Late last week Apple Corps Ltd (business entity for The Beatles) and MTV Networks announced that there will a new 'music-making game' based on the Beatles catalog released in the second half of 2009 -- and loosely based on the functionality of Rock Band. MTV owns Harmonix Music Systems, the company behind Rock Band. The new Beatles title will be a "new full-blown custom game title from the ground up" according to an executive at Harmonix. The remaining Beatles, Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr, along with the heirs of John Lennon and George Harrison have all given the nod to the project. George Martin's son Giles (who was the guiding force behind the Beatles-influenced "Love" Cirque du Soleil show) will produce the project using existing masters. Clearly this is one of the most significant licensing wins in the game world to date. Additional details are expected to be revealed as the game takes shape throughout 2009.
There are sure to be many questions and speculations until more details are made available. This will no doubt be a hot seller, and I'm sure anticipation has already begun among die-hard fans. I'm wondering how interactive it will be for fans, and how challenging it will be for Beatle loyalists who are heavily into Beatles-related trivia.
I'd be interested in hearing what type of Beatles game you'd like to play? What would you most like to experience in a game inspired by The Beatles if you were designing it?
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Good question. I think it would be more fun to explore a Yellow Submarine world than a photorealistic one.
Musically, it would be great if the game awarded points for expression rather than simply hitting notes or rhythms. To me, cover bands are more interesting when they stretch the music rather than duplicating it. If I wanted to hear the original, I'd listen to the original.