G4 on the beatles

[NotStevenTyler]

i was just reading the article on g4 about The Beatles Rock Band. it said that this game wont sell very well because it is supposedly aimed for teens and pre-teens and the beatles are not recognizable to most people that age. Bull Crap! i have a friend that is a sixth grader, he friggin worships The Beatles! he knows all the songs, all the movies, and pre ordered the game, and is a member of the membership club for the beatles rock band! anyway, it also said that the beatles rock band wont sell half as many copies as guitar hero 5. Bull Crap again!!! the beatles rock band has so many pre orders that game stop is no longer giving out pre orders!!! there is no way that people are going to pre order so many copies of gh5 that they will not give out any pre orders!! i am pretty much done with guitar hero and i think a lot of other people are too!! i mean, there are like 20 games (not exxagerating much) so any way, i just thought i would throw that out there for you guys!!

[chrth_rb]

do you have a link to the article? I got $5 that the word "Dalek" is in there somewhere ...

[juan29zapata]

I can't believe they said that, never ever going to that page, even though I haven't visited.

[NotStevenTyler]

here is the link:

http://g4tv.com/thefeed/blog/post/698745/Analyst-The-Beatles-Rock-Band-Will-Sell-Half-Of-Guitar-Hero-5.html

[Chainedsoulz]

Its G4 don't expect alot, plus, they only get my views because of Olivia munn.

[Meckler]

i personally want to see the beatles sell well and do not want it to turn into guitar hero aerosmith. flop!!! but then i really do not care cause i cant wait to play the game and can careless if others want it or not. all of us here are beyond excited so its all good.

[DookieMan]

I want to see the numbers reverse and have him see.

[NotStevenTyler]

wow, thanx!!! i just broke my personal best on most replies!!! LOL

[chrth_rb]

“I’m totally going to buy it, but I don’t think it’s going to be big with those who aren’t as into the Beatles,” Ken Ball, the co-owner of Game Over!, operator of three stores in Florida and Georgia, said. “Teenage kids and preteens are the audience that they are trying to appeal to, and the Beatles just aren’t as recognizable a band to them.”


Oh, well if the owner of three gaming stores says it then it must be true

/facepalm

...

besides that though, numbers to be sold is a shot in the dark. Plus GH5 selling more than TB:RB will probably be true. Twice as many? No way to know until it happens. Article doesn't really say anything except point out skepticism. Outside of the stupid quote, nothing to get worked up on here.

[vcalzone]

Be happy, assuming that you mostly just want Harmonix to do well. If industry analysts are betting low on TBRB, it means there's a low bar to jump over. And when GH5 inevitably doesn't come anywhere near those estimated totals, then HMX looks even better for succeeding in a diminished market.

The X-factor nobody is picking up on is that while people keep asking whether Lego Rock Band or Band Hero will be more likely to be the family-friendly game of choice, TB:RB stands far more likely to take that crown. Why? Because parents know what they're getting. There's no browsing setlists, wondering whether any given song is going to be talking about sex or drugs. Even the references to bad things in this game are PG at worst compared to modern songs.

[chrth_rb]

i personally want to see the beatles sell well and do not want it to turn into guitar hero aerosmith. flop!!!

Uh, GH:A wasn't a flop.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guitar_Hero_Aerosmith#Reception (follow the sources if you don't trust Wiki)

[Sgt.Pepper]

Beatles Rock Band has GH5 beat in preorder sales by a good number, so...

[chrth_rb]

Beatles Rock Band has GH5 beat in preorder sales by a good number, so...

Doesn't mean anything, really. GH5 is a platform, and Activision is going to move Heaven and Earth to drive up sales. VH is just the first move. If by the end of 2009 TB:RB has sold more copies than GH5, I will be completely and utterly shocked.

[Wave57]

TB:RB will triple GH5 in sales.
Just watch.

[Gryffindor]

I doubt TB:RB will see the sales numbers that GH5 will but you never know, especially considering the Beatles media blitz that's going to hit just prior to the 9th.

