See The Beatles: Rock Band cartoon intro in high quality

by Kevin Kelly { Jun 4th 2009 at 1:00PM }

One of the best things we've seen at E3, hands-down, has been the cartoon introduction to The Beatles: Rock Band. It was directed by Pete Candeland, of Gorillaz and Guitar Hero II animation fame. Seriously, this thing just makes our jaws collectively drop every time we see it, and we wish this was what the game actually looked like.

The animation magazine Frames Per Second has the most accurate description of the trailer: "They manage to tell the career-spanning, mind-bending story of the Beatles in a couple of minutes, seamlessly blending well designed 2-D and 3-D styles of animation." We agree.

Tags: e3-2009, Rock-Band, The-Beatles, The-Beatles-Rock-Band, video

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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)

time @ Jun 4th 2009 1:05PM

that's pretty hot.

ZaxCG2 @ Jun 4th 2009 1:27PM

Yeah man. Can't stop watching it. Its amazing...
of course anything that Pete Candeland creates simply captivates me. :O

Ridgecity @ Jun 4th 2009 2:05PM

Actually, I'm glad Gorillaz hired this guy, he raised animation standards after the 5 or 6 videos he did, and proof is how this music video totally fits The Beatles music, something only psychedelic Yellow Submarine could do decades ago.

Access Granted @ Jun 4th 2009 2:28PM

Yeah that intro is just so great! it sorta reminds me of some old Atlus games...

fishamaphone @ Jun 4th 2009 1:11PM

Brings tears to my eyes. Really. I'd pay the $250 just for that intro.

The Baron @ Jun 4th 2009 1:29PM

You could pay the $60 for the standalone game.

fishamaphone @ Jun 4th 2009 1:31PM

I *could,* but the emphasis is that I'd be willing to pay the full $250. That's how cool the video is.

belovedconsole @ Jun 8th 2009 11:29PM

I know, it's like, if I could buy this intro, HD, for... wait a minute... can we download this for free, on PSN?

mr nimblewick @ Jun 4th 2009 1:11PM

This trailer has convinced my parents to buy a Wii and some plastic instruments.

Ordeith @ Jun 4th 2009 2:49PM

fail.

The Wii is not the platform for RockBand.

Dave @ Jun 4th 2009 2:53PM

@Ordeith
Damn, that is a burn of of all burns.

@Nimblewick, just have them buy one anyway. Who knows? The Beatles: Rock Band might eventually come out for the Wii.

Ordeith @ Jun 4th 2009 3:05PM

@dave

It is coming out on the Wii.

It is just that the Wii doesn't have the Online/Storage options of the other two. Might have less features, and only outputs in SD.

If you are going to invest in a game that costs as much as your console with instruments, get a console that will do the game justice.

mr nimblewick @ Jun 4th 2009 3:14PM

I don't really think my parents care about HD graphics or satisfying some fanboy dick's ego. They would get it on Wii because they also like Wii Sports. What else would they get on XBOX or PS3?

Ordeith @ Jun 4th 2009 3:20PM

"This trailer has convinced my parents to buy a Wii and some plastic instruments."

You didn't mention a desire for other games.

Fanboyism aside:
If the RockBand experience is the desire, you won't get the best experience on the Wii.

If Wii Sports is the desire.. well, enough said.

mr nimblewick @ Jun 4th 2009 3:26PM

They would probably also buy it for Wii because it is cheaper, they know the name, and the controllers aren't just gibberish to them.

cranium @ Jun 4th 2009 4:00PM

No, mr nimblewick, the Wii is not the cheapest. the core 360 is by $50 (and holds 10 times more value as a console)

and if gimmicky motion control is something your parents are into then look no further than Project Natal. The Wii has been out-Wii'd

mr nimblewick @ Jun 4th 2009 4:15PM

I really wish my simple comment had been made into a fanboy-athon.

The 360 arcade is cheaper, but it lacks a HDD, so no extra albums. I don't know if that would make a difference to them or not. I do know that it holds no extra value to them, as they will not be interested in Mass Effect or Halo. (I live half a country away from them, so I would get no use out of it, either.)

Perhaps they will be interested in Natal when it comes out, but at this point it is still vaporware.

Is there anything we have to cover? I honestly don't think there is an argument for them buying a 360 or PS3 over the console that was actually DESIGNED with their demographic in mind.

mr nimblewick @ Jun 4th 2009 4:16PM

Sorry, had NOT been made into a fanboy-athon.

Ordeith @ Jun 4th 2009 5:12PM

It should be noted that the Wii lacks the HDD as well.

mr nimblewick @ Jun 4th 2009 5:27PM

And also noted that my parents already own SD cards.

Leobebes (BDF: Braid Defence Force) @ Jun 4th 2009 6:49PM

@mr nimblewick

I bet you your parents would use the Netflix feature on the 360 more than they would play Wii Sports. Just sayin'

dark_inchworm (on Steam!) dark inchworm (on XBL!) @ Jun 4th 2009 1:15PM

Looks amazing.

