Beatles reps in talks with game developers

Will we see Beatles tracks on Guitar Hero and Rock Band?

23 June 2008 15:47 GMT / By Verity Burns

Representatives for The Beatles are rumoured to be in talks with two companies in a hope to extend the Fab Four's back catalogue into the realm of video games.

Activision and MTV, makers of Guitar Hero and Rock Band retrospectively, are the two companies reported to be in discussions with the reps.

According to insiders, the final deal could be worth several million dollars, and could even be completed within a matter of weeks.

It's not yet known if the deal will be to feature Beatles tracks on a new compilation, or to produce a game dedicated to the group, as Guitar Hero did with Aerosmith.

However, before anything is done, it would have to be with the blessing of Apple Corps, the company established by the band to oversee its business interests, and EMI, the UK music group that owns the Beatles master recordings.

It is quite a step for the Beatles, who have been previously cautious to move their material on to new platforms. They were even slow about re-issuing their albums onto CD.

As it stands, EMI and Apple Corps have yet to license Beatles recordings for digital use, including for sale through Apple's iTunes music store. However more recently, Beatles compositions have been used on American Idol and in a Las Vegas show which may suggest the group is beginning to shift.

We'll keep you updated with anything we hear.