Wednesday, June 3, 2009

PLAY AT E3: The Beatles Rock Band

Notes from Beatles presentation:
Why a Beatles game? Because it's the Beatles, adding the Beatles is great mixer.
Starting with I Wanna Hold Your Hand, Ed Sullivan set, there's a special background during overdrive, animation and graphics looks great, full of life. 3 mics allow harmony.
Damn they're good, 5 stars, before the break and 360,000 points. Colors are all around less neon. Song ends at 490,000. Trying to give feedback so you can see how you're doing. Shows scores on harmonies. There are different markers for the different vocalists. You don't get penalized for one person doing awfully. They're trying to get the game as accessible as possible to accommodate the new players coming to the game for The Beatles brand. Quick play mode has everything unlocked right away. The menus are all newly stylized for The Beatles too and they all look good.

Day Tripper is up next. Good to know I'm not the only one who has trouble with rolls on drums. The drums look great with the face plate. Definitely replacing the old Rock Band 1 drums. Clearly they've references footage of The Beatles performances. 5 stars and 395,747. All Rock Band instruments are compatible. Kick scrim is well made, the demonstrator pretends to kick it. Abbey Road is the first full length album. All You Need Is Love is a timed exclusive for Xbox Live.

The studio-only songs won't be performed in front of in game audiences. Instead they'll take off into "dreamscapes." beatlesrockband.com/press USSR invokes lots of Russian imagery. It's crazy but it works: why is Beatles Rock Band fun? Because it's the Beatles. I'm not even playing and I'm having fun.

More to read on play experience later.

Playing the game was about as fun as watching it. Really, when you see The Beatles Rock Band, you have to ask yourself "What is the selling point of this game?" Obviously the answer is The Beatles, their music, their culture, their likenesses. That is what this game is all about. They have made changes to allow for the new players who are drawn by the license, but its still Rock Band through and through. Don't like the Beatles? Obviously you won't be buying.

The guitar controllers were a little different from my first generation plastic instruments, but I'm sure they're pretty near to the feel the Rock Band 2 instruments give off. You'll be seeing The Beatles Rock Band later in the year and expect the Rock Band/Pepsi promotion to put The Beatles Rock Band at the fore front as well.

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