The Beatles Game

[syntheticgerbil]

As for the diversity of the song listing, most of it is extremely main stream, again that is exactly what you want if you are a game like this but none of it is stuff I've not already heard so I fail to expand my horizons from that perspective.

This is really what has bothered me more about all of these Rock Band/Guitar Hero/Singstar games more than anything else about them (the rehashed graphics, the constant stream of rereleases and band tie-ins). I'm not into them myself, but if you are over your friend's house, or someone is playing on their lunch break at work, it gets really nauseating to hear the same bullshit major label songs over and over.

Especially since working at tons of places before my current job where they have their satellite radio playing the same setlist of songs each day all weirdly set to the time of day, I get really sick to my stomach hearing these watered down rock songs that I subconsciously and consciously know so well at this point. I can sing them all like an asshole when drunk at parties though, so I guess that's a plus, but it's too weak to stop Clear Channel and their daddy 5 corporations (I think it's four now).

But of course I realize if there was a rhythm game starring all the obscure bands and music you may have never heard of, no matter how pleasant and listenable its selections were, no one would buy it.

Anyways, rant over. I'm looking forward to the Beatles game that has only Beatles songs, because although it means I'll get sick of hearing Hey Jude and She Loves You over and over, there will most definitely be a good balance of non-single tracks and less popular singles that will be more pleasant to hear because they aren't in heavy rotation on all the flashback and satellite stations. I imagine it will be a lot of fun, especially at parties with people like me who have no interest in turning into an expert, but would like to just play some songs because I'm drunk.

And I want to play/sing Strawberry Fields Forever.

[ThunderPeel2001]

I would bet good money that you weren't familiar with about 75% of the songs in Guitar Hero II. (One of the things I hated about GH3 was having to actually listen to their song selection.)

With Rock Band you can, of course, broaden your tastes as much as you like with DLC. It's most definitely not all mainstream. (Don't know about GHWT, though.)

[syntheticgerbil]

Yeah definitely drawing a blank on most of those bonus songs, but about 50% of songs on the normal list and about 5% of the bands I don't know of.

I actually don't think I know anyone that owned or played Guitar Hero 2 in front of me, so eh.

But all that is actual Harmonix era, which gets my respect as a company. A programmer that I worked with and sometimes hung out with moved to Boston to work at Harmonix last year.

[Tommy Gun]

The singing for me is my least favourite section, I'm sorry, I don't have friends like Tommy who can belt out versions of songs that sound better than their originals (RE: that video of her covering The Darkness). Instead, the game is broken down to what it requires from whoever I play with, a chore of hitting the right pitch. My friend got 100% on one song by making incoherent noises at the right pitch and when I've done the same songs I tend to do the same thing as it really is irritating.

Believe me, the rest of us suck and mostly play on medium or even easy. Whenever we have parties, we put No Fail on, and then just have fun singing our own way.

As for the diversity of the song listing, most of it is extremely main stream, again that is exactly what you want if you are a game like this but none of it is stuff I've not already heard so I fail to expand my horizons from that perspective.

That's largely true, but have you seen the 20 free DLC tracks? List:

The 88 - “Sons and Daughters”

Authority Zero - “No Regrets”

Between the Buried and Me - “Prequel To The Sequel”

The Cab - “Bounce”

The Chevelles - “Get It On”

The Cocktail Slippers - “Give It To Me”

Dealership - “Database Corrupted”

Endeverafter - “I Wanna Be Your Man”

The Ghost Hounds - “Ashes To Fire”

Hollywood Undead - “Young”

Kutless - “The Feeling”

The Len Price 3 - “If I Ain’t Got You”

Lesley Roy - “I’m Gone, I’m Going”

Opiate for the Masses - “Burn You Down”

Semi-Precious Weapons - “Magnetic Baby”

Shaimus - “Like a Fool”

Thenewno2″ - Crazy Tuesday”

Tickle Me Pink - “The Time Is Wrong”

Underoath - “Desperate Times, Desperate Measures”

X Japan - “I.V.”

A lot of people complained about these tracks because they'd never heard of any of the bands, which was exactly why I was excited about them (although I knew a few of them). I have since gotten a few of those albums, and really like them.

[Chris]

A lot of people complained about these tracks because they'd never heard of any of the bands, which was exactly why I was excited about them (although I knew a few of them). I have since gotten a few of those albums, and really like them.

I had a great time one evening playing a bunch of bonus songs totally cold with friends--we'd heard hardly any of them, and it was a blast just "sight-reading" our way through, especially for the singer.

It's irritating that (presumably different) people are equally loud complaining about too many mainstream tracks in Rock Band, as those who complain about there being too many songs they've never heard of in Rock Band.

There is a ridiculous spread, and the DLC library increases it even more.

[syntheticgerbil]

It's irritating that (presumably different) people are equally loud complaining about too many mainstream tracks in Rock Band...

Way to be a jerk.

[Chris]

Way to be a jerk.

Well, that specific half of it wouldn't be irritating if it weren't for the half you cropped out.

