Controller Punch!

Will Players be Able to Even Hear The Beatles over Rockband’s  Screaming Women SFX?

Not much is known about The Beatles: Rock Band and this site doesn’t help in the slightest:  http://www.thebeatlesrockband.com/ . While one may expect more content to show up here as the prospective release date of 09/09/09 approaches, very little yet is revealed about the fab four’s first foray into the gaming industry.

What can certainly be said is that it’s going to be interesting.

No one doubts the Beatles’ lasting effect on music, or the very real non-ironic popularity of their music still today, but the upcoming release will truly be a testament to just how much broad appeal video games have garnered in the last few years. Generations have seriously been crossed in the gaming world and yet here is a list of games you haven’t ever seen:

Project Bullit Racing.

Mods vs. Rockers: Scholarship Edition

Grand Theft Charles Manson’s VW

Sim Hair: The Beatles

There is a good reason for this. What was popular in the ’60s normally doesn’t translate into entertainment for children of the “Mom, the phone’s ringing!” generation. Will being the biggest band ever bring today’s kids out to see what the hubbub was about? Or will the game merely prove to be a healthy diversion for a smaller yet older and wiser fan base of the Rock Band series? The previous Guitar Hero and Rock Band games have been noted for shedding some light on the fact that the music of previous generations may still, in fact, rock.

I’m sure there’s a slew of teenagers out there humming Carlos Santana’s “Black Magic Woman” or Steve Miller Band’s “The Joker” because of their inclusion next to AFI’s “Miss Murder” and Rise Against’s “Re-Education (Through Labor),” but The Beatles: Rock Band will exclusively serve a track list of songs recorded over 40 years ago. This might be a lot to ask for a younger demographic.

It is also an interesting game because it crunches the genre’s head on the ceiling. With the possible exception of guitar- and drum-driven Led Zeppelin, there’s nowhere to go but down from The Beatles as far as bands go. Guitar Hero: Metallic already exists, covering the heavy side of things, and Guitar Hero: Aerosmith pales in comparison for day-to-day clout. Most of its sales were due to its release proximity to the crest of the wave of the franchise’s popularity.

Now, obviously this is generalizing, since to each music fan their own, but it is almost like they shot their load way too soon. Wait on releasing The Beatles. Release GH: Pearl Jam or RB: Weezer. Hell, release GH: Men Without Hats if you want to. Baby steps. There’s lots of money to be made between Aerosmith and The Beatles. Enough to fill Steven Tyler’s mouth.

Judging from the list of songs fans have been suggesting online, it also appears like The Beatles: Rock Band will feature some of the first true ballads to no doubt end with an explosion and “You rock!” appearing inappropriately. Songs like “Yesterday,” “Blackbird,” and “In My Life” are in high demand from the fans despite their inclusion making the very term “rock band” somewhat farcical.

I thought Guitar Hero: World Tour was stretching it when they included “Beat It” by the king of pop and lighter-igniter “Hotel California” by the Eagles, but “Blackbird” is the second-least rocking song ever (the least rocking song, of course, being Sarah McLachlan’s version of the same song). Not that I’m complaining too much, they are all excellent songs and coveted classics, but I have noticed a steady decrease in absolute thrash with each subsequent genre release – GH: Metallica not included. Maybe they can throw a blistering solo into “Yesterday” like they did on Wolfmother’s “Woman” off Guitar Hero 2?

Though I certainly look forward to the game and intend on purchasing it immediately (that is if it works in conjunction with my GH:WT controllers), it is difficult to say whether The Beatles: Rock Band will stand as a sterling example of what band-focused music games can be, or as proof that even when reaching for the sky one can wear oneself too thin for the main market. One thing is for sure: it won’t be long after September 9^th, 2009 that Lucy is going to have company in the sky with diamonds: Harmonix and EA.

Lots and lots of diamonds.

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