Why it's good TB:RB is standalone

[princeofcups]

Excluding worth-while features from a new game does not make any sense unless it hurt the original in some game-breaking way. In this situation, they have failed to see how seriously this will impact their current customers and I believe it will really hurt them in the long run with this release.

Agreed. HMX (whoever is making the decisions these days) has gotten caught up in their own Beatles fan-boyism, and forgot about the fans who enjoy playing RB, not a simulation of the lives of the Beatles.

[username7410]

I bought a Rock Band 2 bundle BECAUSE of TB:RB... didn't want to wait to get practiced on drums, and using teh Rock Band guitar. So, I bought it now! Wouldn't have if I didn't have the TB:RB forthcoming. Enjoying everything else Rock Band until then.

[princeofcups]

I'm sure The Beatles would have gladly gone over to Nevervision's camp if Harmonix didn't make some concessions to their terms.

So why make the game at all? The Beatles are just one band. I won't argue about their status or their influence or their popularity, but they are just one band. There are 100 great songs out there for every great Beatles song.

GHWT is still the lesser game. But at least they are adding features, making changes for the better, and giving the fans something to look forward to. RB3 will be competing with GHWT 6, and 5 has already closed the playability gap.

I say these things because I want RB to succeed. I have a lot invested in it. However, they are not getting much more DLC money out of me until we get some idea of where the platform is going. I don't want to convert over to other guys come next fall.

[chuckin]

I'm still a little disappointed I can't play these songs when I play the other ones, but as a music game fan I will say, again, that we are spoiled by the fact RB1 exported and that HMX has supported the platform. All other music games make their bucks by selling more discs. You are forced to disc swap. I've got hundreds of DDR songs over PS1 and PS2, but guess what? They're spread over about 10 discs! This is common for music games.

Spoiled? Maybe if RockBand had a monopoly on the rhythm game market, but last I checked there was this franchise called Guitar Hero. The best thing about competition is it breeds innovation, that's because innovation increases demand. If there were no innovation we'd all be thanking the Guitar Hero gods for blessing us with The Beatles:Guitar Hero, not to mention the game would only be played on plastic guitars with no vocal harmonies or special pearl colored drums (this is assuming RockBand didn't exist - clever huh?).

The fact that this game is being put out with RockBand in the name is meaningless to me because at the end of the day it's only going to be a rental. I'd consider buying RockBand:Abnormality if it had exportability, but I guess I'm spoiled.

Purchasing TB:RB is only showing your support for more of the same backward thinking or maybe you're just a huge fan with a lot of spare cash - if this is the case I don't blame you. What I'm really trying to say is I wish everyone would just rent the game to show the powers that be that this non-exportability issue is a clear step backward for innovation.

[LoopyChew]

While I am disappointed about the lack of exportability (and I would've been perfectly happy if the exported version of Beatles songs didn't have harmony support), I also understand that The Beatles are very controlling of their rights, and that sometimes you have to make a deal with the devil (Yoko, Apple, Michael Jackson) in order to produce something you love.

Looking at the game at this stage, it's obvious that it's a labor of love. It's wonderful, it's marvelous, it looks like it'll be happiness in a box.

I just wish it were compatible with that other bit of happiness in a box, or, barring that, they didn't try to share its name, which (at least to me) implied the possibility of only requiring one box for happiness. that's what she said

I don't have any hopes pinned on either the game itself or its DLC becoming part of the RB platform any time soon--the amount of approval that HMX has to get for each individual track as is (from what it sounds like, regarding dreamscapes at the very least) tells you that the authoring of these tracks go through so much more red tape than typical DLC does--and, quite frankly, I'll probably end up playing RB2 more often than I am The Beatles. However, unlike the GH games, I probably actually will play this more often than not.

As for the whole thing about how lack of compatibility is going to impact the market: it won't. The Beatles are The Beatles, and there are plenty of people willing to buy that game alone. Most of the mainstream doesn't care or mind--it's only the hardcore that are affected. HMX made the right business call, and although they had to compromise with the rights holders this time around, it's obvious they're doing what they can to make up for the things in which the game lacks.

