MTV and Beatles license-holder Apple Corps announced Thursday (October 30) that the two groups will join forces to create the first-ever Beatles-themed video game set for release in the holiday season of 2009.
“It’s not a ‘Rock Band’ game,” Harmonix CEO Alex Rigopulos said during a conference call, speaking for the MTV-owned studio behind the original “Guitar Hero” and the “Rock Band” series. “It’s a new creative exploration of their music and a celebration of their legacy in a way that hasn’t been done before.” The developer added that it will be a “music-making game. … There will be interactive performance of the music … and stuff you haven’t seen from us before.”
The deal marks the first time that Beatles music has been available outside of traditional delivery formats. The Beatles are yet to license any of their music for digital download such as through Apple iTunes, and the deal with MTV is the first time their music will be available in a video game.