I like most of the music included in Rock Band 2, though. Neither does my wife. I've noticed almost all of the "music" from the Harmonix bands is seriously bad quality music that I wouldn't be arsed to purchase as DLC. Visions being the most notable of the bunch, but the rest aren't much better from a music theory standpoint.

I can say for sure that if Harmonix releases the Beatles as a separate game (ala the AC/DC release) I won't be buying it. DLC albums for me 100%. I hate swapping disks on my PS3. :)

Re:They must be trying to change the game...

[Toonol]

I think it's pretty clear that the success of those music games is because they already cater to a much wider demographic than, say, Gears of War, or other random gritty 1st person shooters. Of course, that's the entire reason the Wii won this generation; I wonder when it will stop being so shocking that all videogamers aren't 17 year old boys?

Re:They must be trying to change the game...

[bigstrat2003]

If you couldn't communicate to your kids good taste in music as a professional musician...

Taste is purely subjective. If they don't like the Beatles, then they don't, and there's nothing that can be done about it (and nothing wrong with it, either). I myself can't stand the Beatles (which is not because they're old, I just hate that particular old band), and no one could have instilled a liking for that band in me. It's just how it is.

Re:They must be trying to change the game...

[darkmayo]

I cant entirely agree with your assesment that the target market for Rock Band is the youth (unless you mean younger than you) I'm 30 and almost everyone I know who is 20-40 loves Rock Band, the diversity of the songs is quite apparent that they are targeting a broad audience. The amount of Rock Band parties that friends have and friends who arent gamers have had is astounding, when you go to bar and they have a Rock Band night you know this is not just for the kids.

lets take a peek at the set list for Rock Band 2

"Let There Be Rock" by AC/DC
"Girl's Not Grey" by AFI "You Oughta Know" by Alanis Morissette
"Man in the Box" by Alice in Chains "Ramblin' Man" by Allman Brothers Band
"Almost Easy" by Avenged Sevenfold "Shooting Star" by Bad Company
"So What'cha Want" by Beastie Boys "E-Pro" by Beck
"Rebel Girl" by Bikini Kill "White Wedding Pt. I" by Billy Idol
"One Way or Another" by Blondie "Tangled Up in Blue" by Bob Dylan
"Livin' on a Prayer" by Bon Jovi "Hello There" by Cheap Trick
"Uncontrollable Urge" by Devo "Feel the Pain" by Dinosaur Jr.
"Down with the Sickness" by Disturbed "Panic Attack" by Dream Theatre
"Hungry Like the Wolf" by Duran Duran "Pump It Up" by Elvis Costello
"Go Your Own Way" by Fleetwood Mac "Everlong" by Foo Fighters
"Shackler's Revenge" by Guns N' Roses "PDA" by Interpol
"Mountain Song" by Jane's Addiction
"Aqualung" by Jethro Tull "The Middle" by Jimmy Eat World
"Bad Reputation" by Joan Jett "Anyway You Want It" by Journey
"Painkiller" by Judas Priest "Carry On Wayward Son" by Kansas
"Pretend We're Dead" by L7 "Our Truth" by Lacuna Coil
"One Step Closer" by Linkin Park
"My Own Worst Enemy" by Lit "De-Luxe" by Lush
"Colony of Birchmen" by Mastodon "Peace Sells" by Megadeth
"Battery" by Metallica "Where'd You Go" by Mighty Mighty Bosstones
"Float On" by Modest Mouse "Ace of Spades" by Motörhead
"Drain You" by Nirvana "Spirit in the Sky" by Norman Greenbaum
"Nine in the Afternoon" by Panic! At the Disco
"That's What You Get" by Paramore "Alive" by Pearl Jam
"Lump" by Presidents of the United States of America
"Testify" by Rage Against the Machine "Round & Round" by Ratt
"Give it Away" by Red Hot Chili Peppers "Give it All" by Rise Against
"The Trees" by Rush "Lazy Eye" by Silversun Pickups
"Today" by Smashing Pumpkins "I Was Wrong" by Social Distortion
"Teenage Riot" by Sonic Youth "Spoonman" by Soundgarden
"Cool for Cats" by Squeeze "Bodhitsattva" by Steely Dan
"Rock'n Me" by Steve Miller Band "Eye of the Tiger" by Survivor
"Chop Suey" by System of a Down "Psycho Killer" by Talking Heads
"Master Exploder" by Tenacious D "Souls of Black" by Testament
"New Kid in School" by The Donnas "We Got the Beat" by The Go-Go's
"Alabama Getaway" by The Grateful Dead "American Woman" by The Guess Who
"Kids in America" by The Muffs "Come Out & Play (Keep 'em Seperated)" by The Offspring" Alex Chilton" by The Replacements, "Pinball Wizard" by The Who

Add that with the stuff from Rock Band 1 (Boston, David Bowie etc)and all the downloadable content (i think at just under 300 some songs now) you have alot of music that not alot of "kids" would recognize

As well there is an 14 song AC/DC live pack out in November

Tack a price tag of the complete Rock Band kit (Drums,Guitar,Mic etc) at around $200 you cant tell me that this is a game aimed at kids.

