An amateur's guide to 'The Beatles: Rock Band' (and is 'Rock Band' the right move for the Beatles?)

March 6, 5:15 PMBeatles ExaminerSteve Marinucci

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The only screen right now at http://www.thebeatlesrockband.com.

 

Raise your hands if you've never played "Rock Band."

(Hand raised)

What might Beatle fans look forward to in "The Beatles: Rock Band" September, based on the "Rock Band" game play in the past?

I asked someone who knows -- my son, Phil, who has played it.

"The point of 'Rock Band' is 'Dance Dance Revolution.' It's like that, but instead of having dance moves, you have beats on a drum or chords on a guitar. There's a wide variety of songs to play and a combination of guitar, bass and vocal team up to accomplish the song."

"If you have four people playing, it feels like you're in a full band, especially if you're on expert (difficult)."

He explained easy on guitar is the first three buttons, medium is the fourth one, hard and expert is the fifth, but on expert, you have to play faster because the notes are coming a lot faster at you."

There are plenty of videos on YouTube. Here's one of "Hello There" by Cheap Trick from Rock Band 2 that demonstrates what might be in store. And then again, maybe not.

Is "Rock Band" bad timing by the Beatles?: Digital City on CNET floats an interesting observation -- that "The Beatles: Rock Band" is too little, too late. They explain that sales of both "Rock Band" and "Guitar Hero," its competition, are down. In the case of "Rock Band," they says 22 percent over the last year.

In addition, they add another argument we know all too well. Because the Beatles haven't yet docked into iTunes or any mp3 downloads, they've missed a ton of money and a ton of fans. Could "Rock Band" end up another "Magical Mystery Tour" -- heavily criticized with a meaning that never really made sense?

Make no mistake. This is not the digitalization of the Beatles some will be quick to claim. What it is is a further venture into the new technology started by the reworking of the catalog with "Love." As far as making sense, as long as the cash registers ring, that will be all that matters.

You know it will be hyped and bantered like crazy until we see it in September. The real question, though, and one which we might see answered in the next few months,  is will "The Beatles: Rock Band" leave Beatle fans singing, "I can't get no satisfaction"? It's not a song the Beatles want to hear.