The Beatles: Rock Band

Coming in through the bathroom window tomorrow.

News by GamesIndustry International Contributor

Published on Sept. 8, 2009

Guildford, UK – 8th September 2009 – Apple Corps, Ltd., MTV Games and Harmonix, the world’s leading developer of music-based games and a part of Viacom’s MTV Networks (NYSE: VIA, VIA.B), today announced The Beatles™: Rock Band™ will be available tomorrow in North America, Europe, Australia, New Zealand and other territories. Released simultaneously with the digitally re-mastered Beatles CD catalogue, the music-based video game will offer players an unprecedented, experiential progression through the music and artistry of The Beatles and be available for Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system and Wii™ console from Nintendo.

From the early touring days in 1963 Liverpool to the immortal, final performance on the Apple Corps rooftop, fans can follow in The Fab Four’s footsteps as they traverse the globe during the height of Beatlemania, unlocking real photos and videos of The Beatles – some never before seen by the public. Beatles fans will also be thrilled to hear previously unreleased authentic voice recordings from John, Paul, George and Ringo chatting between takes during studio sessions recorded at Abbey Road more than four decades ago.

The Beatles: Rock Band allows fans to pick up the guitar, bass, mic or drums and experience The Beatles’ extraordinary catalogue of music through gameplay that takes players on a journey through the legacy and evolution of the band’s legendary career. Additionally, for the first time in a music videogame, The Beatles: Rock Band introduces three-part vocal harmonies to gameplay, allowing gamers to revel in the unparalleled vocal stylings of The Beatles.

The Beatles: Rock Band features 45 songs on-disc representing a cross-section of hits and favorites that span The Beatles’ storied career. Additional music from The Beatles’ epic catalogue will be made available for purchase and download through The Beatles: Rock Band Music Store. Abbey Road will be released on October 20, 2009, followed by the release of Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band in November and Rubber Soul in December.

The 45 songs included in The Beatles: Rock Band and the venues in which they are featured in are:

Cavern Club (1963):

• Twist And Shout

• Boys

• Do You Want To Know A Secret

• I Saw Her Standing There Ed Sullivan Theater (1964):

• I Want To Hold Your Hand

• Can’t Buy Me Love

• A Hard Day’s Night

• I Wanna Be Your Man

Shea Stadium (1965):

• Ticket to Tide

• I’m Looking Through You

• Eight Days A Week

• If I Needed Someone

• I Feel Fine Budokan (1966):

• Day Tripper

• And Your Bird Can Sing

• Drive My Car

• Taxman

• Paperback Writer

Abbey Road (1966-1967):

• Yellow Submarine

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

• Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds

• Getting Better

• Within You Without You / Tomorrow Never Knows

• Good Morning Good Morning Abbey Road (1967-1968):

• I Am The Walrus

• Hello Goodbye

• Hey Bulldog

• Back In The U.S.S.R.

• Dear Prudence

• While My Guitar Gently Weeps

Abbey Road (1968-1969):

• Helter Skelter

• Revolution

• Birthday

• Octopus’s Garden

• Something

• Come Together

• Here Comes The Sun Rooftop Concert (1969):

• Dig a Pony

• I’ve Got A Feeling

• Don’t Let Me Down

• I Me Mine

• I Want You (She’s So Heavy)

• Get Back

Encore:

The End

As previously announced, “All You Need Is Love” will be released tomorrow, September 9, 2009, exclusively through Xbox LIVE for a limited time as a downloadable track for The Beatles: Rock Band. All Apple Corps Ltd, MTV Games, Harmonix and Microsoft proceeds will benefit Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF).

The Beatles: Rock Band will offer a new set of hardware replicas representing the instruments made famous by John, Paul, George and Ringo. Featured in the set are the Rickenbacker 325 and Gretsch Duo Jet guitars—hailed as two of the celebrated, signature instruments played by John Lennon and George Harrison throughout their careers. Also available is a Höfner bass controller—a large-scale replica of the bass famously used by Sir Paul McCartney. Rounding out the set is a Ringo Starr inspired Ludwig-branded Rock Band 2 drum set with a classic pearl finish and vintage replica Beatles kick drum head.

