The Beatles Rock Band video game was released today for the PlayStation 3, Wii and Xbox 360. The game allows up to six people to play and sing along with the Beatles. Over forty hit Beatles songs are included in the game.
Reviewers have been very enthusiastic about the game. The New York Timeswrites that it may the most important game ever made because of the different generations it will appeal to.
The Beatles: Rock Band is nothing less than a cultural watershed, one that may prove only slightly less influential than the band's famous appearance on "The Ed Sullivan Show" in 1964. By reinterpreting an essential symbol of one generation in the medium and technology of another, The Beatles: Rock Band provides a transformative entertainment experience.
In that sense it may be the most important video game yet made.
Never before has a video game had such intergenerational cultural resonance. The weakness of most games is that they are usually devoid of any connection to our actual life and times. There is usually no broader meaning, no greater message, in defeating aliens or zombies, or even in the cognitive gameplay of determining strategy or solving puzzles.
The Beatles: Rock Band Limited Edition Premium Bundle retails for $249.99 and includes a Hofner bass controller and a Beatles drum controller. You can see the details for the Xbox 360 version of this bundle here on Amazon.com. The game can also be purchased without the special controllers for $59.99. The $59.99 game will work with all Rock Band and most Guitar Hero controllers and microphones.
The CBS Early Show anchors tried out the new game together. They look like they were having a lot of fun. Take a look:
