MTV/Harmonix Conference Call Regarding Beatles Signing

By Joe Haygood | October 30, 2008

So, more details are now available about the deal Harmonix made with Apple Music Ltd. and The Beatles.  Note for some of the youngsters, Apple Music Ltd. is actually a publishing arm created by The Beatles many years ago to distribute their albums, and is different from Apple Computer.

So Harmonix, talked about how great and revolutionary The Beatles were to music scene back in the 60’s.  Harmonix was happy to have them on and looks forward to this business partnership.

The Beatles game will be a completely separate title from Rock Band 2, and Harmonix had no comment on how it will or won’t interlink into the Rock Band games.  We also do not have a track list for the game, but it will cover all the musical transitions that the band went through during its reign on the rock scene.  The levels for the game will mimic the visual styles for the band used throughout its existence.  The game is set for a Holiday 2009 release, but we do not have a cost.

This deal is an exclusive deal, meaning that Harmonix has sole access right now to The Beatles catalog.  Harmonix reasoning for making this a separate game, free of the Rock Band label is due to the legacy that The Beatles have in the music world.  With this announcement, there was some interest if this meant that digital downloads of The Beatles would be coming.  However, there was no comment from Apple Music Ltd., with the exception of the quote, “We are working on it.”