The Beatles Rock Band: Lead Designer Approached New Game With 'Respect'

We’ve probably all seen the bold-print numbers appearing on billboards, Internet pop-ups, and assorted TV ads. The date 9-9-09 has unofficially been deemed The Beatles’ Day by retailers galore, which means fans of the Fab Four are due one hell of a shopping spree. If you’re a traditionalist who only seeks to appreciate the legendary band’s music, then it will be the digitally remastered catalog that will be on your wish list. But it is perhaps The Beatles: Rock Band video game that is eliciting the most buzz – particularly after Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr made an appearance at the E3 Expo to promote it.

The rules of the game remain more or less the same with The Beatles Rock Band, but this time around you’ll be honing your vocal skills slightly more with the addition of three-part harmonies. For the creative minds at Harmonix and MTV Games, it wasn’t an easy process to extract those harmonies from the older Beatles’ recordings, particularly considering many consisted of only two or four audio tracks. Another challenge was developing the ornate "dreamscape" animations, which veered from anything you might see in the film Yellow Submarine. Lead Designer Chris Foster talked with Ultimate-Guitar about the latest edition of Rock Band, which he said was meant to honor the creative and prolific career of The Beatles.

UG: The Beatles’ catalog seemed that it might be untouchable in any video game franchise. How did you originally get the green light on the project?

Chris: It started when Van Toffler (MTV President) was vacationing at the same place as Dhani Harrison, who is George Harrison’s son. They ran into each other and started talking, and Dhani said that he was playing Guitar Hero. To which Van replied, “Well, I just bought the company that makes Guitar Hero.” From there, Dhani Harrison started talking with Alex Rigopulos, who is our CEO and co-founder. They just started talking about game ideas because Dhani was a real avid gamer and musician. They started thinking that it would be cool if there was a Beatles game based on Rock Band.

At the time, we had just moved on from the Guitar Hero franchise and we made our own franchise with Rock Band. So they were sort of like, “Oh, that will never happen.” They would reach out to the shareholders and Olivia (Harrison), showing what the game could be. It showed the direction in terms of covering the entire Beatles’ earlier work. So it would it have to be tested to see what we can make with those earlier songs, which aren’t recorded multi-track and would be that much harder to deal with. A lot of it was proving what the game could be. We wanted there to be trust and respect.

You brought up the fact that many of those early songs only had two or possibly four audio tracks in the mix. How difficult was it to translate those bare bones recordings into a workable Rock Band piece of audio?

It definitely was a major challenge. The producer of the game was using forensic software that could extract the sounds from a single track. On the early songs you had drums, guitar and bass all one track, and then the vocals were all on one other track. In the early stages, it would make or break the game.

"We wanted there to be trust and respect."

When you were selecting the songs, did you seek out ones that had a fairly equal amount of guitars, bass, drums, and vocals?

I think we wanted to choose songs that were the closest fit to Rock Band. So they would have guitars, bass, vocals, and drums. We knew there would be downloadable content, where you get basically every song on an album. It will start on Oct. 20 with Sgt. Pepper and Rubber Soul.

Is the general game play following the usual format?

It does have the basics of the game, but it was important in some respects to expose people to The Beatles’ music. No music game has really tackled the capabilities of being weighted on the vocals. Other games might have duets, but no one has ever tackled three-part harmonies. People can sing all the same thing or follow the different parts. It’s a very flexible format, which is a pretty cool advantage. It also opens up the opportunity for more people to play with three singers. It opens an opportunity to sing and play at the same time, which is one of the big challenges of the game.

Is there a tutorial available for the newly expanded vocal section?

Absolutely. That was very important for us. Our first goal was to make the harmonies really easy to learn. We also understood that people want to do it well, so we added a part of a game where it plays a song’s vocal track. It gives you the ability to choose a section of a song that you want to play, and then repeat it. Then you can choose which of the vocal parts you want to try. Obviously people can practice that and go, “I want to listen to the high harmony parts.”

You’ve probably had time to try out the three-part harmonies a good deal. As a player, do you consider it as challenging as first starting out on the guitar or drums?

Yes. I think so. It’s a social challenge in some respects because you’re working with other people. It doesn’t give you a lot of flexibility. You have to coordinate which lines you’re going to follow. I think there’s a challenge in listening to other singers. It’s a challenge, but it’s also one of the most joyous parts of the game. We had a casting call for gamers to bring in people. We didn’t tell people it was Rock Band because we didn’t want people to know what we were doing. So we tested vocal harmonies. These were strangers. These were people who didn’t necessarily know each other. One of the trainers spent about an hour and thirty showing people vocal harmonies. By the end of the session, they had some really nice, interesting harmonies – and they were holding hands!

