A Beatles-branded interactive music game along the lines of Rock Band and Guitar Hero will give gamers and music lovers a chance to play songs from every stage of the Beatles' storied career, from the sweet simplicity of "Please, Please Me" to more sophisticated fare like the songs on Abbey Road.
Unlike previous editions of Rock Band, this one will exist as a "Beatles game" rather than as a branded version of Rock Band. The basic gameplay will be familiar to those who have played other versions of Rock Band, said Harmonix co-founder Alex Rigopulos, but the Beatles' version represents "a unique opportunity for us to forge into new creative terrain in the music game genre and do things that have never been done."
When Wired.com asked Rigopulos to elaborate and whether the game might include song elements such as an Octopus' Garden, he wouldn't get into specifics. But he did say, "a visual exploration of the Beatles imagery is a big part of the creative direction of the project," and Apple Corps. CEO Jeff Jones said the game will include imagery spanning the band's entire career.
MTV's Beatles music game will benefit from participation by surviving band members Paul McCartney, and Ringo Starr and the other two stakeholders in Apple Corps, Yoko Ono Lennon and Olivia Harrison.
"Every member of the Apple team -- Sir Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, Olivia Harrison and Yoko Ono Lennon have been part of the conversation, have seen demonstrations of the game, understand how it's going to roll out, what you're going to see on your screen, how the interactivity and the immersive experience will unfold and they will be involved along every step of the way creatively and musically, with Giles Martin [son of Beatles producer George Martin]," said Apple Corps' Jones. "They'll be involved in the design and the implementation of the design."
The Apple Corps four have seen an early version of the game and seem pleased. McCartney called the project "a fun idea which broadens the appeal of the Beatles and their music," adding, "I like people having the opportunity to get to know the music from the inside out."
Starr observed that the game will ensure that future generations can experience the band's music in a way that make sense to them. "The Beatles continue to evolve with the passing of time and how wonderful that the Beatles' legacy will find its natural progression into the 21st century through the computerized world we live in," he said. "Let the games commence."
Giles Martin, son of Beatles producer George Martin, is adapting the British versions of the band's releases for use within the game. "The thing that we're trying to keep to ... is for people to play the songs as though they're playing the originals," said Martin. "We will be adhering to the original mixes my father and the Beatles did."
MTV/Harmonix' as-yet unnamed Beatles game is slated for a late '09 release.
No comments:
Post a Comment