Another thing that Rockband and Guitar Hero are doing is introducing people music that they may not have ever listened to before. I knew who Boston was but until Rock Band I never actually listened to it, there is some great stuff there.

The gamer audience isnt just kids, the people who grew up on video games are in there 30s/40s now and we still love our games.

Re:They must be trying to change the game...

[rhizome]

So how do you deal with the 3-chord knockoffs being published these days? There's a very low wheat/chaff ratio.

This has always been the case. What did they do in the 80s? The 50s? The 1780s? Same as now: some people like it, some don't, and most acts fall off the map and are forgotten. It's a hallmark of old-timer's syndrome to think that things are particularly worse now than they were years ago, but that doesn't hold up to examination. "Same as it ever was" is closer to the mark.

Re:They must be trying to change the game...

[Widowwolf]

Same as what happened with this guy! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZOU8GIRUd_g

Re:They must be trying to change the game...

[SuiteSisterMary]

Note that Rock Band AC/DC will allow you to rip the songs directly into Rock Band 2 (much like you could rip all songs from Rock Band 1, save for three of them) and then your AC/DC disc goes on the shelf; all you've done is buy a physical disc instead of DLC.

Harmonix has always said that Rock Band is the platform; but why not release targeted Rock Band discs, instead of the 'mixer' discs that RB 1 and 2 were? Especially if the RB: ARTIST_GOES_HERE discs still let you download new tunes and stuff.

Re:They must be trying to change the game...

[default luser]

Also, while not quite in the same era as the Beatles, how many of today's teens would care for "Guitar Hero: Aerosmith"? They created that anyway. I would argue the Beatles may be more universally accepted by different age groups.

You'd be surprised to hear it, but Aerosmith was not a very popular band until the late 1980s. "Dream On" was their top single of the 1970s, and it only peaked at #6 - hardly what you'd expect from the band today. They had a couple platinum albums, and then followed that with a half-dozen crappy albums spanning a decade.

Then, they released "Permanant Vacation" in 1987, which had three singles that still see regular radio play ("Dude (Looks Like A Lady)," "Rag Doll" and "Angel"). About the same time they released the Run DMC remake of "Walk This Way," of course, featuring Aerosmith. They followed that up with the multi-platinum selling "Pump" and "Get a Grip", both which had fancy videos on MTV.

Who was buying these albums, you ask? Sure as hell wasn't the old people. They were marketing Aerosmith like crazy to kids like me when I was in junior high school. They managed to gain an entirely new base of fans from these three hyped albums, and they've been able to ride that wave for the last fifteen years. Now, there are lots of gamers and Aerosmith fans in their late twenties / early thirties, and they'll eat-up a Guitar Hero release with Aerosmith.

Re:They must be trying to change the game...

[gstoddart]

"I am a musician and my son will be as well."

Your son will rebel against your authoritarian ways in his teenage years by being a book nerd;)

Or, worse ... an accountant. ;-)

Cheers

Re:They must be trying to change the game...

[dhudson0001]

3-chord knockoffs? The Beatles had plenty of them...doesn't mean the songs sucked, just that they tended to be somewhat redundant at times.

Re:They must be trying to change the game...

[5of0]

Okay, there are only a few things wrong with this:
First, a personal anectdote - I'm 20, and the single artist that I have the most of is the Beatles. My other favorites include Kansas, Styx, The Police...I may not be your average 20-year-old, but I think you have a slightly narrow view of the music tastes of my age range.
Secondly, why are fully half the songs in Guitar hero I and II from before 1984, and roughly a third of those in Guitar Hero III? What a gargantuan marketing flop! Nearly half of all guitar hero songs were written before the target market was even born! Those kids aren't even going to play that crap...they want their new punk-funk metal stuff, none of this classic rock crap.
News flash: some people like music that was written before they were born.

Re:They must be trying to change the game...

[jskline]

Then you might be right. You will likely have a better perspective over this being you actually interact with them. I have only my kids and our audiences to gauge by. By your name, I suspect you are in your 40's somewhere and this might be where we tend to fork the road a bit in the thinking.

You keep right on pushing them and such. Mine are picking up but at 12 and 13, even I know they have no clue what they want to do later on in life. They get the music lessons and they have free access to my media server so they can load their mp3 players up at will. We'll have to wait and see how all this eventually comes out.

Re:They must be trying to change the game...

