Apple Corps, Harmonix and MTV Games announced that they will release a new music video game, The Beatles: Rock Band, in September.
That should shake up the music genre, since the Beatles have never been the subject of a big game, and this is the first title licensed by Apple Corps, which holds the worldwide licensing rights to the Beatles’ music. It will be distributed by Electronic Arts.
The game will be released in North America, Europe, Australia, New Zealand and other territories on Sept. 9 for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and Nintendo Wii. It will be just like other Rock Band games, requiring you to play faux instruments like guitars, bass guitars and drums to form your own virtual bands and produce songs karaoke style.
The game will cycle through a rich catalog of Beatles titles from throughout the band’s history. And it will have a limited number of instruments modeled after those used by John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Star. Consumers can buy the game as stand-alone software if they already own Rock Band, or buy it as a bundle with the instrument accessories.
The software sells for $59.99, while the guitar-only version is $99.99 and the full premium bundle is $249.99. Giles Martin, co-producer of the Beatles LOVE album project, is helping to produce the game. Both MTV Games and Harmonix are owned by Viacom.
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