GH5 is going to have its own set of problems due to oversaturation.

[RADIO CHRIS]

they don't know what they're talking about

[Julio_Strikes_Back]

they don't know what they're talking about
G4 never does.

[The Hungry Samurai]

I don't think that TB:RB will outsell GH5 but it will sell more than half of what GH5 does easy.

What I'm hoping however is that TB:RB helps spread the word out so that RB3 kicks GH6's butt.

[GThrasher128]

G4 used to be awesome, when it was called Tech TV. The game is going to sell (Gamestop isn't doing pre-orders anymore? I was going to do it this weekend). I gave GHWT a chance and thats when I promised myself to never buy a GH game ever. Even tho the article is talking crap about the game, watch X-Play give it a 5 out of 5.

[Rich T.]

It all comes down to marketing. If The Beatles game is heavily advertised so that older gamers and all Beatles fans know it's out there, it could be one of the top sellers of all time. I can see at least half of all Wii owners picking it up this Holiday season--It's *perfect* for that user base. If it's effectively advertised, it can't lose.

[chrth_rb]

3 times the sales of GH5? Half of all Wii owners? Guys, I know we're all hyped about the game, but let's not push reality aside here. It's going to be an uphill climb, as it's a band-specific game. Huge media blitzes doesn't mean it's going to sell better or even well.

I would love for the game to sell fantastically well. But let's face it: we're still in a recession. The market is saturated. The appeal while broad is still limited. This isn't a slam dunk.

...

BTW, RB2 sold 1.7 million in 2008, I'm wondering if that's where the analyst grabbed the number from (while assuming that even though RB2 was released later, the cost and potential less appeal of TB:RB cancel out the extra time)

[ArchangelZero]

do you have a link to the article? I got $5 that the word "Dalek" is in there somewhere ...

What's with the Doctor Who reference?

[chrth_rb]

What's with the Doctor Who reference?

There was a dude from "Dalek Consulting" that appeared in a couple earlier articles basically stating that the game will fail because it won't appeal to young people.

[monkeyfish]

It all comes down to marketing. If The Beatles game is heavily advertised so that older gamers and all Beatles fans know it's out there, it could be one of the top sellers of all time. I can see at least half of all Wii owners picking it up this Holiday season--It's *perfect* for that user base. If it's effectively advertised, it can't lose.

This. Probably the main reason you saw RB drop in sales is because (I hate to say it) AC/DC is not a massively known band in terms of your younger demographic, and not the best choice for the commercial you saw at like three in the morning on VH1.

And if you argued that fact, there's no denying the use of "Let There Be Rock" was one of the most vague songs they could have picked. I'M NOT SAYING I DON'T LIKE THE SONG, it fit the game perfectly, but compared to some Back in Black stuff, people are less likely to recognize the band.

Hopefully the advertising for the Beatles is much better, because more rides on it than you think. Kinda hard to mess it up, really, the game title alone should ring a few bells...

[soup567]

G4 your becoming less appealing to me every time you say some dumb ass comment, well except for Olivia Munn, shes very appealing. :D

[Rich T.]

Half of all Wii owners? Guys, I know we're all hyped about the game, but let's not push reality aside here.


Remember, though, my comment comes with a big "IF": It needs to be properly marketed. If they show Lisa Kudrow playing it...Bingo. Half the women at my office will buy it.

[ArchangelZero]

There was a dude from "Dalek Consulting" that appeared in a couple earlier articles basically stating that the game will fail because it won't appeal to young people.

Oh yeah...I remember that...anybody heard from that guy again? Or did he shut up because he was proven wrong?

[Meckler]

Uh, GH:A wasn't a flop.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guitar_Hero_Aerosmith#Reception (follow the sources if you don't trust Wiki)
well I said that because we had a midnight release for it and had one person. A couple weeks ago I sold a gh:A game disc for $10 cause we trying to get rid of it and it made me laugh. Hopefully the beatles will sell decent.