[jskline]

I'll grant you that. I did not know there were that many on there but based on that list, it does appear to cater to those around your age. This is what is so mysterious to me as given the music I grew up with is nowhere on here, and we (my age) started the "garage band" sound. I can name a bunch of bands that were the predicates of what you guys got in the 80s for that sound. All this is why this whole thing is a bit weird for me. But yea; we shall see what it does. I'm definitely not against having fun, but in my case, I'd rather get the guys (and gals) together in our rehearsal space, turn the amps on (and up) and "GET LOUD!"..

Cheers

Re:They must be trying to change the game...

[jedidiah]

Let them listen and make up their own mind.

It has worked for every successive generation since the Beatles were the hot new thing.

Re:They must be trying to change the game...

[treeves]

I'd definitely get French Horn Hero - Woodwind Quintet (or Brass Quintet) Version if they came out with either of them.

Re:They must be trying to change the game...

[The_reformant]

Meh who gives a rats ass, GH world TOur has 3 tool songs!!!!! I predict a hold in gigging in my real band right round its release :D

Abbey road

[m0s3m8n]

After you complete Abbey Road your disk breaks up.

Re:Abbey road

[aproposofwhat]

Just so long as I don't have to marry a tuneless cow and then get shot in the back...

Re:Abbey road

[Enderandrew]

In all fairness I think that comparison is unfair to the cow. Ono is more of a harpy.

Re:Abbey road

[lilomar]

And if you play the game disk backwards, it says, "The recording industry is dead, the recording industry is dead, the recording industry is dead..." over and over.

Re:Abbey road

[ari_j]

Just so long as I don't have to marry a tuneless cow and then get shot in the back...

On Beginner mode, you only have to do half of those things.

Will this include..

[computechnica]

I wonder if they will Helter Skelter? I hope they include Maxwell Silver. Some of the Beatles songs were happily dark.

Re:Will this include..

[Locke2005]

Maxwell's Silver Hammer was very dark. Helter Skelter was just a hard-rocking song about a rollercoaster. It was never considered dark until it was (undeservedly) associated with Charles Manson. Part of the Beatles' appeal was their (McCartney's?) bizarre sense of humor, which led them to do songs like Rocky Racoon and Maxwell's Silver Hammer.

Please, nothing with Paul singing

[Raleel]

Honestly, I just think his lyrics and singing are insipid and inane. He almost kills every quality that I could like in the Beatles.

That being said, still a big fan of Sgt. Peppers and Yellow Submarine.

Re:Please, nothing with Paul singing

[Critical Facilities]

Insightful?? Come on mods! I respect if your preference is for John, but that's your opinion and hardly an Insightful comment on their music. It is kind of interesting that you like Sgt. Pepper given how many of the songs have Paul taking the lead vocal (Getting Better, Fixing a Hole, Lovely Rita, etc). For me, I like the balance/juxtaposing of John and Paul, but that's just my opinion.

Re:Please, nothing with Paul singing

[Gizzmonic]

Your post is whining and self-contradictory. At least Paul never thought he was Jesus Christ.

Re:Please, nothing with Paul singing

[tompaulco]

It's insightful because among professional singers, Paul really is quite an awful singer. I mean he's not as bad as Bob Dylan was (of course, Dylan's gotten much better. He had to be coached on how to sing like Bob Dylan on "We Are The World").
I like a lot of the Beatles later stuff. Can't say I care for the bubble gum pop crap that they did. But what was truly amazing about them was how they managed to create a sonically interesting piece incorporating relatively low instrumental and vocal skills. Pop stars today can't come up with sonically interesting pieces, even if they are more talented musically than the Beatles.

Re:Please, nothing with Paul singing

[porcupine8]

I think his singing is fine, but all of his solo attempts have proven beyond a doubt that he was getting the good end of the bargain in the Lennon/McCartney songwriting credit agreement.

Apple Music

[aapold]

The fact that a videogame publisher beat iTunes

They're not still bitter over that Apple Corpse/Music legal fight are they?

The songs

[zepo1a]

The have a lot of songs that would be no fun in Rockband (except for maybe singers)
But they also have a lot of songs that would be awesome in Rockband. Off the top of my head I'd like to see
She Said She Said
And Your Bird Can Sing
I Want to Tell You.
Taxman
Within You And Without You

I think I finally understand what a nerdgasm is. :)

Idiom "could care less"

[tepples]

Umm, the phrase is "*couldn't* care less". Why would we care if the youth *could* care less?

Because in practice, "could care less" is short for "could barely care less" or "could care less, but it would be a chore".

Re:Idiom "could care less"

[Abcd1234]

Because in practice, "could care less" is short for "could barely care less" or "could care less, but it would be a chore".

No... it really isn't. :) It's just a misstatement of the phrase by people who don't think about the words they're speaking or typing.

Re:Idiom "could care less"

[Gizzmonic]

Once enough people "misspeak" the expression, it reaches critical mass and becomes proper usage.

And thus, the English language evolves.

Re:Idiom "could care less"

[Abcd1234]

Once enough people "misspeak" the expression, it reaches critical mass and becomes proper usage.