"I think we wanted to choose songs that were the closest fit to Rock Band."

There was a lot of buzz about Ringo Starr and Paul McCartney showing up at the E3 Convention to promote The Beatles: Rock Band. Do you know what sort of impression they have of the game?

I’m not going to put any words in their mouths. I think from hearing them talk about it, they’re excited that it’s a way that people (pauses)…I will never say that our game is introducing people to The Beatles. I think it’s pretty impossible to find someone who doesn’t know The Beatles’ music. Our game is giving people more of an appreciation. I think they’re excited to have people even closer to the music. I think they have liked the opportunity to tell the band’s story in a new and fun way. I think most fundamentally they like that it’s something creative and cool.

By luck of the draw, I got to meet with Olivia Harrison for a game demo. Early in development, she came in with an old photo album. She let us look at images of George to really get that sense of how he looked and how he smiled. She cared enough to add something to what the character represented.

That must have been an incredible experience.

It was incredible. There are two other stories. With Yoko Ono, we actually wanted her to advise us because she’s an artist. It was fairly late in the game, and we were still struggling to get the spirit of the characters on screen. She’s an artist and someone who knows, and she gave really good advice and feedback about what we needed to do. She would talk about how the band members looked at each other or how they looked at their instruments. That was a really fortunate experience.

The last one was there is a whole element to the game called Photo Op. That’s when you go to the Story Mode and you collect photos of the band. Each photo has an essay, a mini one-paragraph essay on the history or some fun moment of the band. So Paul, he decided this would be a way that people could learn about the band and let a lot people learn their story. He set aside a bunch of time, came to Abbey Road, sat down a couple of hours, and read these entries. It was pretty mind-blowing. He honored the ones that were correct and gave corrections to things that might not be true. He gave us stories that we didn’t have. He would tell us, “Oh, we should mention the name of the artist who did this album cover.” He really shaped the picture of the story.

The term “dreamscape” has been used to describe the animation corresponding to some of The Beatles’ later songs. Was that a labor-intensive process in creating those images?

There were a lot of challenges, which were probably the dreamscapes and the vocal harmonies. Also, getting the characters to have the spirit of the band, and getting the vocal harmonies to be fun was a massive challenge. Dreamscapes were one of the ones that were a challenge in that we wanted to make them stand up against the song itself. It was a variable challenge in creating something other than a single venue. I actually had a design challenge in how to make all those things work together. Another thing about the dreamscapes, they have to look awesome. You’ve got one computer to do all the imagery on screen, so you have limited time and space and money. We wanted to bring a show on stage like a theatrical production. So the characters go to all these different locations and it was a logistical challenge.

"No music game has really tackled the capabilities of being weighted on the vocals."

Did you wait to consult with the individuals closest to The Beatles in deciding upon which venues/locations to design?

It was a group effort. Apple was good at advising us in the direction that the shareholders may be interested in, and the shareholders would get storyboards for everything. They would give us directions like, “This really isn’t appropriate for this song.” I think Olivia pointed out that one had been originally Indian music and that what we had wasn’t really appropriate for the song. She gave us some ideas to reflect that. We all sort of worked together. I would be getting a bunch of stuff out and hope that they liked it. I wouldn’t stop until they did.

For “Sgt. Pepper” and the dreamscape for that, we originally were like, “Well, let’s do a ‘Yellow Submarine’ style land in it.” They would say, “Well, it’s been done. You need to do something new. Don’t rest on what someone else has done.” I think Giles put it pretty well that if you say something was “psychedelic” in the ‘60’s, it’s no longer psychedelic. The challenge was to come up with new imagery but still capture the same spirit.

How long has the game been in development?

The core of the development probably took place in about a year. There was preproduction before that for the initial concept, which was probably another year. Then we would have testers come in every day for a number of months. Then they play it every day, get better and better, and then we could get better and better at solving the problems.

Will all of the instruments be available separately at retail stores?

Paul’s bass and Ringo’s drums and additional vocals with mic stands are available in the special edition. John’s Rickenbacker and George’s Gretsch are separate. They are really cool instruments that you might want anyway.

What other information would you like future players of the game to know?

With Rock Band, we did a good job of showing a band on their rise to fame. We had a really different mission with this one. There are these four real people and true musicians. It’s a history lesson. The mission is to give people the joy – even without musical experience – give them the joy with The Beatles’ music. It was a perfect fit for us. I think more than anything our goal was to give you that joyful feeling. If we make you feel that in the end, we’ve actually really accomplished something.

