[Multiplatform] The Beatles: Rock Band

Making this thread because I like to torture myself.

YouTube Video

It's torture because unless I come into x hundred dollars worth of money that I can't use in any way other than to buy an Xbox 360 and this game, I will never own this game. Which is a pity, because it's taking two things which are awesome - Rock Band and the Beatles - and merging them into something that will with no shred of doubt be SUPERMEGAFUCKING awesome.

(Waiting for EA to wake up and allow a harmony/rhythm guitar part. What's the hold-up?)

Jam it back in, in the dark.

That's nice. Can we see a Led Zeppelin Rock Band now?

Seriously though, I'm actually looking forward to this... Unless I absolutely have to buy new hardware. Then Harmonix will lick limp donkey dong.

There's nowhere I can't reach.

Didn't Jimmy Page require $100,000 per song last time Harmonix asked?

This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.

Whatever the asking price, it'll happen someday, and maybe sooner as bands start lining up for the same treatment the Beatles are getting with this game.

(Coming too soon: The Rolling Stones: Rock Band )

Paco: all prior GH/RB equipment will work. The only real change is the inclusion of three-part vocal harmony.

Get your USB hubs out.

Additional Spam:
People playing the game. It's interesting that they have three separate singers. Also notable: check out the drum kit. Three cymbals/high-hats?

The game's opening cinematic. I wonder who drew that.

I am a dolphin, do you want me on your body?

I came.

Also hoping you choose to play as a particular Beatle instead of an instrument since they would switch up occasionally on who played what. It just seems like it would be hilarious fun to have your bassist all of a sudden have to play drums.

I was speaking idiomatically.

But then the question is:


Who would be Ringo?




Nobody wants to be Ringo.




(I would be George)

What kind of toxic man-thing is happening now?

Originally Posted by RacinReaver

I came.

Also hoping you choose to play as a particular Beatle instead of an instrument since they would switch up occasionally on who played what. It just seems like it would be hilarious fun to have your bassist all of a sudden have to play drums.

Ringo disappears; somehow Paul plays bass and drums and vocals at the same time.

FELIPE NO

Originally Posted by The Dopefish

Ringo disappears; somehow Paul plays bass and drums and vocals at the same time.

Wait, we can pretend Ringo's not in the band?


Game of the Ever right now.

What, you don't want my bikini-clad body?

I was being theoretical based on what actually happened with the Beatles; Ringo quit for a while towards the end.

Jam it back in, in the dark.

Apparently there's a demo or a disc with videos from the game on it because someone uploaded some videos of a few songs from the game, minus the fretboard but with the score and that meter on the side still there. Enjoy (while they're still up):

YouTube Video

YouTube Video

YouTube Video

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I still feel like the animations (mouths, strumming) could stand to be a little sharper, but in terms of art direction, this game is beautiful.

There's nowhere I can't reach.

I have to say this really isn't any different than Guitar Hero: Aerosmith for me. There aren't enough good songs ("good" meaning songs I particularly want to rock out to; I've never listened to much Beatles music, but I understand their style and it just doesn't do anything for me) by the band to necessitate a full game devoted around them, and the songs will be too damn easy anyway. I'm not sure there are alot of bands out there who really do have enough "playable" songs to carry an entire game, and personally, seeing as interest is generally waning on GH/RB games, I don't think single-band devoted entries are really the way to go. However, there is something to be said about the increased presentation quality to them.



That being said, I would play Ringo.

This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.

Originally Posted by The Dopefish

Paco: all prior GH/RB equipment will work. The only real change is the inclusion of three-part vocal harmony.

Is it just the vocals you can have multiples of or is it like Guitar Hero 5 where they're going to let you have as many of each instrument as you want? Four drummer bands are going to be epic.

I am a dolphin, do you want me on your body?

That's very much down to liking the music of the band though, as for me the idea of an Aerosmith game is fucking horrid, but I'm stupidly excited for Beatles Rock Band. For my money pretty much every song they've announced so far is looking excellent and a lot of fun to play. And I think you're fooling yourself by thinking that the 'simpler' nature of the brand of music the Beatles produced for will translate to easy gameplay. I'm certain that there's going to be some tricky songs to play on this.

And plus, you can always make things interesting and do as I've done recently with singing and playing at the same time, as that makes things tricky.

I was speaking idiomatically.

Originally Posted by Big Gay Chulo

Is it just the vocals you can have multiples of or is it like Guitar Hero 5 where they're going to let you have as many of each instrument as you want? Four drummer bands are going to be epic.

No, the vocals are the only thing that will be getting the multi-part treatment. I think the idea of multiple instrument parts just for the sake of it (and not adding any real gameplay value) is silly, but that's aside from the point.

Playing an instrument and singing is a real challenge unless you know a song by heart. (Again, the lack of a real "George part", i.e. a rhythm guitar part, will either force you to have someone just singing or having your drummer sing, which would be a fucking task.)

What kind of toxic man-thing is happening now?

I think Guitar Hero 5 isn't going to have multiple parts for each instrument, it' just going to allow you to play as a band but double up some tracks, most likely to allow people with an extra guitar and no drum kit to play four player.