I can accept that for, say, mispronounciations, such as irregardless (well, "accept" isn't quite right, but...). But, come on, this is *clearly* a case of an incorrect grammatical construction.

So while this may be common usage, it most certainly is not *proper*.

Re:Idiom "could care less"

[Abcd1234]

Isn't that the point of language?

If that were true we wouldn't have courses on spelling and grammar. We wouldn't teach people correct professional writing for essays, resumes, and so forth. Thus, clearly, writing is about more than just transmitting simple ideas.

What exactly is the point of your pedantic posts

Oh, make no mistake, there isn't any.

Re:Idiom "could care less"

[ZERO1ZERO]

This should clear it up . http://incompetech.com/gallimaufry/care_less.html

Besides, if someone "could care less, but it would be a chore", then they can still care less and therefore have a degree of care. Damn yanks. :)

Re:Idiom "could care less"

[HTH NE1]

Once enough people "misspeak" the expression, it reaches critical mass and becomes proper usage.

And thus, the English language evolves.

Or devolves as the case may be where words and phrases change meaning to mean the opposite of what they're supposed to mean. See also "moot".

Either people are getting more sarcastic or just too lazy to include the "n't" of "couldn't". We've gone from double- and triple-negatives to omitted negatives.

Re:Idiom "could care less"

[diqmay]

Results 1 - 10 of about 2,030,000 for "I could care less". (0.22 seconds)

Results 1 - 10 of about 982,000 for "I couldn't care less". (0.25 seconds)

And there it is.

Re:Idiom "could care less"

[HTH NE1]

And who decides what words are "supposed to mean"? That's right, it's majority rule!

No. Right and wrong is not subject to majority rule.

Washington: Project Freelancer had one last resort failsafe: a high power E.M.P. that can wipe out all the A.I. in this facility. Now that the Meta is here we have a chance to take them all out at once and put this entire project out of commission.
Grif: What's an E.M.P.?
Washington: It's an electo-magnetic pulse. It wipes out all circuitry and computers it touches. It will destroy the A.I.--
Simmons: Oh, you mean an Emp.
Sarge: Yeah, I was just about to say. Sounds like he's talkin' 'bout an Emp.
Washington: Emp? That's not how you say it.
Sarge: That's how most people say it. "Emp."
Washington: No, they don't.
Church: I say it that way.
Washington: It's initials for Electro, Magnetic, Pulse. That's E.M.P.
Grif: Right. Which spells Emp. Durr.
Washington: We don't have time for this. You're wrong.
Simmons: Why don't we take a vote?
Washington: A vote? No. No vote, you're just wrong. There's no vote, it's E.M.P.
Caboose: Not very democratic.
Washington: Being wrong isn't a Democracy.

Re:Idiom "could care less"

[MrNiceguy_KS]

I wonder how many results for both searches point to grammar wars like this one.

Re:Idiom "could care less"

[HTH NE1]

Which part of "moot" do you think is this discussion?

Re:Idiom "could care less"

[bostonguy]

Actually, it is also (at least in my family) meant to be spoken sarcastically.

In that case, it makes perfect sense.

Re:Idiom "could care less"

[geekoid]

irregardless isn't a mispronunciations, it's a nonsensical word.

Re:Idiom "could care less"

[The End Of Days]

I would like to introduce you to the concept of "idioms." Apparently while you were mastering the English language through your courses on spelling and grammar, you missed the part where we can have phrases that don't mean what the literal definition says.

Re:Idiom "could care less"

[njahnke]

Why does human language need to be proper? Doesn't it just need to be understood?

Re:Idiom "could care less"

[Abcd1234]

Doesn't it just need to be understood?

Yeah, you're right. Forget poetry, formal written language, grammar, spelling... as long as the ideas are communicated, that's all that matters.

By the way, *that* was sarcasm.

Re:Idiom "could care less"

[drsquare]

No. And by that, I actually mean yes, which is now the new word for no. I do see what the problem is with people unmisunderstanding language by missing off negativising prefixes. And by prefixes I mean subfixes, the word has simply evolved through misuse.

oh please

[gEvil (beta)]

Oh please let one of them be Revolution 9!

Re:oh please

[AkaKaryuu]

I would rather have Revolution 8.

Number Eight Belch... Number Eight Belch

In related news...

[lxs]

They've also licenced all of Mozart's works for their upcoming Harpsichord Hero.

I'm sure the kids are dying to pretend playing grandpa's music.

Re:In related news...

[djwoodard]

They've also licenced all of Mozart's works for their upcoming Harpsichord Hero.

Don't you mean Chamber Music Hero?

Re:In related news...

[Jellybob]

Wow, not only are you drunk and incoherant, you also utterly failed to reply to your own comment.

I recommend you find a doctor to pump your stomach for you.

Re:In related news...