[chrth_rb]

Remember, though, my comment comes with a big "IF": It needs to be properly marketed. If they show Lisa Kudrow playing it...Bingo. Half the women at my office will buy it.

But there have been ~25 million Wiis sold in the US. That means 12.5 million copies sold on the Wii alone, which is almost equal to the number of total Rock Bands sold on all platforms (currently at 13 million). That's an insane proposition.

[Rich T.]

There was a dude from "Dalek Consulting" that appeared in a couple earlier articles basically stating that the game will fail because it won't appeal to young people.

The same kind of "experts" said "Up" would fail because no one would see a film about an old guy. It's now Pixar's 2nd biggest money-maker of all time. And, of course, Pirates of the Caribbean was sure to fail because no one would see a movie about pirates.

And the media just keeps giving these moron analysts air time...

[DarthAthema]

Well, your anecdotal evidence doesn't necessarily prove that preteens love the Beatles, but I think the idea that it's aimed solely at that market is kind of silly. There is a built-in market for this game already. Why else would GH put out 34 games a year? I think most people who play RB already are probably familiar with the Beatles, and the game may convert some people who haven't gotten into RB before.

[Rich T.]

But there have been ~25 million Wiis sold in the US. That means 12.5 million copies sold on the Wii alone, which is almost equal to the number of total Rock Bands sold on all platforms (currently at 13 million). That's an insane proposition.

Okay, maybe it's borderline insane. But what if this game has the potential to break down major boundaries? This is the Beatles. There's never been a game with this kind of multi-generational appeal here. You don't need Rock Band to play it, and GH3&4 sold best on Wii, so there are a lot of plastic guitars out there in Wii owners' closets.

I think this game has the potential to outsell any previous music game ever. But it's all just potential. The marketing needs to do its job.

[gamegyro56]

The same kind of "experts" said "Up" would fail because no one would see a film about an old guy. It's now Pixar's 2nd biggest money-maker of all time. And, of course, Pirates of the Caribbean was sure to fail because no one would see a movie about pirates.

And the media just keeps giving these moron analysts air time...

Yeah, who want want a game about beetles? they're insects.

I think that the age group they're talking about, if they don't like the beatles, they only like metal, pop, or rap, (even though the beatles wrote pop and metal songs). And the kids who like rap would buy dj hero if anything.

[Rich T.]

I think that the age group they're talking about, if they don't like the beatles, they only like metal, pop, or rap, (even though the beatles wrote pop and metal songs). And the kids who like rap would buy dj hero if anything.

But the market's broadening, and some analysts don't get it yet. They assume that kids who love metal, and rap won't buy it, so it will fail.

But The Beatles game could have do for the music game market what Wii Sports did for consoles and Brain Age did for handhelds: Open the floodgates to an audience of older players who now see something they'd like to try.

Plus, there there are a lot of young Beatles fans out there, too. My teenage nieces can't wait to get it.

[Sonicboom0075]

People will buy it because there are some people out there that think that the next game in the series is always better.

As for appeal, I think they should research deeper into the topic. I see teenage girls and a lot of guys going around the school with Beatles tee-shirts. And when I ask around for favorite Beatles songs, they actually know some. Common ones are "Twist and Shout" and "Help" while people who know more about the Beatles like "Helter Skelter" and "Eleanor Rigby."

Hell, I said, "let's have a Beatles Rock Band party," and now they're coming over on 9/9/09.

[elitemastersam]

I don't understand why some of you are criticizing G4 when it wasn't even a person from that website/channel that expressed those thoughts. Some analyst for some company and then a game store co-owner expressed those thoughts. Try reading the article before you criticize the author.

[TheObscure]

>Implying that G4 knows anything about video games.

[Kudo]

I'll take 1.7 million sold, definitely.

Just keep in mind GH5 will be out on the PS2 as well, so it likely will sell well.