"Our first goal was to make the harmonies really easy to learn."

The Beatles: Rock Band Info:

-Release Date: September 9, 2009

-Platforms:
PlayStation 3, Wii, Xbox 360

-Venues include:
The Cavern in Liverpool, England
The Ed Sullivan Show in New York, New York
Shea Stadium in Flushing, New York
Budokan in Tokyo, Japan
Abbey Road in London England
Apple Corp Rooftop in London, England

-Instruments include:
John Lennon’s Rickenbacker 325 Guitar
George Harrison’ Gretsch Duo Jet Guitar
Paul McCartney’s Hofner Violin Bass
Ringo Starr’s Ludwig Drums

-Full Compatibility:
Software is fully compatible with Rock Band, Guitar Hero, and most music game controllers

45 Songs:

A Hard Day’s Night

All You Need Is Love

And Your Bird Can Sing

Back In The U.S.S.R.

Birthday

Boys

Can’t Buy Me Love

Come Together

Day Tripper

Dear Prudence

Dig A Pony

Do You Want To Know Secret

Don’t Let Me Down

Drive My Car

Eight Days A Week

Get Back

Getting Better

Good Morning Good Morning

Hello Goodbye

Helter Skelter

Here Comes The Sun

Hey Bulldog

I Am The Walrus

I Feel Fine

I Me Mine

I Saw Her Standing There

I Wanna Be Your Man

I Want To Hold Your Hand

I Want You (She’s So Heavy)

If I Needed Someone

I’m Looking Through You

I’ve Got A Feeling

Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds

Octopus’s Garden

Paperback Writer

Revolution

Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Heart’s Club Band/With A Little Help From My Friends

Something

Taxman

The End

Ticket To Ride

Twist And Shout

While My Guitar Gently Weeps

Within You Without You/Tomorrow Never Knows

Yellow Submarine

Interview by Amy Kelly
Ultimate-Guitar.Com © 2009

Comments

[KoRnogra4]

I got this game on the launch date and all I can still say is 'WOW!' I think it does them proper justice.

[whitekevin05]

Idk what to think about this...

[demondown666]

John Lennon would be totally alright with this. NOT!

[Broomstick]

I wont lie I am getting pertty sick of these news articals about video games on here. I can understand that when music news is slow it's an easy fill but doing an interview with lead designers of video games?

I dont know...I just dont know.

[LedDaveZeppelin]

Yea this game is def. superduper!!!

[Jasonbts]

Ok. I LOOVE the Beatles. But is this game, on guitar, a challenge?

[Shazwazza]

I got the game yesterday, It's amazingly fun to play

[Fearless(Times)]

the game looks good.

and to demondown why do you think john lennon wouldn't be happy about the game? not every musician is against media.

[BeerChurch]

The Michael Jackson estate is totally cashing in. Why wasn't this Beatles hoopla released when he was alive???

[Robert Gray]

BeerChurch wrote:

The Michael Jackson estate is totally cashing in. Why wasn't this Beatles hoopla released when he was alive???

This game was in development while Jackson was still alive, so had his blessing. Therefore, if someone was cashing in, it was none other than Michael Jackson himself.

Or did you believe the game was developed and released in less than three months?

[Lrn2play]

I got bored with expert guitar so i picked up mic along with it and pretty much no matter what song its at least entertaining to do both, no matter how easy. Thats pretty much the whole concept of this game.
But no drum fills...wtf

[Hamburger89]

This game is so good because it respects the material it's made of, by that I mean the songs offcourse. Ringo and Paul both promoted this game at the E3 so who could accuse this game of bad things. It's just there to make people happy. Even talking about this game made me happy.

That's the power of that music, it just makes everybody happy.

[Firebreather01]

I like what they're doing with the vocals. That'll be a real challenge for a lot of people who don't understand harmonies. But none the less, it'll be really fun. I'm gonna check this out.

[kylendm]

I have it. Great game, but was mad that Hey Jude wasnt in it. You have to buy it... :/

[blommen]

ok imo this is where i draw the line. this has no relevance whatsoever to guitar playing. i have tolerated guitar hero/ rock band news because they to some extend concern music, but this is an interview with a person, who in way is affiliated with guitars. he is a game developer, and interviews with him should be put on a gaming site. this has zero relevance to music interviews at all

[blommen]

^^ i meant in no way affiliated.

[!normajean!]

if Please Mister Postman isnt downloadable...i'll be pissed.
same with I Want You(She's So Heavy).

[Wesseem]

demondown666 wrote:

John Lennon would be totally alright with this. NOT!

why wouldn't he be alright with this? isn't he supposed to be about tolerance and happiness. well i'm sure people are happy when they play a video game they enjoy.