[u8i9o0]

They've also licenced all of Mozart's works for their upcoming Harpsichord Hero.
I'm sure the kids are dying to pretend playing grandpa's music.

Funny.
But I just realized something: "Please Please Me" was published in 1963, 45 years ago.
Technically, The Beatles IS grandpa's music!

Re:In related news...

[Tetsujin]

They've also licenced all of Mozart's works for their upcoming Harpsichord Hero.

I'm sure the kids are dying to pretend playing grandpa's music.

No, Harmonix doesn't do the "Hero" series anymore...

This also means, unfortunately, the long-rumored "Accordion Hero" will never be released...

Re:In related news...

[The Clockwork Troll]

And don't forget the forthcoming Sitar Hero, featuring a unique 64-button controller.

Can you defeat Ravi Shankar in the ultimate semitonal battle?

Beatles Story?

[Smivs]

'All together now', 'Ask me now' 'Any time at all' 'Because' 'I should have known better'. 'I want to tell you' 'In spite of all the danger' 'I'll be on my way' 'With a little help from my friends'. 'Help', 'I'm so tired', 'I'm only sleeping', 'I'm down'. 'Good night'!

Re:Beatles Story?

[ari_j]

Hey Jude: Back in the USSR, all you need is love in a Yellow Submarine.

Howard Goodall on The Beatles...

[titzandkunt]

If you like The Beatles, it's well worth looking at composer Howard Goodall's analysis of their music and development. Not at all dull and dry, but accessible, entertaining and informative.

'Tis (mainly) on YouTube...

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4 - can't find the damn thing. Curses!

Part 5

Part 5

Really, I can't recommend this enough.

Re:Howard Goodall on The Beatles...

[titzandkunt]

Damn! two "Part 5"'s! Sorry, of course "Part 5" mark II is really "Part 6"...

Re:Howard Goodall on The Beatles...

[Jeremy Erwin]

thanks. Perhaps some will say that he overanalyzes art, but I found it very interesting.

No new games, please

[LordNimon]

but it would be nice to see a whole game based on just the evolution of The Beatles' music.

No, actually it wouldn't be nice to have another whole new game just for one band. What would be nice is to be able to purchase and download individual songs at a reasonable price. The AC/DC version of Rock Band costs $40 for 18 songs, and you can't buy individual songs - it's all or nothing. This shit has gotta stop.

Re:No new games, please

[ari_j]

One likes to believe in the freedom of music, eh? The question is whether they make more money selling $40 units to fewer people or $2.25 x [1,18] units to more people. I don't know what all AC/DC songs are on the Rock Band game, but here's my guess: If they sold individual tracks, everyone would buy the songs he or she was already familiar with, meaning for most Rock Band players only a couple of songs like You Shook Me All Night Long and Highway to Hell. The only way to sell such people songs like Ride On or Givin' the Dog a Bone is to sell a monolithic game.

Re:No new games, please

[Gothic_Walrus]

The AC/DC version of Rock Band costs $40 for 18 songs, and you can't buy individual songs - it's all or nothing.

I hope you're not complaining about the pricing - assuming the a la carte download pricing two dollars per song, yo'ure only paying four dollars more for the physical product. Admittedly, it'd be cheaper than $36 if it were up as DLC and you bought the entire album, but I'm pretty sure this isn't a value problem.

AC/DC and the Beatles have been two of the bands that have shown the most resistance to downloading - unless you've got a particular cell phone you can't legally download AC/DC's catalog, and you can't get the Beatles anywhere. I'd be willing to bet that this was the only way to get the bands into the game...but given the size of the "get" this is for Harmonix (the world's most popular band, and one that made one of America's all-time best-selling albums), I don't think they argued much over how the content would be delivered.

Getting these bands into the game is more important than letting you pick and choose songs. It's more important to Harmonix, it's more important to the fans of the bands, it's more important to the bands, and it's more important to legitimize the importance of Rock Band and Guitar Hero.

Re:No new games, please

[cowscows]

You're almost certainly right that that is the calculation that they're making. But they've got to realize that with there being such a big spread in the options (zero dollars or forty dollars), there's a big middle ground of money that they're just leaving on the table.

I think what's likely is that after a while, all these songs will become available as individual DLC. If you don't mind waiting, you'll get a chance to pay just for the songs that you want.

There's also another level of the middle ground, which music has long taken advantage of with the standard album format, and which also works in RockBand. I recently purchased the entire Red Hot Chili Peppers album that was available as DLC, even though I was really only interested in about half of the songs. But the bundle wasn't as extreme ($20 vs. $40), so I didn't mind dropping a little extra cash for stuff that I wasn't as excited about.

Re:No new games, please

[LordNimon]

I am complaining about the price because I don't want 18 AC/DC songs. I only want a few of them, and that's not worth $40 to me. AC/DC says they sell albums, not songs, and that's their right. It's also my right to complain about it and not purchase any of their stuff.

