I’m such a nerd.
I want this. I want this so bad.
There’s nothing there yet to see at that website, just an image of the inside of Abbey Road Studios.
So what is it?
It’s a video game. Coming on September 9th, 2009. (Note to self: Look in The Complete Beatles Chronicle when I get home from work tonight and see if there’s any significance to September 9th in the Beatles’ career.)
The Beatles: Rock Band will allow fans to pick up the guitar, bass, mic or drums and “experience The Beatles extraordinary catalog of music through gameplay that takes players on a journey through the legacy and evolution of the band’s legendary career,” according to the [press] release.
The game will also have a limited number of new hardware offerings modeled after instruments used by John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr throughout their career.
The game will be sold as standalone software and hardware as well as a limited edition bundle.
Ooh, that premium edition bundle. Yeah, $250.00 is a wee bit pricey for something like that, but… It’s like Nick Hornby wrote in Fever Pitch — “Obsessives have no choice.”
At the very least, I’ll get the instrument-less version. I’m assuming that Rock Band can be played without instruments? Just the controller? I’ve never actually played it. I don’t really know.
Hmm, now I wonder if the long-awaited CD remasters of the Beatles’ original studio albums will coincide with the release of The Beatles: Rock Band. That makes too much sense, which means that Apple won’t do that. 😆
ETA: So, consulting Mark Lewisohn’s The Complete Beatles Chronicle for things that happened in Beatles history on September 9th:
- 1961: Played a show at the Ainstree Institute in Liverpool
- 1962: Played the Cavern Club in Liverpool
- 1963: Nothing
- 1964: Nothing, probably travel after their Montreal show on the 8th
- 1965: Nothing
- 1966: John was in West Germany, filming How I Won The War
- 1967: Nothing; filming for Magical Mystery Tour commences in two days
- 1968: Recording of “Helter Skelter”
- 1969: Nothing; John plays a concert in Toronto with the Plastic Ono Band in five days
As was pointed out to me, 9 was John Lennon’s favorite number. He was born on October 9th. One of his earliest songs was “One After 909.” His solo song “#9 Dream” is my favorite solo Lennon song. So there’s an instant connection — 9-9-09.
Works for me. 🙂
Rock Band might be playable with a standard controller, but I doubt it. The instrument-less version is aimed at someone who has instruments from one of the first two Rock Band games.