PS3 News: Harmonix: The Beatles Not Compatible With Other Rock Bands - PS3 News

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Harmonix: The Beatles Not Compatible With Other Rock Bands

Forgive the clever play on words in the headline; it just kinda happened that way when I went to make a title.

Anyway, according to Joystiq, Harmonix Creative Director Josh Randall has clarified the position of The Beatles: Rock Band. This may come as a surprise to some, but he said we should consider the latter title and the Rock Band franchise as a whole as "two totally separate entities." Hence, any tracks and available downloadable content for this new title won't be compatible with any other Rock Band entries, and the vicey versey is true as well. This means that when the Abbey Road album arrives as DLC for the game, you'll only be able to play those tracks in The Beatles: Rock Band. This is unfortunate news to loyal followers of this series but hey, sometimes you just have to roll with the punches. One has to assume that such a franchise will continue on for many years to come; you can't expect everything to be compatible with everything else in regards to the "Rock Band" name, right? We're just trying to soften the blow, here, so don't shoot the messengers.

Well, we assume all you Beatlemaniacs won't give one flying fig, anyway. This is going to be one of those games you absolutely must have, just because of the band it's based upon. Some legends, whether you liked 'em or not, never die.

Related Game(s): The Beatles: Rock Band

6/2/2009 John Shepard

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Comments (14 posts)

SarahPalinMILF
Tuesday, June 02, 2009 @ 10:01:38 PM
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are the instrument peripherals of rock band 1/2 compatible with this...even though the new Beatles themed ones are bad ass...

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fundando
Wednesday, June 03, 2009 @ 6:44:22 PM

yes they are

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Alienange
Tuesday, June 02, 2009 @ 10:15:00 PM
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It's ok with me. They're in it for the money and I'm passing for the money.

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LimitedVertigo
Tuesday, June 02, 2009 @ 10:51:38 PM
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Not interested at all in this game or any game like it. I'm not a wii fan but I'm glad the system exists so it can keep a large portion of these type of games on its system. The PS3 is for action, adventure, and rpg's IMO.

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SarahPalinMILF
Tuesday, June 02, 2009 @ 11:06:49 PM

The Beatles have themes hidden in there music that I'm certain a biased person like yourself wouldn't understand or care to...

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Qwarktast1c
Tuesday, June 02, 2009 @ 11:13:36 PM

i agree with sarahpalinmilf

the beatles are the greatest :)

i can't wait to play this game. it deserves a pre-order!

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Fane1024
Wednesday, June 03, 2009 @ 12:04:12 AM

Your loss.

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whooka
Wednesday, June 03, 2009 @ 8:55:49 AM
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While the most obvious question is not addressed in the article, 'are any of the existing rock band instruments compatible?', i'm assuming that statement from harmonix about the game being two seperate entities means they are not and one will have to buy another set of instruments for this game. That imo is a very poor decision on Harmonix's side if that is the case and will definitely effect sales on some level as I love both Rock Band (2) and The Beatles but I def will not shell out over $200 or whatever it's going to be for another set of instruments that are gonna clutter up my apartment and only be used for this particular version of the game. I'd happily buy the game disc itself but requiring a different set of instruments for this game, which undoubtedly will have a different appearance and Beatles music but still the same control/notes getup so previous instruments could work if they had wanted them to, is a bit sleazy and I think John Lennon himself would prob see it as a capitalist screw over. I realize Harmonix has limited power over music licensing and such so this may not be all their decision but it's still pretty stupid imo.

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Mr Bitey
Wednesday, June 03, 2009 @ 9:29:13 AM
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I love the irony that "All you need is love" will be used by Microsoft as an exclusive, to use as leverage in the console war.
Last edited by Mr Bitey on 6/3/2009 9:29:27 AM

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Highlander
Wednesday, June 03, 2009 @ 12:17:54 PM

Indeed. Magical Mystery Tour might have been more appropriate.

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Qwarktast1c
Wednesday, June 03, 2009 @ 6:26:27 PM

i think its stupid that they do that since the proceeds, according to the article, go to charity!!!

now why cut out ps3?? it would be more money for the charity! that is just stupid.

and i don't really care that they get the single, cause if they release full albums like they say then that song will be on Magical Mystery Tour

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PS3addict
Wednesday, June 03, 2009 @ 10:52:30 AM
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OK, I am a huge RB and beatles fan and have kept up wih all of the news on this new IP.
The insruments from RB 1&2 are fully compatiable for all three titles.
There are new mechanics in the beatles tracks that are not available in the other RB platforms. The biggest of course is the 3 part melody. Yes, you can have up to 6 players at once in this bad boy. So that makes the tracks not importable to the other games.

Also, any track created during ther middle of thier carrer while in studio comes with a dreamscape or an interpretation of what the band was doing, feeling, thinking while creating the song. Way, way cool..

TYhe one thing that bums me out is the price of the bundle, and that it appears to only come witrh a bass guitar, no other guitar, and only one microphone. So if you buy the $300 bundle, you will still need to buy a guitar and 2 microphones to experience it with 4-6 players. Otherwise you get the drumset (Very nice) Bass (Wish it was sold seperately), microphone and stand and spme still unannounced additional special content.

I still do not know if I am going to buy the new bundle as I have the original RB set and is still serves me fine.

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Highlander
Wednesday, June 03, 2009 @ 12:17:15 PM
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This is a steaming pile of horse's p'toot's.

This is an example of pure unadulterated exploitation of a license. What next, models of the fab four's instruments that are specifically compatible with the Beatles version of Rock Band, but not other versions of the game?

Who's brilliant idea was this? It's the worst sort of exploitative lock in. At the same time that Sony's Singstar is welcoming PS2 Singstar game discs on the PS3 by including the ability for the PS3 version of Singstar to read the old versions discs, Harmonix is going in the opposite direction - smart one guys.

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josh70679
Wednesday, June 03, 2009 @ 1:53:27 PM
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According to Harmonix:

"The game will be compatible with all Rock Band instrument controllers and other current music-based video game peripherals."

http://www.rockband.com/forums/showthread.php?t=126447

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