Fortunately, I don't care enough about AC/DC or the Beatles to really care that I'm not getting their songs, so I'm not going to make a big deal about this.

By the way, I just noticed this update to the news. Apparently, this Beatles "thing" is not going to be a Rock Band-branded game. So there's a possibility that the songs won't even be transferable to Rock Band.

Re:No new games, please

[Gothic_Walrus]

I am complaining about the price because I don't want 18 AC/DC songs. I only want a few of them, and that's not worth $40 to me. AC/DC says they sell albums, not songs, and that's their right. It's also my right to complain about it and not purchase any of their stuff.

Fair enough. The Beatles are an album band too, though, and with the exception of "1" and the Cirque du Soleil show, their albums haven't been chopped up and rearranged. I'd expect the same kind of treatment here.

By the way, I just noticed this update [xbox360fanboy.com] to the news. Apparently, this Beatles "thing" is not going to be a Rock Band-branded game. So there's a possibility that the songs won't even be transferable to Rock Band.

According to this, the game's going to be compatible with the Rock Band instruments, and they haven't said that the music WON'T appear in Rock BAnd, dodging that question when it came up. Don't discount the possibility based on what we don't know.

Re:No new games, please

[ari_j]

The problem is that there are many people who will pay $40 for the bundle even though they only want, say, half the songs. The middle ground leaves that money on the table. Probably the right thing to do is the same thing that restaurants do: You can get an 8oz. drink for $1.00, a 16oz. drink for $1.50, and a 32oz. drink for $2.00, for instance. Why not sell individual songs for $4, the 8 most popular of them for $25, and all 18 for $40, or something like that, to capture both the people who will pay $40 for the full bundle and the people who won't pay $40 just to get the half of it they like?

Then again, I am a mere hourly servant and do not know the first thing about economics, marketing, or the video game industry. Okay, maybe I know the first thing about one of those, but that's it.

Re:No new games, please

[mblase]

The AC/DC version of Rock Band costs $40 for 18 songs, and you can't buy individual songs - it's all or nothing. This shit has gotta stop.

They said that about CDs (with 8-14 songs for $16, all or nothing), and AC/DC doesn't care about that, either.

Re:No new games, please

[SuiteSisterMary]

Please note that the Rock Band AC/DC thing is due to AC/DC, not due to Harmonix making a cash grab. Just like AC/DC won't let you download individual tracks off of iTunes, they don't want people to have the option to pick and choose songs; they consider each album to be a complete unit.

Re:No new games, please

[LordNimon]

Oh, I definitely don't blame Harmonix for any of this crap. I know full well that these bands have a holier-than-thou complex and they refuse to give their fans all the options that other bands do. Like I said, I've been lucky that so far, I don't care enough about the bands that are doing this (AC/DC, the Beatles, and the various bands that signed on with Guitar Hero) to be disappointed.

Re:No new games, please

[merreborn]

but it would be nice to see a whole game based on just the evolution of The Beatles' music.

No, actually it wouldn't be nice to have another whole new game just for one band. What would be nice is to be able to purchase and download individual songs at a reasonable price. The AC/DC version of Rock Band costs $40 for 18 songs, and you can't buy individual songs - it's all or nothing. This shit has gotta stop.

According to WP track packs exist ONLY for the platforms that don't support downloads: PS2 and Wii. And they retail for $30, not $40. If you have an xbox360 or PS3, you can download the tracks in question as you please.

There's not really any way around it. A track pack like that takes several hundred meg to store. That sort of storage isn't really available for the PS2 and Wii. Either the Wii and PS2 get these "track pack" discs... or they get no content additional content at all.

Don't like it? Don't buy 'em, or buy a console with real storage.

Re:No new games, please

[LordNimon]

We're not talking about Track Packs. I have an Xbox 360, and the only way I can get any of those 18 AC/DC songs is if I spend $40 on the full-blown AC/DC version of the Rock Band game. The regular Rock Band game will allow me to import those songs to my hard drive so that I don't need the AC/DC version, but like I said earlier, that's not worth $40 to me.

Re:No new games, please

[lxs]

"The AC/DC version of Rock Band costs $40 for 18 songs, and you can't buy individual songs - it's all or nothing."

That's why I hated Quake II. You had to buy ALL THE LEVELS or none at all.

Re:No new games, please

[adavies42]

One likes to believe in the freedom of music, eh?

Speaking of which, where's Rock Band: Rush? I want to play "2112"!

Re:No new games, please

[ari_j]

I couldn't resist the reference given the parent's sig. I also want to see Rock Band: Def Leppard. Not because I like Def Leppard, but because I want to see some Rock Band fanatics tying an arm behind their backs, or cutting it off if they're hardcore. ;)

Re:Exclusive are bad, huh?

[Ayanami Rei]

The articles elude to but do not specify whether this is an exclusive. If anyone is dictating those terms my gut says that it is Apple Corp.

