With the release of Guitar Hero World Tour, the battle of Rock Band vs Guitar Hero is more heated than ever. One side will likely deal a major haymaker to their opponent this week, though, thanks to some very unexpected (and British) help.
According to several insider sources, MTV, EA, and Apple Corps Ltd. have signed a deal which will allow the usage of the Beatles’ songs in Rock Band 2. These sources have told the Wall Street Journal that the official announcement will come sometime Thursday, October 30. Not a bad birthday present for yours truly.
There’s no question that the Beatles are THE prize catch for the music gaming genre. Hell, they’re THE prize catch for any download-based music service; even Apple hasn’t been able to secure the rights to use Beatles songs with the iTunes Store. The fact that Rock Band will likely be the first to offer downloadable Beatles tunes (barring any other sudden announcements) is some huge news not only for the gaming industry, but for all entertainment industries.
As of now neither side is giving clues as to which songs or albums we’ll see as DLC (or as an expansion). I’m sure that regardless of the tracks making the cut, this announcement will swing the pendulum towards Rock Band for more than a few on-the-border gamers.
Sorry, Guitar Hero, but Aerosmith just won’t cut it anymore.
[via the WSJ]
