MTV, Harmonix and Apple Corps (The Beatles rights-holder) announced during a conference call yesterday (today?) that a brand new music game featuring the music of the Beatles is in the works. MTV music, films and logo group president, Van Toffler said:

“Today we’re announcing an exclusive partnership with Apple Corps, MTV Games and Harmonix to create a brand-new video game featuring the iconic music of The Beatles. We’re not in the business of producing standalone games for every artist that’s out there… but [for] a monumental band like The Beatles, it’s the perfect confluence.”

Apple Corps CEO Jeff Jones added some further significance to the announcement, commenting that this would be the first time music from The Beatles has ever been signed for an appearance in a video game, continuing by saying, “In MTV and Harmonix, we see partners that admire The Beatles and Apple’s original spirit and vision.”

The game is only due out next Christmas and will be a completely new product, not to be viewed as an expansion to Rock Band, but as its own game not confined to the Rock Band franchise, as Harmonix’s Alex Rigopoulos enthused:

“This is a once in a lifetime opportunity. We have been up and running on this project for some time now… and I want to make it clear that this game is not just a Rock Band song expansion pack. It will be a new, full-blown, custom game title production built from the ground up.”

He went on to say that it would be an “interactive music-making game [with] interactive performance of the Beatles’ music,” although he wasn’t able to confirm instrument interoperability between Rock Band and the Beatles game.

The project was apparently “creatively conceived” by the last remaining Beatles, Sir Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr, as well as the wives of the late John Lennon and George Harrison, Yoko Ono and Olivia Harrison respectively. Comments from the group were naturally positive, focussing on the heritage of the band, looking to the future.

Sir Paul McCartney said, “The project is a fun idea which broadens the appeal of The Beatles and their music. I like people having the opportunity to get to know the music from the inside out,” while Ringo Starr commented, “It gives me great pleasure to be part of The Beatles, Apple, Harmonix and Rock Band partnership. The Beatles continue to evolve with the passing of time and how wonderful that The Beatles’ legacy will find its natural progression into the 21st century through the computerized world we live in. Let the games commence.”

Yoko Ono said, “It’s cool. I love it, and hope it will keep inspiring and encouraging the young generation for many decades.”

Source: Gamasutra