Pricing for The Beatles: Rock Band is as follows:

• Limited Edition Premium Bundle for Xbox 360/PS3/Wii: US MSRP $249.99, continental Europe MSRP €199.00, UK MSRP £179.00

• Includes: The Beatles: Rock Band software, Höfner Bass controller: Large scale replica of the Bass famously used by Sir Paul McCartney, Beatles-inspired and Ludwig-branded Rock Band 2 drums with classic pearl finish and vintage replica Beatles kick drum head, Microphone, Microphone Stand, additional special content

• Rickenbacker 325 Standalone Guitar for Xbox 360/PS3/Wii: US MSRP $99.99, continental Europe MSRP €99.99, UK MSRP £89.99

• Gretsch Duo Jet Standalone Guitar for Xbox 360/PS3/Wii: US MSRP $99.99, continental Europe MSRP €99.99, UK MSRP £89.99

• The Beatles: Rock Band Software for Xbox 360/PS3: US MSRP $59.99, continental Europe MSRP €69.99, UK MSRP £49.99

• The Beatles: Rock Band Software for Wii: US MSRP $59.99, continental Europe MSRP €49.99, UK MSRP £39.99

The game will also be compatible with all Rock Band™ instrument controllers, as well as most Guitar Hero® and other authorized third party music video game peripherals and microphones.

The Beatles: Rock Band marks the first time that Apple Corps, along with EMI Music, Sony/ATV Music Publishing, Harrisongs Ltd and Startling Music Ltd has presented The Beatles music in an interactive video game format. The Beatles: Rock Band is published by MTV Games and developed by Harmonix, the world’s premier music video game company and creators of the best-selling Rock Band. Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: ERTS) is serving as distribution partner for the game. In addition, Giles Martin, co-producer of The Beatles innovative LOVE album project, provided his expertise and served as Music Producer for this groundbreaking Beatles project.

The Beatles: Rock Band is rated “T” for Teen with the descriptors “Mild Lyrics” and “Tobacco Reference” by the ESRB.

For more information on The Beatles: Rock Band, as well as art and video assets, please visit http://www.thebeatlesrockband.com/press.

To access b-roll footage, including:

• Re-mastered Beatles albums art elements; mini-documentary clips (14 stereo CDs / Stereo box set / Mono box set)

• SOT from Giles Martin, Music Supervisor, The Beatles: Rock Band and son of Sir George Martin (Beatles Producer) on The Beatles: Rock Band experience

• SOT from Alex Rigopulos CEO And Co-Founder of MTV’s Harmonix Music Systems on expanding the music video game audience and meaning of The Beatles: Rock Band

• Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr footage

• The Beatles: Rock Band 30-second commercial

• The Beatles: Rock Band gameplay footage (“I Saw Her Standing There,” “I Want To Hold Your Hand,” “Back In The U.S.S.R.)

• The Beatles: Rock Band demo performance (“I Feel Fine”)

North American Satellite Coordinates

Date: Tuesday, September 8, 2009

Time: 10:00 – 10:30 AM Eastern

1:00 – 1:30 PM Eastern

Galaxy 3C (C-band), Trp. 04

D/L Freq 3780MHz V

Analog 36MHz Audio 6.2/6.8

European Satellite Coordinates:

Date: Tuesday, September 8, 2009

Time: 9:00 – 9:30GMT

12:00 – 12:30GMT

Int’l Space: W2A/F5/Ch E 9-MHz/KU-Band Modulation: DVB-S QPSK

D/L Freq: 12712.830 H MPEG: 4:2:0

FEC: 3/4 Video Standard: PAL

SR: 6.1113 Audio: 2 Ch’s

FTP Details

Date: Tuesday, September 8, 2009

Time: 5:00 AM EASTERM

URL: http://www.celebrityfootage.com/download.asp?f=TheBeatlesRockBand.mov

About Apple Corps. Ltd.