Too bad they can't go back in time and do something genuinely captivating with the AC/DC release. The songs were awesome, but as far as presentation goes, it was the most underwhelming one-band game release yet.

jorojoserojas @ Jun 4th 2009 1:20PM

Well, in fairness, I just considered that a Rock Band add-on pack. I bought it, got the songs into my library, and then traded it in within a day.

Ridgecity @ Jun 4th 2009 2:09PM

well, AC//DC wasn't going to be getting shown in the news when it was released.

You can bet this game is going to be the new "Wiimote" even if a lot of people already know Guitar Hero. Specially since people from all ages like The Beatles, only buzzcut grampas and new emo kids don't care about The Beatles, and won't even give it change just because their parents listen to that music.

Sidebuster @ Jun 4th 2009 1:16PM

I wish I was into rockband like everyone else is. But I can't seem to get into it. That and I don't have any friends. sims 3 friends can't play rockband 8*^(

Well...

I wish i was a little bit taller
I wish I was a baller
I wish I had a girl
If I could I would call her
I wish I had a rabbit in a hat
with a bat
and a 6-4 impala

ronniedobbs @ Jun 4th 2009 1:20PM

I wish I was like six foot nine
So I could get with Leoshi
Cause she don't know me but yo she's really fine
You know I see her all the time
Everywhere I go, and even in my dreams
I can scheme of ways to make her mine
Cause I know she's livin phat

Dave @ Jun 5th 2009 8:42PM

Repeating the lyrics of a rapper who achieved moderate success AT BEST during a musical decade that has absolutely no relevancy to the band that this article features.

3/10. Would rage again.

lolpilipino @ Jun 4th 2009 1:17PM

wow, I really wish I was a longtime fan so I could truly appreciate what was done here.

All I can say is that that has to be one of the trippiest intros I've ever seen >_>

kingheff1 @ Jun 4th 2009 1:17PM

Fantastic stuff as you'd expect from Candeland, though I'm not sure if the Beatles, great as they are, are a great fit for Rock band, or rather the typical rock band fan. Though I'm guessing it's hoped this will expand the rock band franchise to those not interested in the heavier side of rock.

Michelobius @ Jun 4th 2009 1:27PM

I am about this biggest Rock Band fan you'll meet, and I am not interested in metal or much that's heavier. My favorite songs to play in RB are Bodhisattva, China Cat Sunflower, Boston's first album, Lazy Eye by Silversun Pickups, and a variety of others that are NOT Painkiller, Peace Sells, Visions, etc.

Do not stereotype. People who like Rock Band are people who like music.

The Baron @ Jun 4th 2009 1:32PM

In general, fast and heavy metal is not fun to play on RB. Throw me some Rush or some Chilis so I can have fun playing instead of cracking my shinbone doing Painkiller.

Dan C (DarthOkie) @ Jun 4th 2009 3:37PM

I'm a huge Rock Band fan, I play it several hours a week. My favorite Rock Band Tracks are Stevie Ray Vaughn, The Who, Greatful Dead, Jimmy Buffet, Country DLC, Boston, Monkeys, etc.

My least favorite tracks are the heavier rock tracks. I'm sure my taste doesn't represent the majority of Rock Band players, but I think I'm not alone in prefering older and less "heavy" music.

I think this is a great way to expand the Rock Band Audience. There are a lot of people out there that when they hear Rock Band they think of it as the more contemporary music. However there is a missed oppertunity since they won't be able to download other classic Rock Band DLC.

Of Course what I would really love is more Blues and Christian Rock. Yea I'm a bit of a odd duck. :)

kingheff1 @ Jun 4th 2009 3:13PM

Didn't think I was being overly negative about anything, not sure why you guys took it the wrong way. Maybe the music genre playing friends I have are atypical, but they generally prefer the heavier/faster music, though maybe that's for the challenge the songs represent rather than the music itself. *Shrugs*

B3astofthe3ast @ Jun 4th 2009 5:49PM

Im a scorehero type, so I say bring on more metal for the pure challenge of it.

The Baron @ Jun 4th 2009 6:43PM

Oh no, I wasn't trying to insult your preferences or anything. It is fun to pull off an insane solo (e.g. Carry on my Wayward Son) if it's doable, but songs like Painkiller and Peace Sells are actually painful. I actually like both songs musically, having listened to both years before they came to Rock Band.

But when I had to physically strengthen my arm ligaments over the course of a few days to pass Peace Sells on expert, I realised that I wasn't having fun playing the game.

Angel Mass @ Jun 4th 2009 1:26PM

Here comes the Sun

Michelobius @ Jun 4th 2009 1:28PM

Doo, um doo doo.

RUSKULL @ Jun 4th 2009 1:28PM

Some dad out there is going to bring this game home for their kid to play, and knowing nothing about the Beatles the kid will think "What the fuck did I just watch?", and be changed forever.

That intro was amazing!

pekosROB @ Jun 6th 2009 8:52PM

so true so true!

TickleTantrum @ Jun 4th 2009 1:31PM

agree with fishamaphone. yeah, rock band is great (personally prefer guitar hero), but the art direction on that trailer is enough to make me a true believer.

i'll be paying much more attention to pete candeland and passion pictures now that i've witnessed teh genius.