How ya doing, buddy?

Originally Posted by Big Gay Chulo

I think Guitar Hero 5 isn't going to have multiple parts for each instrument, it' just going to allow you to play as a band but double up some tracks, most likely to allow people with an extra guitar and no drum kit to play four player.

I understand what they're intending to do with that and the ability to drop out or join in on-the-fly -- they're leaning towards a more casual game. It's a nice touch, but I find it hard to imagine how you'll know you're doing a shit job on guitar if someone else is doing good on the same instrument. They're trying to expand the game but it sounds like they're watering down the experience along with it.

What, you don't want my bikini-clad body?

Am I the only person that likes playing some of the easier songs in these sorts of games as much as the hard ones? I can manage Expert on pretty much any song, but there's just something a lot of fun playing a song where you can do the whole thing without completely losing it in the solo.

Jam it back in, in the dark.

Originally Posted by The Dopefish

I understand what they're intending to do with that and the ability to drop out or join in on-the-fly -- they're leaning towards a more casual game. It's a nice touch, but I find it hard to imagine how you'll know you're doing a shit job on guitar if someone else is doing good on the same instrument. They're trying to expand the game but it sounds like they're watering down the experience along with it.

Both the Guitar Hero and Rock Band franchises have been the epitome of "casual" gaming since their inception. Sure there are people who can play the Expert mode tracks with the note markers turned off but I imagine the vast majority of players of both games play on Medium or even Easy mode, with mates, when they're drunk. As such, it makes sense to make it more accessible. I know a lot of people with Rock Band and GH games but I know very few with a drum kit (Mainly because they're still over £100 just for the drums). Allowing three guitars or two singers means people with less cash or small front rooms can still play four player, that's not exactly a watered down experience in my book. And you can tell if you're doing well by how many notes you're hitting and your score surely?

I agree with Reaver (Although I can barely finish most tracks on Hard, let alone Expert), it's more fun, especially with other people to just enjoy playing the tracks rather than always be pushing for a perfect score or demonstrating your advanced autism powers by hitting every single note on Through the Fire and Flames on Expert with your eyes shut. I guess I play the game more socially than some of you guys do but I think anything that allows more people to be involved is a good thing.

There's nowhere I can't reach.

As cool as this seems, I'm a little more interested in Guitar Hero: Van Halen. The Beatles were a great band, but they aren't really the kind of style I like to play on Guitar Hero.

Rocking out to "Eruption," however; now that sounds fun.

This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.

Originally Posted by The Dopefish

(Coming too soon: The Rolling Stones: Rock Band )

Funny, I would go for that a lot quicker than this.

On topic though, What I'm most interested in seeing with this title is simply what polishing will be done to the gameplay. I thought Rockband 2 had it down pat pretty good as far as the tracks and difficulty go, and I'm curious to see what they will add into the game to make it that much more interesting. Also, I hope that it won't be too linear, as the open-ended World Tour gameplay they had going made it that much more fun to play. The random setlists might not be such a great idea though, seeing that this game will probably have a relatively smaller number of songs than RB 2.

I am a dolphin, do you want me on your body?

One of my friends got this and we played it a bit this evening. The hardest part of the game for us seems to be sticking to the melody and not singing the harmonies. For those of us who enjoy the music of the Beatles, this is turning out to be a really good game.

I was speaking idiomatically.

Seeing how I've been listening to the Beatles non-stop for the past month or so, I'm really hopeful I can find the money to get a new console and the game. I'd likely be getting a PS3 since I have drums compatible with the PS2/3, and I have a USB mic already, but I'd need new guitar(s) too.

Money.

I'm curious to see if the game supports additional cymbals on the drum kit. I remember the E3 video and I've been seeing people demoing the game with three extra cymbals hooked up, but I haven't seen any additional note streams. (I'm reading on BestBuy.com that a particular set of cymbals is "supported" by TB:RB, so at least they're "supported".)

What kind of toxic man-thing is happening now?

Got to say, I'm loving this game to pieces. I like the Beatles plenty, though if I'd be lying if I said I knew their whole catalogue well at all, and it's been an absolute pleasure to play through this game and discover tracks I'd not heard of. There seriously is not a dud amongst the 45 song collection and with the promise of some excellent sounding DLC, well this is well worth picking up.

I am definitely loving the little tweaks and updates they've done to the interface, and being able to pick stuff like lefty/righty guitar mode or static/scrolling lyrics as you go into the song is so much easier. Plus it's really handy just being able to see the difficulty of the part over the top of your player slot, so you don't have to ask "Wait, how tough was the drums on this one, do I want to play hard or expert?" type stuff.

I've completed the story mode already but am going to be wanting to sit down and read all the extra info I've unlocked so far, the little that I've read so far being really interesting stuff.

FELIPE NO

I picked this up a couple of days ago and absolutely love it! I had to buy instruments since I only have PS2 Rock Band instruments and a Wii is my only next-gen, but I think it was well worth it. I can't wait to have 5 other people over so we can all rock out.

There are a few obscure Beatles songs on here though, which makes the vocals a bitch.

What, you don't want my bikini-clad body?