What I can guarantee is that The Beatles: Rock Band will be the more critically acclaimed and quality title. Everyone in the industry bets on Harmonix to release superior titles, so I'm not sure why we even really have to discuss this. If the brand Harmonix helped build with Guitar Hero is still selling in new hands but has lost the critical masses, then I guess that really says everything that needs to be said.

[SgtRubberRevolver]

Yeah, it doesn't depend on how much it sells. It depends on the quality. Look at today's music. A lot of sucks and is terrible. But it sells

[Sonicboom0075]

>Implying that G4 knows anything about video games.

>Implying
>Implying
>Implying
>Implying

Someone browses /v/.

[vcalzone]

There needs to be a commercial that shows parents playing this game with their kids. That's the angle that could actually turn the game huge, bringing families together by enjoying songs that the whole family knows.

It probably won't sell better than GH5. Why? Serious dearth of international interest, where the GH/RB war isn't even close. But it could, or at least could outsell GH5 in the United States.

[Wave57]

>Implying
>Implying
>Implying
>Implying

Someone browses /v/.

Most likely.

[chrth_rb]

Yeah, it doesn't depend on how much it sells. It depends on the quality. Look at today's music. A lot of sucks and is terrible. But it sells

Well, it does depend on sales, if you think about the DLC aspect of it. There's no real commitment on HMX to release everything in the catalogue; if the money rolls in, yeah, they will ... but if it doesn't, they could pull the plug.

[steve771]

But the market's broadening, and some analysts don't get it yet. They assume that kids who love metal, and rap won't buy it, so it will fail.

But The Beatles game could have do for the music game market what Wii Sports did for consoles and Brain Age did for handhelds: Open the floodgates to an audience of older players who now see something they'd like to try.

Plus, there there are a lot of young Beatles fans out there, too. My teenage nieces can't wait to get it.

Hopefully so. I must admit just getting into rockband in the last several months BECAUSE of the upcoming Beatles title. That said, I have enjoyed many of the songs that are currently available.

If this title does well, maybe some of the older rock titles will be forthcoming as well.

[colahead420]

1) Teens are usually the target for all video games.

2) 'Preteens' are well aware of the Beatles. Look around, I see Beatles everywhere. I have some Beatles shirts myself and I'm a teenager. Beatles references are EVERYWHERE. TV shows, movies, billboards, and everyday legendary slogans i.e. when it rains "Rain, I don't mind", when there's a conflict "Life is very short and there's no time..."

3) This may be targeted to teens, but the average gamer is about 30, right? I know for a fact there are some 40, 50 or 60 year old gamers out there. Again, it may be targeted to teens, but it very well may attract just about anyone who relatively likes the Beatles. Especially since they did an awesome job on the 45 song set list.

4) Someone mentioned something like it won't sell internationally. That's not true. I don't have the link to the site, but I'll search for it after this. The site is basically a map of the world, and you can scroll over every country. When you scroll over the country, a top 5 list shows up. This list is the bands most listened to in each country. The Beatles were #1 in 50% of the countries, and somewhere in the top 5 in every single country in the world.

This isn't going to be the biggest selling game ever, but it will be up there.

After all, HMX did work on this game for about 2 years.

I didn't read the G4 article, yet. Should I bother?

[jesse1367]

Vcalzone has got it all RIGHT, this game will be Phenominal!!!!!!! Period.

[mva5580]

The only relevance the sales #'s have to me is that it will (in part) dictate how much DLC we get. Along with of course how many of those people who buy it actually go online to purchase the DLC. Which you would imagine will be a high # of buyers since they will want more than 45 to play.

I just want this game to sell good enough in HMX's eyes to justify releasing most, if not all of the discography. I couldn't care less what that # is as long as they reach it.

[icykidd]

Its G4 don't expect alot, plus, they only get my views because of Olivia munn.

yeah lol the only reason why i watch g4 is because of attack of the show and xplay other than that there always doing cops...and cheaters....G4 is *** now...