The Beatles: Rock Band DLC not compatible with other Rock Band games

by Alexander Sliwinski on Jun 2nd 2009 9:55PM

Harmonix Creative Director Josh Randall confirmed to us today that we should think of the Rock Band platform and The Beatles: Rock Band as two totally separate entities. Meaning, that The Beatles: Rock Band tracks and DLC will not be playable with any other Rock Band songs and vice versa.

So, only owners of The Beatles: Rock Band will be able to download the Abbey Road album when it's released as DLC later. There will also be no export feature for The Beatles: Rock Band into Rock Band. It's really a shame and one we hope that some licensing agreement in the future can fix.

Tags: harmonix, josh-randall, Microsoft, rock-band, the-beatles-rock-band, Xbox-360

Reader Comments (110)

I WAS planning to buy this game. Now, not so much

Something tells me you weren't going to buy it anyways. Although the option would've been nice, it doesn't really matter to me since I'll get the game anyways. I could see the option of not transfering being a letdown for people who did not want to buy this full game, but wanted to get some songs from the Beatles to play on Rockband 2 anyways.

That's alot of anyways... sheesh.

why would you think he wasn't planning on buying it? I know I was, and now probably won't.

If the option to export DLC is a reason for you to not buy it, I don't think you'd buy it to begin with. If the fact that this is a Beatles game isn't enough reason for you to buy it, I don't think you should, personally.

Personally, i would have preferred it to have just been a track pack. Rock Band's predominantly a party type game, and I don't think I would want to get together with a group of friends and just play hours of Beatles songs. Or any band, for that matter.

But I'd love to have those songs in my library and be able to play them along with the rest of my library. That was supposed to have been the idea behind Rock Band, and one of the major differences between it and Guitar Hero.

I'm just saying... as an addition to the game that I love, totally worth my money. As its own game, not so much. But if they release a patch or something to allow it to export, I'll be right there to buy it then.

I probably won't buy it either. I'll probably just rent it long enough to play it. I made the mistaking of buying Guitar Hero Metallica, beat all the songs on expert drums (and my sister on hard/expert guitar) and after that was done we went back to Rock Band 2 and never touched it since. The same will probably apply to this game.

Or I can buy it and sell it back to the store after 2-3 weeks

See, all of the above comments just proved my point you weren't going to buy it anyways. Cause just playing Beatles songs bores the fuck out of you. So.. you weren't going to buy the game. You are just pissed you can't play the DLC without it!

I really don't see this as a problem. I think that they did an amazing thing when they relicensed all of Rock Band's music and had the transfer license (I did it and sold the first game) to Rock Band 2. I love that I now only own Rock Band 2 and have a ridiculous amount of music I can play on it (including DLC).

But, I will still buy RB: Beatles and probably most of the DLC just because it's a different experience - I get that. The only thing I wish is that the build quality of the RB guitars was better. I haven't found a better controller than my Guitar Hero 3 XBox 360 Les Paul controller.

making a deal with The Beatles is next to impossible, so if they want a game of their own, you make sure you make everything special for them, specially since this is for just a game.

These guys don't even make their music available to film companies or even Apple (at least not without a massive cut from profits)

I can understand that they would want people to experience the music in this game's environment opposed to just exporting the music to play only in Rock Band 2. I can get that, but you know what would be a great compromise? If they'd let you export all the songs after beating the game. Now THAT'D be pretty sweet.

I'm buying it, I think it'll be great, my girl and I enjoy Rock Band immensely, and we both want to sing, and this iteration of Rock Band is multiple-mic capable for harmonies, so that will be fun. I wonder if the issue is licensing (very likely), technological differences (with the additional vocals, NOT very likely) or a combination of both. Likely licensing and paranoia about putting Beatles' songs out there digitally.

Wait until people start extracting those vocal tracks for some SoundSmith remixes. Goofy times.

you dumbasses didn't think it was going to be like this? c'mon, get your heads out of your asses. It's a new engine with features the old ones don't support, of course the old games won't support its DLC.

Joystiq could have clearly explained that, but they have to go out of their way to be vague in order to get people to click their articles.

OH THE HORROR, I won't be able to play it all on one platform.... no I'll have to insert in a different Rock Band to play it.....

I wasn't really thinking anything else in this regard...

Oh I see they're further simplifying the Rockband/Guitar Hero versions, DLC and instrument bundles... (WTH!?)

next thing they'll tell us is the instruments won't work with other RBs or GHs and vice versa, 'cept that'll probably be conveniently withheld until the game is already out and we're SOL.

When you consider the amount of *ahem* favors given to even acquire the Beatles liscense, it's not so bad.

I probably won't get this on account I still don't even have any of the full band games yet, but it will be nice if the eventually are able to have the entire catalog in the game.

Oh and inb4RB/GH debate...

Not surprised, but still :(

I didn't expect this considering that even AD/DC's could (not that it ad dlc or any features)

Yeah, I bought the AC/DC disc as well but, from what I heard, that wasn't even a decent game on that disc if you were to play it stand-alone. I used it as an upload of music to Rock Band 2 and gave the disc to a kid that I mentor. This disc seems like it will rival the experience and the gameplay of Rock Band 2.

Well, it is obvious that you can say no wrong about this story, otherwise you get demoted. I think they deserve praise for getting The Beatles on board. I think a dose of negatives are also warranted because of the lack of compatibility. Whether it's their fault or not, their name is on the box, and if they can cash the checks, then they can take the criticisms that go with it. I tried to be fair with my comment and not just come out with some sort of blast against Harmonix, but I guess that still doesn't save you from comment demotion on Joystiq.