That's nothin...

[nobodyman]

When you complete Helter Skelter on "Expert" mode, you actually do get blisters on your fingers!!!

Actually, that wouldn't be a bad idea for an achievement name.

Re:fuck the fab 4.

[CheshireFerk-o]

i guess that didnt work out... see above =D
HA HA when im sober im sure thats 4 the better =D
nite ppl! =D

Wake me when....

[MooseDontBounce]

They get the rights to Man 'O War's catalog...
Seriously, that is cool. It might be fun to get the whole family playing 'Hey Jude'.

Re:Wake me when....

[silent_artichoke]

Oh, the Agony and the Ecstacy!

Not Rock Band

[Princeofcups]

It's going to be a whole new game, not an expansion for Rock Band. Also, it won't be out until XMas 09.

Re:Not Rock Band

[Tokerat]

It's going to be a whole new game, not an expansion for Rock Band. Also, it won't be out until XMas 09.

Lame.

Re:Not Rock Band

[SuiteSisterMary]

Well, the AC/DC Rock Band 'stand alone' game that's about to come out has a handy feature that lets you rip all of the music into Rock Band 2 and add it to your pile. Presumably they'd be after the same idea here.

Re:Not Rock Band

[Endo13]

In fact, it's not a Rock Band game at all, though it is made by the same developers.

http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1598228/20081030/beatles.jhtml

Uh huh.

[Ayanami Rei]

I suppose you just didn't have friends who wanted to play with you. Poor baby, awwww... Now you can woo them with BUSKING . Now you're cool!

Re:Uh huh.

[justleavealonemmmkay]

Yeah, playing an instrument is something I want to do all my life all alone. Who would want to play music in a group ?

Re:In the mean time...

[cowscows]

I'm not trying to knock on your decision to try a real guitar, but at such a novice and uncommitted level of playing, are you really doing anything more useful than what you'd get farting around with RockBand?

You're not likely to build a musical career out of it. You're not learning any special skills that are applicable to the rest of your life (at least not any that can only be learned through "real" guitar playing).

If you're having fun with it, that's great. But the suggestion that everyone who's enjoying guitar hero or rockband would be better served with a real guitar is missing the point of those games. And stating that messing around with a real guitar is inherently a more worthwhile activity than a video game is short-sighted as well.

Gah! Will they NEVER die???

[Jane Q. Public]

Not the people, the band! I did not like them when they were new, and I do not like them now they are old. They irritate me vastly, and I would like them to go away and leave me alone.

Re:Gah! Will they NEVER die???

[geekoid]

I did not like them in a box, I did not like them with a fox.

So it must be sarcasm

[tepples]

when abbreviating a phrase, certain key words need to remain, for example:
I'd really like you to cut my penis off
I'd really like you to not cut my penis off

They mean the same thing; the first just says it with sarcasm. "I could care less" is likewise sarcastic.

Nice theme, I've got better

[Sun.Jedi]

Beatles music is not very intricate, elegant, or difficult to play (even LH bass). I think game devs would enjoy a better market response for the following titles.

- DOOM IV: Beatles Reunite!
- MS Flight Simulator Lynyrd Skynyrd bonus pack
- Leisure Suit Larry: Return of Neverland
- Wiifit: The McDonalds super-size me edition

Re:Nice theme, I've got better

[Civil_Disobedient]

Beatles music is not very intricate, elegant, or difficult to play (even LH bass).

You need to put on your historical relativity goggles. Their music was vastly more sophisticated than 90%* of the rest of popular music of the time.

And I'd love to see you play the sitar.

* ~10% for Stax/Atlantic

Re:Nice theme, I've got better

[Sun.Jedi]

You need to put on your historical relativity goggles.

Point. I hadn't considered that, but yesterday's technology/methods don't usually pop my mind first.

And I'd love to see you play the sitar.

If I had time/inclination, I bet I could. This doesn't look terribly different. Sounds pretty bad though. ;)

Re:In the mean time...

[cowscows]

Well, sadly, my life is full of responsibilities and such that make it basically impossible for me to be a rock star. And even more unfortunately, most of my friends have similar issues keeping them from living out their musical potential as well.

Rock Band puts us in a situation that I cannot encounter. I am more likely to end up managing a city than I am to end up playing guitar in a big auditorium.

Re:In the mean time...

[cowscows]

I look forwards to the advances in technology that extend my life to the point where I can accomplish all the other goals that I have for my life so that I can finally find the time to really learn how to play an instrument. Until then I'll just have to suffer under the knowledge that I'm destined to live a life full of unimportant tasks and mired in a cultural wasteland.

By definition, nobody really knows what it's like to be anybody else. There are lots of hills out there to climb, music isn't some magical scared mountain that's taller than all the rest.

Hooray for the Beatles!

[seven of five]

About time this shamefully overlooked band got the recognition they deserve.

Re:In the mean time...