[Ranting Thespia]

demondown666 wrote:

John Lennon would be totally alright with this. NOT!

Actually, I could see John trying it, and loving it. I could see John grabbing the bass, Paul grabbing the guitar, and they would just give each other the look (bring it on), and have a blast and go nuts.

John was serious about stuff, but people also forget he knew how to have fun.

I also was skeptical about this, but tried out the demo they had at Best Buy. I was impressed. It is hands down, the best game out of the Guitar Hero/Rock Band games. The animation is top notch, the music quality is exceptional, and the difficulty levels are very well set. Easy to just have fun, and Hard to really give you something challenging.

[ILIKEMUSICALOT]

!normajean! :
if Please Mister Postman isnt downloadable...i'll be pissed.
same with I Want You(She's So Heavy).
POSTED: 09/11/2009 - 069 pm / quote |

I Want You (She's So Heavy) is in the game. You don't have to download it. I got the game yesterday and it's amazing.

blommen :
ok imo this is where i draw the line. this has no relevance whatsoever to guitar playing. i have tolerated guitar hero/ rock band news because they to some extend concern music, but this is an interview with a person, who in way is affiliated with guitars. he is a game developer, and interviews with him should be put on a gaming site. this has zero relevance to music interviews at all
POSTED: 09/11/2009 - 04:45 pm / quote |

In defense of the game developer, most or ever all of the Rock Band developers do play a musical instrument and most are in bands. Actually, I believe some do light touring and whatnot.

[DontFightTheFoo]

I wonder if Paul would be able to get 100% on his own song. Teehee

[Santeria420]

demondown666 wrote:

John Lennon would be totally alright with this. NOT!

Thats what I was thinking. Not that I'm against this game at all, I think it sounds cool, but you're right.

[Robert Gray]

kylendm wrote:

I have it. Great game, but was mad that Hey Jude wasnt in it. You have to buy it... :/

"Hey Jude" is a piano based piece, which is likely why it was omitted.

[metalhead_c-1]

From what I have heard, this game is a masterpiece and is extremely fun to play. Cant wait to get a copy

[crazy8rgood]

Hmm... I might have to buy this game just for the sole purpose of seeing an animated Beatles sing "I Am the Walrus"

[fernance]

ok i fine with the beatles on rockband and yeah kids these days think there gods beacuse they can beat any song on expert but in life there all posers. One to play any instument you must read music play it and understand rhytms and have fun and be creative and well the beatles rock and i want the game

[Aerokizzombie]

Robert Gray wrote:

BeerChurch wrote:

The Michael Jackson estate is totally cashing in. Why wasn't this Beatles hoopla released when he was alive???

This game was in development while Jackson was still alive, so had his blessing. Therefore, if someone was cashing in, it was none other than Michael Jackson himself.

Or did you believe the game was developed and released in less than three months?

either way, MJ/MJs estate shouldnt have the rights of the Beatles catologue, shit like that sickens me to no end

[keithmoon15]

i hate guitar hero/rock band/all the other crappy games like that.... but i must say that it looks like they put a LOT of work into this.... i dont plan on buying it or anything, but the game seems to have been built for the beatles, rather than the beatles being crammed into the game in whichever way they could fit.

[ILIKEMUSICALOT]

OH yeah, I hate guitar hero. That was ruined when Harmonix left. After guitar hero 2, it turned to shit. At least harmonix made a game like this.

[Vedicardi]

!normajean! wrote:

if Please Mister Postman isnt downloadable...i'll be pissed.
same with I Want You(She's So Heavy).

read the list it's in the game lol

Checked

[vanceboy]

This game will reintroduce the Beatles to a whole new generation. Man, these guys can't die...

I won't be picking this game up though.

[icantbuyafender]

some people need to quit being music snobs and get over themselves.

ITS JUST A GAME.

I appreciate that they want to educate players on the beatle's evolution and history. Not only do younger people get introduced to how fun music can be, but the also learn something somewhat historical.

Harmonix... good guys.

[cal1]

Seems cool, but I lack the finances to buy it.

[jdc0983]

In reguard to the comments about Michael Jackson's estate making bank off this, he and Sony co-owned the publishing rights only. Paul and John's family retained their rights and still make as much money off royalties as they would have otherwise. As far as MJ's partial ownership in the publishing rights, he used it as collateral on a loan that was rumored to be in default status at the time of his death. His share of the rights are likely to be liquidated and sold to the highest bidder in an attempt to consolidate his debts. And even if this does happen, guess what? Paul and Yoko still get their cut. And with the nearly certain sucess of this game, and the re-release of all the Beatle's music, they may just be able to afford to purchase the publishing rights, which they sold ownership of long before Michael Jackson ever dreamed of buying them.