Also, you demote comments that bring nothing to the conversation, or are just ridiculously biased (or spam). You don't demote comments because you disagree with them.

I expect to see the same kind of hatred that Activision gets for Guitar Hero for these guys now. But we probably won't, because harmonix can still do no wrong right?

If it were up to Harmonix, The Beatles would have been DLC to begin with. Unfortunately, because it IS the Beatles, they must resort to this.

Its all of the Beatles' management's fault, not Harmonix's.

Guitar Hero's lack of exporting, however, is all because of Activision.

Well, at least Activision is getting on the right track since they're letting you re-use DLC starting with GH5.

But if after that, they had gotten the Beatles license and that announced that they couldn't do it for this game because of licensing issues everyone would have been all "Harmonix would never screw over its fans with agreements like that just to get an exclusive license".

Nope, it IS Harmonix's fault. They could have opted not to make the game unless they had proper licensing (nobody held a gun to their head). Now whether or not they should make the game is a different story. Maybe they should...BUT, if we are going to give them praise for getting The Beatles on board, then they also do deserve all of the negatives that go along with it like backstabbing the customers that helped make Rock Band a cash cow by not supporting them. Seems fair to me.

Past reputation plays a lot on it.

Harmonix's reputation with Rock Band tends towards exportability galore.

Neversoft/Activision's reputation with Guitar Hero tends towards new non-compatible disc announced before last disc is printed, nevermind in store.

Guitar Hero 5 is Neversoft/Activision's exception to their rule, and The Beatles: Rock Band is Harmonix's.

Am I pissed that there's no compatibility? Yes, but I'm not going to rage at Harmonix because it's the exception and not the rule with them (yet).

Agreed. This is entirely The Beatles that are the cause for this. HMX could've said "Well no thanks", and then we wouldn't have Beatles in music games PERIOD.

In the long run, I can live with the trade off, though I'm thinking this has gone from Day 1 purchase to rental and an eventual purchase after a price drop.

Well, while I do agree with a lot of the points being made, answer me this:

If Harmonix opted out and declined to the Beatles, we know Activision would have nabbed them.

Which would be better: A Beatles Rock Band done right with no export, or an Activision-made Guitar Hero with no export regardless?

How many songs come with the game itself? Will it even come with songs/enough songs?

I think 45 songs.

45 on disc, but Beatles music has an amazing amount of staying power.

It Comes w/ about 45 Songs. Then The Abbey Road Album will Be Released Shortly After Release of The Game.

45 songs isn't bad. When they said DLC albums, I was afraid the game will come pretty much naked, and you have to buy the songs as DLC to play the game. That would suck.

Depending on popularity it will have other Albums as well...

Rocky Racoon would be a funny one.

Anybody want to go to e3 tomorrow for a few hours? My friend can't go till 2 so youll be able to be at e3 from 8am-2pm. Of course We'll have to work out some sort of trade so i know you wont steal the pass!!!

Would you like some candy little boy?

Would you be picking me up in a white van with the license plate scratched off as well?

Completely fine by me. I'm still buying it day one.

For me, playing as The Beatles is not the same as just jamming out random tracks in RB with preselected band characters. You'll be playing in legendary venues as the band itself during each songs time period. It's a different experience and I actually prefer having it as a separate disc. Dammit man, It's The Bealtes' music game! You collect that shit, you don't trade it in or sell it! It's hard to 'hold on' to something that's just DLC, ya dig?

Day one here as well, Jomo!

Can't buy me love...

I don't necessarily see this as a problem, since the presentation for this game is tailored specifically for The Beatles. I'm not sure playing Beatles songs in a regular Rock Band game would be as much fun, with some spikey-haired rock dude characters singing and playing on screen.

I'm not surprised. The fact that it took so long to negotiate Beatles at all is amazing enough, trying to get them to export would kill it dead. I can only imagine this scenario could come up in a Led Zeppelin Rock Band scenario, but if anyone else pulls this shit then heads will roll.

As someone who is just a casual rock & roll fan, but I know who the Beatles are...are the people who buy Rock Band fans of the Beatles?

I'm not really a fan, but its not like I don't like/know some of their songs or anything...

I have an equal love for Pearl Jam and The Beatles, so yes.

It's hard to say because Rock Band features come pretty diverse music, and some nights playing online seems to produce nothing but metal choices by the other players.

While I myself am not the biggest Beatles fan in the world, I have a tremendous amount of respect for their music and enjoy listening to it whenever it's on. The other thing to consider is that It would be hard to pin down exactly what kind of music the Beatles made. One album is early 60s fluff pop, the next is trippy experimental sitars. I think there isn't anyone who wouldn't like at least one of the Beatles' songs.

In short, I'll be buying this game.

That's funny, I have an equal love for Pearl Jam and the Beatles too!

Not a fan of either particularly.

Its the Beatles...

I think this can be the ONE exception for Harmonix not being able to export the songs onto the platform. Apple Corps = Licensing hell.

Now... if LEGO Rock Band doesn't export, then Harmonix loses a gazillion cool points.

I'd be willing to forgive a lack of exporting LEGO, as long as existing DLC is compatible.

Or allow you to export RB2 into LEGO. That would be neat too.

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The Beatles: Rock Band DLC not compatible with other Rock Band games

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