[twmac]

The 88 - “Sons and Daughters”

Authority Zero - “No Regrets”

Between the Buried and Me - “Prequel To The Sequel”

The Cab - “Bounce”

The Chevelles - “Get It On”

The Cocktail Slippers - “Give It To Me”

Dealership - “Database Corrupted”

Endeverafter - “I Wanna Be Your Man”

The Ghost Hounds - “Ashes To Fire”

Hollywood Undead - “Young”

Kutless - “The Feeling”

The Len Price 3 - “If I Ain’t Got You”

Lesley Roy - “I’m Gone, I’m Going”

Opiate for the Masses - “Burn You Down”

Semi-Precious Weapons - “Magnetic Baby”

Shaimus - “Like a Fool”

Thenewno2″ - Crazy Tuesday”

Tickle Me Pink - “The Time Is Wrong”

Underoath - “Desperate Times, Desperate Measures”

X Japan - “I.V.”

Okay, that IS pretty cool. What game is that for? I know about 10 of those bands (but of those I've only listened to about 6). If any of my friends have the game I'll tell them to download that stuff now.

Between the Buried and me are ace.

[MonkeyWrench]

They're for Rock Band 2.

Anyway, having already played Rock Band quite a bit with friends I fired up Guitar Hero World Tour for the first time since buying it. What surprised me was how simple it felt compared to Rock Band when playing both on hard, it almost felt like a kids version of the game. You just have to do a like-for-like song comparison to see how much more effort Harmonix put into the note patterns. Not only that the mixing is terrible too. It definitely shows that Neversoft aren't a company made of musicians. So this got me thinking about the various band-branded versions of Guitar Hero that Activision are banging out this year, and how they compare to the upcoming Beatles game. Where as the Acti games are blatant cash-ins which could have easily been released as simple DLC, I believe the love that Harmonix shows in the crafting of each song will really make this Beatles game something special. It'll be a magical mystery tour!

I went on a mad spending spree in the Rock Band store the other day in preparation for a weekend away with friends. Last time I bought something from the store was before Christmas last year, so I was surprised at the amount of stuff released since. Ended up spending over £30 on tracks! I was giddy with excitement at the likes of James Brown, Stone Roses, Von Bondies, Kasabian...the list goes on. Like Chris mentioned the spread of tracks is crazy, who would have imagined you could play along with a selection of tracks from Sponge Bob Squarepants? Fucking brilliant stuff!

Edited April 6, 2009 by MonkeyWrench

[ThunderPeel2001]

Turns out that all of my friends have become addicted to GHWT, they've never even played Rock Band - doh. I'm going to a big GHWT party in a few weeks... I hope it's not as bad as Guitar Hero III was.

[miffy495]

Oh, it is. I played it for a half hour and turned it off in disgust.

[ThunderPeel2001]

Nooooooooooooooooooo... Maybe I can get them to try Rock Band. Do the GHWT instruments work with it?

[miffy495]

Dunno. I played GHWT with Rock Band instruments...

[Jake]

It definitely shows that Neversoft aren't a company made of musicials.

dkYZ6rbPU2M

[MonkeyWrench]

Well spotted! Making fun of typos is right up there with sarcasm

[frizby]

Maybe off topic, but this seems a bit derailed anyway...

Having lived with it for a bit, I've gotta say: Pearl Jam - Ten is the best DLC pack since Boston.

[MonkeyWrench]

As this thread seems to have become a Rock Band thread, has anyone checked out this?

http://blog.us.playstation.com/2009/04/08/new-limited-edition-rock-band-unplugged-entertainment-pack/

I'm so all over this! Looks bloody smart.

[T-Matt]

According to the bundle will have replica instruments including the violin bass.

So that pretty much guarantees I'll buy the overpriced bundle.

http://www.joystiq.com/2009/04/14/the-beatles-rock-band-limited-edition-bundle-to-contain-replica-bas/

[T-Matt]

Also I didn't realize but they are releasing remastered versions of all the Beatles albums finally.

[ThunderPeel2001]

Yeah, but I would have preferred to see them being re-mixed instead of just remastered. George Martin is still alive, afterall.

[MonkeyWrench]

The first footage of this has been shown during McCartney's set at Coachella:

I'm glad they didn't do characitures like previous games.

[miffy495]

Yeah, I was in the audience for that. Surreal as hell, and my girlfriend, who'd fallen asleep on my lap by that point, was awakened very abruptly by my sudden "What the hell!?" reaction. I then had to explain why it was so cool.

[Roderick]

Your girlfriend feel asleep during a McCartney gig? I'm sorry to be the one to tell you this, but she's unworthy

[OssK]

Well, you know, that's what Bill Maher coined as the Guitar Hero generation, people want to be rock stars but don't want to learn the chord, trust me, you get any kitchen instrument for the drummer and a guitar, it's so fucking easy to play the Beatles songs (and way more rewarding although I liked playing GH), and if you're not musicians you'll laught so hard you'll shit socks for a few days (IGN.com)

[ThunderPeel2001]

Well, you know, that's what Bill Maher coined as the Guitar Hero generation, people want to be rock stars but don't want to learn the chord

Are you kidding? How is this a generational thing? People have wanted be rock stars since rock was invented. Most of them played air-guitar and sang into a hairbush. Bill Maher talks some shite.