[scarfacesuit]

I own neither a next gen console, nor this game, but I am honestly considering buying a 360 so I can get this game (along with Fable 2, Halo 3, Gears of War, Fear, etc.) Should be fun =D

[Kevin19]

Let It Be?

[greggybhoy]

I don't like Guitar Hero or Rock Band, but this is a very well executed game that pays great respect and tribute to the Beatles. If there's one thing to be said for these games, they at least get people hearing music they may otherwise have not listened to. No one complains about people who can't drive playing Gran Turismo so it's way too much of a big deal when people get annoyed about these games. the only thing that annoys me is the clickety-click-click of the guitar controller.

[Beximus]

I've got the game, and bottom line, it's fun to play. I grew up with these songs, I love these songs, and to be able to use them in a game that I enjoy playing is a great combination. It's a new way for a new generation of people to access their music. I don't think there's anything wrong with that at all.

[FearOfTheDuck]

All xbox 360 did was stop me from playing real guitar, so i gave the xbox to my little brother Game looks good, wouldnt get it though

[Drazorback123]

Kevin19 :
Let It Be?
POSTED: 09/12/2009 - 05:12 am

More piano than guitar in it...

[stoneman44]

in my opionion all thier LP's should never have been remastered and re-released all again. Thier sound and their recording techniques is one of the most appealing things that were about the beatles. re releaseing that is jus sellin it out. obviously apple are strapped for cash

[edgespear]

So, Olivia Harrison will no doubt sue them for using George's image. That is, if people are starting to follow Courtney Love.

[Cheesepuff]

oh the end is going to be so cool!!

[Pencil Man]

Do you understand whay remastering is? Have you heard the new CD's? Of course you haven't.

[demondown666]

just because they put a happy lennon on teh box doesnt mean he would be alright. he was a hippi in the later days

[Rancid69Sublime]

no rocky racoon? ((((

[_person_]

no she loves you?

[Religulous]

This game is evil, I swear...

[IggyMorrison]

blommen wrote:

ok imo this is where i draw the line. this has no relevance whatsoever to guitar playing. i have tolerated guitar hero/ rock band news because they to some extend concern music, but this is an interview with a person, who in way is affiliated with guitars. he is a game developer, and interviews with him should be put on a gaming site. this has zero relevance to music interviews at all

I understand what you are saying but this game is about the Beatles and wether you like or not it is based on their music and history and celebrates their work, so I think it does have a place on UG. I'm not a fan of these games and I won't buy this or any other one but as a beatlemaniac I must say the trailers looked pretty cool and well done. As for Lennon... I think some of the greatest things about him were his sense of humour and the fact that he didn't take himself (or anyone else for that matter) too seriously, so I don't think he'd be bothered by this.

[skwelcher]

i think rockband beats out GH any day. it seems like they actually put effort into these and work on them. it seems like after GH4 they've been shipping out the same stuff with new songs and maybe a different character or two. the rockband games just have an all around different feel to them than guitar hero. TBH tho i havent played either in months

[DimebagRob]

I played this game in Gamestation today. Thought it was pretty good.

[brewtat2]

Game looks great, can't wait to test it out.

[gbeatle]

stoneman44 wrote:

in my opinion there EP's never should have been remastered and released. their sound and thier recording techniques are what makes the beatles a legendary band. re-sellin them all digitally remastered i think is sellin it out. Lennon would never hsve let it happen.lol
looks like apple are strapped for cash :|

So you want to say: let's listen to the plastic-sounding CD-s digitalized in the late '80-s (done with that primitive equipment)? Or play old LP's till their sound quality becomes totally unlistenable because of fraying? And the Beatles' first four albums haven't been available in stereo in digital format. What makes you think that remastering is a bad thing?

[brighteyes577]

As much as I despise rockband/guitar hero games, this game is beautiful and actually does do the Beatles justice. Maybe John Lennon would've been against it, but you gotta think, if he was still alive today- he wouldn't be the same way he was in 1980. Yeah we remember him as who he was, but.. just a thought.

[KingGohma]

To the people that are saying "heh. rock band. heh. play a real guitar.": This isn't really a music rhythm game, it's more of a tribute to the Beatles. The dreamscapes are amazing and worth the price alone.

[Ranting Thespia]

edgespear wrote:

So, Olivia Harrison will no doubt sue them for using George's image. That is, if people are starting to follow Courtney Love.

Hmmm . . . even though she had a part in making the game like Yoko, Paul, and Ringo did?

Plus, Olivia is a bit smarter than Courtney Love . . . well more like 70 IQ points smarter than Courtney Love (or 100 points). If she wanted to stop this, she could have when the whole thing was being pitched 2 years ago! All 4 of them are fine with this game.

As for all the people bitching about how it's not REAL guitar, I am a dedicated singer, songwriter, guitarist, mandolinist, and bassist. I used to give crap to Guitar Hero when it came out. Then I tried it, and was impressed. It takes real skill. Plus, it made my cousin and his daughter want to learn REAL guitar. Which may not have been a good thing since they started bothering me to teach them, lol!

As for the remastered albums, Olivia, Yoko, Paul, Ringo, and George Martin all had a hand in it. The way they remastered them was to make them sound better than the CDs that have been out (which are a far cry from what the LPs used to be). These new remastered CDs sound much more warm and crisp. I think they are the best thing next to having a fresh unplayed LP.

[SpiritThief]

Take this damn fisher price crap elsewhere.

You should only come back and post news about this when they finally let us plug the real deal into the machine.

[VinceWagner]

Jasonbts wrote:

Ok. I LOOVE the Beatles. But is this game, on guitar, a challenge?

acctualy some songs are pretty hard, i bought the game and i was surprised at some of the basslines and guitar lines and how hard they were

[steve108819]

stoneman44 wrote:

in my opinion there EP's never should have been remastered and released. their sound and thier recording techniques are what makes the beatles a legendary band. re-sellin them all digitally remastered i think is sellin it out. Lennon would never hsve let it happen.lol
looks like apple are strapped for cash :|

gbeatle wrote:
So you want to say: let's listen to the plastic-sounding CD-s digitalized in the late '80-s (done with that primitive equipment)? Or play old LP's till their sound quality becomes totally unlistenable because of fraying? And the Beatles' first four albums haven't been available in stereo in digital format. What makes you think that remastering is a bad thing?

stoneman44 has no clue what he's talking about. Maybe if he had ever heard the original vinyl he would realize how inferior the 1987 mastered cd's are. But he hasn't, so he doesn't. The remasters showcase the "sound and recording techniques" as they actually were in the 60's, the way they were meant to be heard. Please know what you're talking about before you speak.

[Bighair]

I didn't really care about these games until they started bringing back people from the dead to advertise it. They crossed the line there.

[AaronianKenrod]

@Ranting Thespia
edgespear was just referencing the recent suing of activision by courtney love because they used kurt's likeness, which was apparently approved by her in the first place

[gbeatle]

steve108819 wrote:

stoneman44 has no clue what he's talking about. Maybe if he had ever heard the original vinyl he would realize how inferior the 1987 mastered cd's are. But he hasn't, so he doesn't. The remasters showcase the "sound and recording techniques" as they actually were in the 60's, the way they were meant to be heard. Please know what you're talking about before you speak.

Of course I know what I'm talking about :

[dobby240]

looks like shit... oh god, its good if kids start playing real guitar through this but so many losers think they can actaully play...

[gbeatle]

To be honest, I wouldn't buy and play such games, because I play a real musical instrument, and I don't take such games any serious. But I don't want to say bad words at things I don't know.

Checked.

[Aerokizzombie]

dobby240 wrote:

looks like shit... oh god, its good if kids start playing real guitar through this but so many losers think they can actaully play...

same way I think. The game is fine, and fun...

but ITS A GAME!!!!!

you real instrument eletists need to get over yourselves, as do the people who think they are cool for being good at the game. Its there for fun, if it stops a couple people from learning a real instrument because they think they can brag about guitar hero, Id rather not see those people on real guitar. and if it makes some people pick up a guitar. awesome. and if someone doesnt play an instrument and can play guitar hero, but realizes that its nothing to brag about, thats fine too.

damn people need to get over themselves

[TimK]

I'm not normally a fan of these games. Someone who lives on my floor bought it and I played with him. It's very well done and exciting for beatles fans and non-fans alike. Much better than all the others in my opinion.

[guitaluva17]

this game was meant to be fun, idont think anyone should have aproblem. imean for gods sakes, theyre exposing a whole new generation of kids to some of the greatest music ever created! whats wrong with that? theres almost no good music nowadays, so maybe when this generation grows up with the beatles, theyll be better music in the near future! jeez

[TechnicolorType]

Will all of the instruments be available separately at retail stores?

Paul’s bass and Ringo’s drums and additional vocals with mic stands are available in the special edition. John’s Rickenbacker and George’s Gretsch are separate. They are really cool instruments that you might want anyway.

