MTV, Beatles to Join Forces with NEW Game

It was all very suspicious, an email in our inbox from MTV and the Beatles' Apple Corps.  It seemed to point to a "Rock Band" link.  But it was the Wall Street Journal that solidified things.  According to the all too familiar anonymous sources, we have a deal a-cooking.

This is a major coup for MTV, getting the Beatles to sign onto Rock Band.  The Beatles join Aerosmith, Metallica, and Jimi Hendrix (Guitar Hero) and AC/DC (Rock Band)as the latest --- and biggest -- group to license its songs to a music-oriented video game.

The Beatles represent the biggest prize to date in the category. Not only do they have the best-selling album catalog of any band, they haven't yet licensed their music for sale by download services such as Apple Inc.'s iTunes Store.

And that's the whole point: the Beatles haven't embraced the digital distribution era.  This means iTunes, Amazon MP3, and the like.  Something like this may mean they finally want to join that "club."

No details on which songs or a release date are available, but the smart move would be pre-holiday for the release date.  For tracks: who cares?  It's going to sell well no matter what.

Update from the teleconference: It's not going to be Rock Band.  It will be a brand new title, yet unnamed.  Release: in time for next year's holiday season.  Platforms: no comment.  It will cover the entire Beatles Catalog.  Digital distribution?  Under discussion.
Tags:  TV, game, CES, Beatles, force, EA, MTV, AM