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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."

24 of 266 comments (clear)

  1. Bonus points by Dan+East · · Score: 5, Funny

    You get bonus points for playing bass left-handed.

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    1. Re:Bonus points by Abreu · · Score: 4, Insightful

      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

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    2. Re:Bonus points by Isotopian · · Score: 3, Interesting

      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.

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  2. They must be trying to change the game... by jskline · · Score: 5, Insightful

    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.

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    1. Re:They must be trying to change the game... by DragonTHC · · Score: 3, Insightful

      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.

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    2. Re:They must be trying to change the game... by flitty · · Score: 3, Insightful

      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.

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    3. Re:They must be trying to change the game... by Junior+J.+Junior+III · · Score: 3, Insightful

      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.

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    4. Re:They must be trying to change the game... by Miseph · · Score: 4, Insightful

      "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.

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  3. Re:Rock Band before iTunes? by flitty · · Score: 5, Funny

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

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  4. Abbey road by m0s3m8n · · Score: 5, Funny

    After you complete Abbey Road your disk breaks up.

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  5. Re:Rock Band before iTunes? by gEvil+(beta) · · Score: 4, Informative

    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.

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  6. In related news... by lxs · · Score: 5, Funny

    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.

  7. Beatles Story? by Smivs · · Score: 5, Funny

    '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'!

  8. Re:Idiom "could care less" by Abcd1234 · · Score: 4, Insightful

    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.

  9. No new games, please by LordNimon · · Score: 4, Insightful

    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.

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  10. Wake me when.... by MooseDontBounce · · Score: 3, Funny

    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'.

  11. Re:Short straw has to be Ringo! by John+Straffin · · Score: 3, Insightful

    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?

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  12. Re:Rock Band before iTunes? by Thyamine · · Score: 3, Insightful

    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.

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  13. Not Rock Band by Princeofcups · · Score: 3, Informative

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

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  14. Re:In the mean time... by cowscows · · Score: 4, Insightful

    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.

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  15. Hooray for the Beatles! by seven+of+five · · Score: 4, Funny

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

  16. Re:Short straw has to be Ringo! by bigstrat2003 · · Score: 5, Insightful

    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.

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  17. Re:Short straw has to be Ringo! by Chris+Burke · · Score: 4, Insightful

    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?

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  18. Re:Rock Band before iTunes? by kurzweilfreak · · Score: 3, Informative
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