Apple Corps Ltd. was founded by The Beatles in 1968 to look after the group’s own affairs. The London-based company has administered the catalogue of The Beatles releases of the 1960s that have sold to date more than 600 million records, tapes and CDs. Since the 1990s, Apple has piloted new Beatles projects that have become benchmarks for pioneering accomplishment and which have included The Beatles Anthology projects, the 28-million selling album The Beatles 1 and The Beatles LOVE show and CD. Further information on The Beatles’ projects can be found at www.thebeatles.com.

About MTV Networks

MTV Networks, a division of Viacom (NYSE: VIA, VIA.B) is one of the world’s leading creators of entertainment content, with brands that engage and connect diverse audiences across television, online, mobile, games, virtual worlds and consumer products. The company’s portfolio spans more than 150 television channels and 350 digital media properties worldwide, and includes MTV, VH1, CMT, LOGO, Harmonix, Nickelodeon, Nick at Nite, Noggin, The N, Addicting Games, Neopets, COMEDY CENTRAL, Spike TV, TV Land, Aton, GameTrailers and Xfire.

About MTV Games

MTV Games is dedicated to creating, marketing and publishing high-quality, innovative interactive products that are relevant to the MTV audience and complement the core values of the MTV Networks brands.

About Harmonix Music Systems, Inc.

Harmonix Music Systems, Inc., based in Cambridge, MA, and established in 1995, is the leading developer of ground-breaking music-oriented videogames. Harmonix was founded by Alex Rigopulos and Eran Egozy, who formed the company to invent new ways for non-musicians to experience the unique joy that comes from making music and have pioneered music and rhythm gaming in the US. For more information please visit: www.harmonixmusic.com.

About Electronic Arts Inc.

Electronic Arts Inc. (EA), headquartered in Redwood City, California, is a leading global interactive entertainment software company. Founded in 1982, the Company develops, publishes, and distributes interactive software worldwide for video game systems, personal computers, wireless devices and the Internet. Electronic Arts markets its products under four brand names: EATM, EA SPORTSTM, EA Mobile TM and POGOTM. In fiscal 2009, EA posted GAAP net revenue of $4.2 billion and had 31 titles that sold more than one million copies. EA's homepage and online game site is www.ea.com. More information about EA's products and full text of press releases can be found on the Internet at http://info.ea.com.

About Doctors Without Borders/Médecins San Frontières (MSF)

Doctors Without Borders delivers emergency aid in more than 60 countries to victims of armed conflict, medical catastrophe, natural disasters, malnutrition, and neglected disease. The organization brings quality medical care to people caught in crisis regardless of race, religion, or political affiliation, and operates independently of any political, military, or religious agendas. Doctors Without Borders was the recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize in 1999. More information at www.doctorswithoutborders.org.

© 2009 Harmonix Music Systems, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Harmonix, Rock Band, Rock Band 2 and all related titles and logos are trademarks of Harmonix Music Systems, Inc., an MTV Networks company. Rock Band, Rock Band 2, and The Beatles: Rock Band are developed by Harmonix Music Systems, inc. MTV: Music Television, MTV Games and all related titles and logos are trademarks of MTV Networks, a division of Viacom International Inc. EA, EA SPORTS, EA Mobile and POGO are trademarks or registered trademarks of Electronic Arts Inc. in the U.S. and/or other countries. Guitar Hero is a registered trademark of Activision Publishing, Inc. Microsoft, Xbox and Xbox 360 are trademarks of the Microsoft group of companies. “PlayStation,” “PLAYSTATION” and the “PS” Family logo are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc. Wii is a trademark of Nintendo. All other marks are the property of their respective owners.

Ludwig is a registered trademark of Conn-Selmer, Inc.

Rickenbacker, the Triangular Name Crescent Design, and logotypes are among the trademarks and service marks in the United States and other countries of Rickenbacker International Corporation.

The photo of The Beatles from "A Hard Day’s Night" is part of the private collection of, and appears courtesy of, Mr. Bruce A. Karsh.

CONTACTS:

For MTV Games / Harmonix – U.S. Media:

Jeff Castaneda

Phone: 212-846-6774

Email: jeff.castaneda@mtvstaff.com

Mariana Agathoklis

Phone: 212-846-5755

Email: mariana.agathoklis@mtvstaff.com

For Apple Corps Ltd. – UK / International Media

MBC PR

Moira Bellas