The year 2009 marks a number of fortieth anniversaries for The Beatles. 40 years since they last played live together, on the roof of Abbey Road studios, 40 years since all four members recorded together in the same studio too, and 40 years since John Lennon privately announced to the rest of the band that he was leaving (presumably not due to "violent and verbal intimidation").
It's a testament to the iconic nature of the band and the songs they made, that their music still delights millions throughout the world. I'd wager that a large majority of the people reading this article will own a Beatles album, or know several of their songs off by heart, even if they weren't born until long after the demise of the band (na na na naaa, Hey Jude ~ Alternate singing Ed)
On September 9th, newly remastered versions of The Beatles' back catalogue are to be released on CD, both in Stereo and Mono versions. This covers their 12 UK studio albums, Magical Mystery Tour, and the Single/B-Side compilations Past Masters Vol 1 and 2, all of which were originally released on CD in 1987, remaining untouched since. However, the CDs aren't the only piece of Beatles merchandising being released on that day. September 9th also sees the first foray of the band into the world of music gaming, with the arrival of The Beatles: Rock Band.
The wheels of motion for the game first began to turn in late 2006, after Guitar Hero developers Harmonix were purchased by MTV Networks. Shortly afterwards, Dhani Harrison, the son of late Beatles guitarist George Harrison, pitched the idea of game similar to Guitar Hero, only with more instruments, to MTV president Van Toffler, during a chance meeting.
Knowing that Harmonix were already at work on Rock Band, Van Toffler introduced Harrison to Alex Rigopulos, the president of the developer. Together, they were able to bring the concept of a Beatles-themed game to perhaps the most difficult audience there could be, the key shareholders of the Apple Corps media conglomerate - who just happen to be Yoko Ono, Ringo Starr and Sir Paul McCartney. If you've no idea who they are, it's unlikely that the game will appeal to you at all (or that you'd even have read this far).
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