Paul and Ringo reunite for Beatles videogame
Jun 2, 2009 Alex Dobuzinskis
Los Angeles (Reuters) - Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr, the two surviving members of The Beatles, appeared together in Los Angeles on Monday to present a "Rock Band" videogame that will give fans a chance to relive the Fab Four's musical triumphs. McCartney and Starr put in a quick appearance at the E3 videogame trade conference to rousing applause. Yoko Ono and Olivia Harrison, the widows of John Lennon and George Harrison, also appeared at the event.” The Beatles: Rock Band," which will be released on September 9, marks The Beatles' first leap into digitally releasing their music. The band has not allowed its songs to be downloaded on Web sites such as iTunes. McCartney and Starr performed together in April at a benefit concert in New York, but appearances together have been rare since The Beatles disbanded in 1970."The Beatles: Rock Band" is a production of Apple Corps Ltd, the company founded in the 1960s by the band, and MTV Games' Harmonix Music Systems. The game allows players to follow in The Beatles' footsteps by singing in three-part harmonies and physically holding plugged-in versions of musical instruments to play the band's songs, including "Back in the USSR" and "I Am the Walrus.” The "Rock Band" videogame series has featured music from Aerosmith, Bon Jovi and many other acts.

Beatles videogame premieres with McCartney, Ringo
June 1, 2009
Los Angeles (AFP) – Sir Paul McCartney played an air guitar as he and Ringo Starr strode on stage for the world debut of a videogame that lets players pretend to be The Beatles. The legendary surviving members of the band, and the widows of John Lennon and George Harrison, got standing ovations during a Microsoft press conference premiering new titles poised for release for Xbox 360 consoles. “The Beatles: Rock Band" promises "a revolutionary tour" of the Fab Four's music, career and legacy. “We love the game," McCartney said as he and Starr joshed in the spotlight. "Who'd have thought we'd end up like androids? “The videogame will launch with 10 of the band's songs including "I Saw Her Standing There," "I Want To Hold Your Hand," "Day Tripper, and "Back In The USSR."In the spirit of the "Rock Band" franchise, The Beatles game lets players using controllers resembling guitars or drums score points by staying in time with colored "notes" streamed along on-screen guitar necks. Vocals are also rated on screen to determine whether the singing measures up. A story mode in the game lets players become band members of their choosing and start the group's career in its early days playing at The Cavern Club in Liverpool, England. Players will go on to perform virtual versions of The Beatles television appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show in the United States in 1964 and a sold-out show in Shea Stadium in New York City a year later. The videogame story includes a major Tokyo concert, studio sessions and a final 1969 performance on the roof of the headquarters of Apple Corp., the band's recording label. “The game is good; the graphics are very good," Starr quipped. "We were great.” Microsoft executives announced that "All You Need Is Love" by The Beatles will be released as a download for Xbox 360 consoles, with proceeds going to humanitarian group Doctors Without Borders. The nonprofit group was chosen by Yoko Ono Lennon and Olivia Harrison, who opened up personal archives to aid development of the videogame. “We had the huge honor of meticulously reworking each classic song for this game," said Giles Martin, music supervisor on the videogame. "It features never-before-heard studio chat by the band.” Versions of "The Beatles: Rock Band" have been tailored for Sony PlayStation 3 and Nintendo Wii consoles as well as Xbox 360. The game is to be released worldwide on September 9."In the early 1960s there were two bands, The Beatles and everybody else" said Van Toffler of MTV Networks music services. "The Beatles were always innovating and everyone was trying to catch up."

Beatles unveil video game
Daily Telegraph; June 03, 2009
SURVIVING members of The Beatles made a surprise appearance at E3 to reveal tracks from the band's upcoming Rock Band game. Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr appeared on stage at the famous gaming expo, along with Yoko Ono and Olivia Harrison, to promote The Beatles: Rock Band. "Whoever thought we'd end up as androids?" McCartney joked, according to the Associated Press.
The surprise appearance was part of Microsoft's first-day showcase at the event. The game, which will let players rock out to songs by The Beatles on interactive instruments, is set to be released on September 9. As well as joking around, McCartney and Starr revealed 10 of the 45 songs that will be available to play when the game is launched. They included Day Tripper, Back In The USSR, I Am The Walrus, Octopus's Garden and Get Back The full Abbey Road album will also be available to purchase via download. All You Need Is Love will be on sale exclusively through Microsoft's Xbox Live, with all proceeds going towards Doctors Without Borders. Music publications were upbeat about the unveiled track list and the preview trailer for the game, which was shown for the first time. Rolling Stone said the preview was "head-spinning". "Like actual game play itself, the video spans the decades from 1963 Liverpool to the band’s psychedelic years," it said. "Fashion, scenery and artistic styles will change to reflect each period, with classic performances highlighted running the gamut from the band’s unforgettable appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show to its seminal gig at Budokan in Tokyo." Even the usually-snarky Pitchfork Media reported the E3 event with optimism. "Here it is, kids, the thing that's going to get mum and dad hooked on Xbox," it said. "The idea of the game is you get to play as the Beatles, on plastic instruments painstakingly designed to look like the ones John, Paul, George and Ringo actually played."

After 39 years, The Beatles reunite... to launch Fab Four Xbox game
Daily Mail; June 2, 2009
It is a moment music fans have dreamed about for almost four decades and never thought they would witness again. But in a move that has taken more than 39 years to engineer, The Beatles, considered the best band in history, have re-formed - albeit in a video game. Sir Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr, the two remaining members of the Fab Four, attended the high-profile launch of The Beatles: Rock Band Xbox game in Los Angeles yesterday. 'It's a fun idea which broadens the appeal of The Beatles and their music,' said McCartney. ‘I like people having the opportunity to get to know the music from the inside out,' he added. Quite what John Lennon and George Harrison would think of this reunion is another matter. However, their widows, Yoko Ono and Olivia Harrison, with whom McCartney and Starr collaborated with on the game, both attended the media launch, as did Harrison's only child, Dhani. Lennon was murdered in New York City on December 8, 1980, while Harrison died of lung cancer in 2001. The new game is likely to introduce a new generation of  fans to The Beatles' tale of superstardom which began on the streets of Liverpool in 1960 and culminated in a bitter split in 1970, when all four members embarked upon successful solo careers. The game offers fans a chance to experience band's story  from the inside, aided by graphics that take viewers on a magical tour through key moments in the group's history. From taking part in their celebrated Ed Sullivan Show appearance to crossing London's Abbey Road, made famous by the 1969 album, fans can take on the role of John, Paul, George or Ringo. The more confident can also sing along to numerous classics spanning the length of The Beatles' career from I Saw Her Standing There to Here Comes The Sun, while budding musicians can strum their guitar or play the drums to All You Need is Love. It is the first time The Beatles have allowed their music to be used in a computer game. As well as on the Microsoft Xbox 360 console, the game will be available for PlayStation3 and Wii platforms when it is released in September.