/headdesk
wow. they just called some plastic controllers INSTRUMENTS.
good lord. shoot me now.

[Oyface]

Wtf, they didn't include the song Blackbird?
That's their best song :/

[hackahobo]

To Oyface, they're going to release full albums as downloadable content in the coming months, so the White Album (has Blackbird) may be released at some point.

And to Aerokizzombie, thank you for making sense. Morons bitching and moaning about "real instruments" can get aggravating very fast. As do the pre-teens (although not as common) who think they're hot s**t for playing Expert.

[cdek12309]

Beatles Rule

[Mainer]

idk, I belive Rock Band is desperately trying to keep up with Guitar Hero. GH release Aerosmith and Metallica, so RB is releasing the Beatles.

[stoneman44]

so ur happy for ppl to ruin the real sound for songs such as "tomorrow never know", "i am the walrus" "a day in the life" "within you without you"? your calling them plastic sounding? pffft please.
the only reason Sargent pepper is a timeless album is not becoz of the songs on it ( not saying their bad but there are better) what makes it timeless is the recording techniques used on it the overall sound of it all. why would you want rnb loving, computerizing geeks to ruin it ?
real beatles fans appreciate the value of their recodings.

gbeatle wrote:

stoneman44 wrote:

in my opinion there EP's never should have been remastered and released. their sound and thier recording techniques are what makes the beatles a legendary band. re-sellin them all digitally remastered i think is sellin it out. Lennon would never hsve let it happen.lol
looks like apple are strapped for cash :|

So you want to say: let's listen to the plastic-sounding CD-s digitalized in the late '80-s (done with that primitive equipment)? Or play old LP's till their sound quality becomes totally unlistenable because of fraying? And the Beatles' first four albums haven't been available in stereo in digital format. What makes you think that remastering is a bad thing?

[xSmash]

No one cares who can or cannot play a musical instrument. Playing one of these games isn't supposed to make people think they can actually play the instrument, but instead just be entertaining. And if you can play a real instrument, good for you but it doesn't mean you're too good for thegame.
I love the whole Beatles tribute by the way.

[gbeatle]

stoneman44 wrote:

so ur happy for ppl to ruin the real sound for songs such as "tomorrow never know", "i am the walrus" "a day in the life" "within you without you"? your calling them plastic sounding? pffft please.
the only reason Sargent pepper is a timeless album is not becoz of the songs on it ( not saying their bad but there are better) what makes it timeless is the recording techniques used on it the overall sound of it all. why would you want rnb loving, computerizing geeks to ruin it ?
real beatles fans appreciate the value of their recodings.

Listen... if you doubt that I'm a Beatles fan, just have a look on my tabs. Anyway, if you're a real Beatles fan, why can't you write the songs' titles correctly?
Do you know what remastering is about? The remastered recordings sound EXACTLY the same as the old vinyls (means that there were NO changes made), the most important difference is that CD's don't wear out. I have a feeling that you don't know what I'm talking about.
Plastic sound is the sound of those old CD's mastered 20 years ago. NOT the sound of the original LP's.

[stoneman44]

cutting your hair to look like a beatle does'nt make you more of a fan champ. i was only stating my opinion. I was never sayin it was WRONG or RIGHT.
if what they were doing was good enough at the time i dont see the need to go all super tech to please some complaining lil bitches in the world.

[gbeatle]

stoneman44 wrote:

cutting your hair to look like a beatle does'nt make you more of a fan champ.

Yeah, so you looked at my profile picture. Great. Now have a look at my contributions as well...

[frank86]

dude, the beatles are the best rockband in the world. it's a pity that it's just a f-ing videogame wich looks awesome but it's getting lame man. with all respect: i like guitar hero games but, it's just gay that every big band is getting their own version of GH now... and ofcourse they're not doing it for the money.... ....yeah right

[Skuzzmo]

Can't help but feel a little bit more of their integrity has been eroded away....

[joshgiesbrecht]

Robert Gray wrote:

kylendm wrote:

I have it. Great game, but was mad that Hey Jude wasnt in it. You have to buy it... :/

"Hey Jude" is a piano based piece, which is likely why it was omitted.

Then why exactly is "I Am The Walrus" on there?

[Izzy_Bryce]

scarfacesuit wrote:

I own neither a next gen console, nor this game, but I am honestly considering buying a 360 so I can get this game (along with Fable 2, Halo 3, Gears of War, Fear, etc.) Should be fun =D

dude catch up those games r super old XD

[PeaceIsCloser]

=

joshgiesbrecht wrote:

Robert Gray wrote:

kylendm wrote:

I have it. Great game, but was mad that Hey Jude wasnt in it. You have to buy it... :/

"Hey Jude" is a piano based piece, which is likely why it was omitted.