Still, the day they decide to tell me I'm dead wrong and that exportability suddenly becomes on the menu will be the day my nether regions explode with sunshine and butterflies.

[NakedFeckers]

Holy sh*t. This might be the first thread where everyone is getting along and making valid points. I just read every post and all my points were already made.

I won't buy The Beatles for two reason: 1. I don't like The Beatles 2. It won't export
I might rent it though to check it out. Good thread.

Harumph!!!

[Julio_Strikes_Back]

We may be "spoiled," but that's nobody's fault but HMX's. They're the ones who championed the unified platform; they're the ones who (rightfully) bragged about being the ones who let you bring your setlist from the original over to the sequel.

You can't blame us for believing HMX's promises, can you? If that makes us gullible for actually believing HMX when they said they'd never make a standalone band game, or deviate from the core platform, then what does that make those of you who blindly believe everything HMX is now promising you in TBRB, or Lego, or anything else?

AC/DC was an expansion pack. Who tracks were an expansion pack. Beatles is its own sixty-dollar game.

[ScottyTheBody]

This is sarcastic right? I can't even believe this is even being argued. Of course it's not as good that it's standalone.

On one hand you have the game with all the features.

On the other hand you have the game with all the features and an export feature. If you would like to export you can and if you want it to be standalone, don't export. Simple as that. Wouldn't people rather have the choice?

I understand why the export is not EVER going to happen but to say that you wouldn't want it in the game is a little...brainwashed I guess?

[T-Hybrid]

Whereas if TBRB was exportable to RB, the community would remain INTACT, and people would be jamming to The Beatles in their setlists as well as all the rest of the bands.

Why would the NEW game be exportable to the OLD game? If anything, RB2 should become exportable going forward. Or would you be the first in line whining when RB3 doesn't export to RB2?

And if/when TBRB "converts" come to RB2 and find out that they'll have to leave their precious Beatles setlists behind on a separate disc, they're not likely to be pleased. At all.

Or they won't care...because they're "converts" and had no idea such an exportation option even existed.

Yup, just like in GHAerosmith and GHMetallica.
Which I recall these same HMX fanboys lambasting for *precisely* the same limitations that TBRB is now saddled with.

GHA and GHM don't compare favorably at all.

1) About 25% of the setlists aren't even from those bands.
2) Neither game supports DLC. So there's no way to expand the game once you've played out the disc songs.

Or, it could be simply that The Beatles are arrogant, selfish bastards who don't want to mix with the "hoi polloi" of Rock Band (bands like The Who, Bob Dylan, The Rolling Stones, CCR, The Zombies....I mean, can you *imagine*? *tsk* )

Except that we know how hard it is to get The Beatles to agree to license anything. They still aren't available for iTunes last I checked.

And both Aerosmith and Metallica (and Van Halen) have provided music games with songs in the past...so there was no need for a full game simply to get them into the genre.

I don't like the fact that they aren't exportable...but it's far beyond HMX's control this time around. Aerosmith and Metalliica? Not so much.

If you want to whine to anybody about the lack of exportation, talk to The Beatles. Because they didn't allow it. And as we know from AC/DC Live, HMX is entirely able to bring the songs into the main series if the band is willing to work with them.

[David2380]

There is nothing good about it being a stand alone game. I understand HMX probably had to do it this way to get the beatles and I do not blame them for doing it, but there is nothing good about it. Just look at the precedent set by the AC/DC track pack. I don't know the actual numbers but I'm sure it didn't sell half as well as if it were DLC that you can pick and chose which songs you wanted. I for 1 didn't buy the disc but wouldv'e bought 6-8 songs if it were dlc.I might pick it up if it ever becomes cheap enough that I think it is worth it for those songs alone. You were even able to transfder all the songs to the platform and it didn't sell as well. The beatles game will definitely be affected by the un-transferrable factor...