[Gizzmonic]

Mathematics?

You didn't already know how to count to 4?

Re:In the mean time...

[multipartmixed]

You forget three things:

1. Guitar Hero builds/uses precisely the mental pathways as are used by real musicians reading music.

2. Guitar Hero teaches meter. And there are PLENTY of non-musicians out there (and even wannabees with a borrowed amp and an old Strat) without meter.

3. Guitar Hero is fun

Time to end of life that product line

[Animats]

As someone called in to a local radio station, "Haven't those guys passed their sell-by date?". Will there be an Elvis expansion pack?

Some other genres are worse. Rock Band could probably emulate all existing house music with about half an hour of samples and a state machine to mix them. Oh, wait.

Re:Time to end of life that product line

[meringuoid]

As someone called in to a local radio station, "Haven't those guys passed their sell-by date?"

Are you kidding? The Beatles have gone beyond rock stardom; their songs are common currency. In a secular society they've replaced the old hymns as the songbook everyone has in common, the set of tunes everyone knows, the basis vectors of our musical culture. I've heard mothers singing Beatles songs to infants in the cradle, and once a song gets into that market it's good for centuries. Some day a book of folk songs will contain the words and music to 'Yesterday' and list it as 'Traditional'. The name of the Beatles might be forgotten in the millennia to come, but I'd expect their music to survive for a very long time indeed.

Will there be an Elvis expansion pack?

I doubt it. They're too heavily dominated by the vocalist. If you're going for really early rock and roll, I vote Buddy Holly. Or Chuck Berry. I want to play Johnny B. Goode!

Guitar Hero: World Tour DLC

[Manfesto]

FWIW, I'm pretty sure this is how Guitar Hero: World Tour is treating its DLC. The DLC selection is pretty small at the moment, but you are allowed to pick and choose which songs you want to download. Right now, the only artist with multiple tracks up is Metallica, but soon there will be multiple tracks from REM, Oasis, and (I can't wait for this one) Jimi Hendrix. I'm guessing they'll continue with this fashion

I'd personally like to see a happy medium, a la iTunes - download each individually if you want, or buy an "artist track pack" and save a buck or two.

Let's hope this is just DLC and not another disc..

[daringone]

but it would be nice to see a whole game based on just the evolution of The Beatles' music

No, it would not. It would be nice to see downloadable content of the evolution of the Beatles' music. I'm tired of games that supporting DLC releasing add-on discs that force you to completely change discs to play music from these collections when the core game is *exactly* the same. Guitar Hero, Singstar, I'm looking at you here! Kudos to Rock Band 2's ability to import in the songs of the previous games. Here's hoping that the Beatles are no exception.

Re:In the mean time...

[porcupine8]

Yeah, I know what you mean. I feel the same way about all those losers playing GTA instead of actually honing real carjacking skills. And don't even get me STARTED on the assholes who are too lame to find actual treasures - Tomb Raider, my ass.

I know this one weirdo who can play the actual guitar, he has a couple self-published CDs and everything, and yet he STILL insists on playing Guitar Hero and Rock Band! It's as though the game and the actual musical instrument fulfill separate purposes or something!

Not DLC, HUGE difference.

[sarysa]

It's a supplement, really. I'll use myself as an example. iTunes and CDs can't get my business. I'm too open minded in my music tastes and just listen to whatever Pandora or the local radio stations (that have online streams) bring to me. But RB has opened my wallet wide, I've spent well over $150 on RB DLC. My criteria is simply "will be fun to play on drums".

But like I said, it's a supplement. I'm an odd case when it comes to music, and by using more mediums to sell their work, artists can find more super-niche markets like me to squeeze in every last penny of a song's value, but by no means would it ever replace iTunes.

Finally, keep in mind that these old bands like AC/DC, Metallica, and The Beatles aren't entirely hip to the new trends. Also, these games are separate games and NOT downloadable content. (DLC) AC/DC I know is one band that flat out rejects iTunes. They don't have to because their main audience is in their 40's, 50's, 60's and will probably buy traditional media for the rest of their lives. RB: AC/DC and GH: Metallica are simply extensions of traditional media.

dibs on the drums!

[Michael Wardle]

Finally some songs where the drums are so easy I can't suck!

I love it

[gelfling]

Someone moderated my taste. Awesome....in a retarded way.

Name of the Beatles Rock Band Game?

[EagleRock]

I heard a rumor that the name of the game that the Beatles music will be in will not be called "Rock Band." Anyone have info on this?

Clarification

[Tenshigure]

You know, I wouldn't normally be retentive about this...but "Rock Band" isn't a company, it is HARMONIX that developed this single game, and they acquired the licensing for the rights to the Beatles music. They have more of a hand in this than MTV Games, who is merely the publisher to the game. Not only that, but the game isn't even to be branded as a "Rock Band" game, just that it will be identical. Just show the developer some respect man! :P