Then why exactly is "I Am The Walrus" on there?

I think the reason Hey Jude, Let It Be, Blackbird, Yesterday, etc. was because Harmonix/Apple want you to buy those songs online. Or in other words, MORE MONEY. But it's alright, I feel pretty good when I buy Beatles -related stuff.

Anyways, I was interested how "I Am The Walrus" and "Within You Without You/Tomorrow Never Knows" were pulled off. Turns out that the guitar plays all the string parts! :P

[Ingsoc]

While I love the music involved here, I can't help but wonder if any of these songs can ever be difficult enough for a player like me to appreciate. Easy songs and medium songs have their place, but when I play I always find myself playing the harder ones. It's The Beatles...it's mostly vocals based with simpler musical contribution.

Checked...

[gbeatle]

Ingsoc wrote:

While I love the music involved here, I can't help but wonder if any of these songs can ever be difficult enough for a player like me to appreciate. Easy songs and medium songs have their place, but when I play I always find myself playing the harder ones. It's The Beatles...it's mostly vocals based with simpler musical contribution.

What do you say about the solo of "A Hard Day's Night" or "Taxman"?

[Mr. Skull]

I think it's pathetic to see kids hear a song and play air guitar hero :P

[travislausch]

stoneman44 wrote:

cutting your hair to look like a beatle does'nt make you more of a fan champ. i was only stating my opinion. I was never sayin it was WRONG or RIGHT.
if what they were doing was good enough at the time i dont see the need to go all super tech to please some complaining lil bitches in the world.

So I guess you don't believe in preservation of sound recordings either? Vinyl's not exactly gonna last forever.

[hendrix n page]

TechnicolorType wrote:

Will all of the instruments be available separately at retail stores?

Paul’s bass and Ringo’s drums and additional vocals with mic stands are available in the special edition. John’s Rickenbacker and George’s Gretsch are separate. They are really cool instruments that you might want anyway.

/headdesk
wow. they just called some plastic controllers INSTRUMENTS.
good lord. shoot me now.

i know it's wierd but i will shoot you if you like!

[Vypor]

Really... I cant understand how this game could compare to any of the other rockband games..

I mean really, nothing agianst the beatles, but this really shouldnt be a ROCKBAND or GUITAR HERO game at all. I just dont see it... even though its there... I just dont see it.

[tinyer3]

think the reason Hey Jude, Let It Be, Blackbird, Yesterday, etc. was because Harmonix/Apple want you to buy those songs online. Or in other words, MORE MONEY.

This is the only thing about Rockband and GH that pisses me off

[guitar_hero999]

I find it creepy that John Lennon's killer is allowed to play it in prison

[godisasniper]

ILIKEMUSICALOT wrote:

!normajean! :
if Please Mister Postman isnt downloadable...i'll be pissed.
same with I Want You(She's So Heavy).
POSTED: 09/11/2009 - 069 pm / quote |

I Want You (She's So Heavy) is in the game. You don't have to download it. I got the game yesterday and it's amazing.

blommen :
ok imo this is where i draw the line. this has no relevance whatsoever to guitar playing. i have tolerated guitar hero/ rock band news because they to some extend concern music, but this is an interview with a person, who in way is affiliated with guitars. he is a game developer, and interviews with him should be put on a gaming site. this has zero relevance to music interviews at all
POSTED: 09/11/2009 - 04:45 pm / quote |

In defense of the game developer, most or ever all of the Rock Band developers do play a musical instrument and most are in bands. Actually, I believe some do light touring and whatnot.

This is true. I worked this summer (and the previous 2 summers) in the same building as Harmonix and have had the opportunity to meet a lot of their people. Nearly all of them are musicians (I bet a bunch of them are on here, actually) and they have an immense respect for the music and the artists.

[barfrog]

If this game introduces a load of kids to the Beatles and makes them realise what actual music sounds like, then it can only be good, right?

[corpcleg]

cant undesrtand the argument dat thees games make
people happy as opposed to keepin people stupid!
i kno the dead cant defend themselvs gainst slander r GREED
but the idea of a generation of adults dancin round the livin room wit theese toys while the war in iraq n the great economic swindle is goin on wud have john doin backflips in his grave FACT
wheter georges son or wife r yoko kno it or not

[stoneman44]

how do you know this ?

guitar_hero999 wrote:

I find it creepy that John Lennon's killer is allowed to play it in prison

[tom1thomas1]

it makes them look like a poofter boy band like Human Nature, or a kids band like the Wiggles.