When The Beatles: Rock Band hit shelves on September 9th, 2009, gamers and Beatles fans alike were treated to an artistic adventure through the history of the number one selling band of all-time. The game pleased those Beatles fans that picked it up and for Rock Band fans that may have not been too familiar with the back catalog of the Fab Four, it exposed them to the band and their excellent non-radio tunes.
The game did more than just please fans, however. It advanced the genre light years ahead. Ever since the success of Guitar Hero II, the music game industry has resembled an exploding star; shining incredibly and almost unbearably bright for a short period of time and then burning out and giving off very little heat. One of the lone ideas that looked to revitalize the genre, however, was a game devoted to exploring the rich musical history of arguably the most popular and beloved band the world has ever seen. The game was a masterpiece by Harmonix, but it suffered from genre burnout and sold less units than it should have, even though it started out exceeding sales expectations.
The title definitely left an impact on the genre as a whole, however. The Beatles: Rock Band was very much a labor of love by Harmonix. They worked with the Harrison and Lennon estates, as well as Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr, so it truly was the most authentic experience possible at the time. The game was so well made that it started grabbing artists’ attention everywhere and has generally established Harmonix as the team that creates games with the most soul in the music game genre. That was further exemplified with the ambitious Rock Band 3, which even possesses the ability to teach its players how to play real instruments. (Continued on Page 2)
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