Shannon KeoughIt’s no secret that the Beatles are one of the greatest bands of all time. Due to the rising popularity of interactive music video games like Rock Band and Guitar Hero, it was just a matter of time before the Beatles conquered another medium of entertainment.
On Tuesday, Sept. 8, fans of both the Rock Band Series and the Beatles filled into video game outlets to be the first to purchase The Beatles: Rock Band. Stores stayed open late so consumers could acquire the new video game starting at midnight.
Once the mad rush to jam out Beatles-style began, stores like the King of Prussia Best Buy used interesting methods to accommodate fans. They put out the game with all the instruments for customers to try before purchasing.
“Some people actually sang out loud in the store and didn’t really care if people heard,” Steve Klapy, Best Buy employee and senior marketing major, said.
Kathleen Brady, senior English major, got the chance to play the game in the store and really enjoyed The Beatles: Rock Band.
“The graphics were vintage and very appropriate for the Beatles era,” Brady said.
Brady was referring to the fans in the crowd and the style of the venues where the Beatles performed.
Venues in The Beatles: Rock Band include: The Cavern Club, The Ed Sullivan Theater, Shea Stadium in New York, The Budokan in Tokyo, Abbey Road Studio and the Apple Corps rooftop.
Fans can also get a more expensive special-edition version of the game with Ringo Starr’s drums, Paul McCartney’s bass guitar, George Harrison’s guitar and John Lennon’s guitar which is available separately.
A USB hub with up to eight ports can be purchased, so players can add up to three microphones for Beatles-style harmonizing.
The game features 45 songs from all of the Beatles’ albums, with complete albums being made available for download in the coming months.
This wasn’t the only new Beatles release. The band also re-released their entire catalogue in both stereo and mono versions. Stores were quickly running low on stock in the first days of release.
Klapy said, there was “definitely a line outside of Best Buy. Beatles fans are definitely very serious about their Beatles. One guy bought 12 of the 13 CDs of Abbey Road.”
Some fans have not gotten a chance to get the game yet, but plan to soon.
“I play Rock Band quite a bit and I’m also a big Beatles fan, so it’s almost common sense that I pick up the new game,” Joe Cahill, junior communication major, said.
“Well, I really enjoy playing Rock Band and I love the Beatles, so I think it would make a great game.” Rachael Renz, junior communication major, said,
Games like Rock Band and Guitar Hero are the way kids hear music these days. At one point, a person could hear a song on the radio or watch a music video and have instant recognition of a group, but today people actually take part in the music through interactive music video games.
After all these years, it is interesting to see the Beatles’ popularity remaining steady, if not growing perpetually.
“I think it’s great to introduce a newer generation to a group as powerful as The Beatles they helped create so much music,” Cahill said.
