U2 reconsidering Rock Band project

By Brendan Sinclair, GameSpotPosted Oct 7, 2009 10:58 am PT

After passing on Harmonix collaboration last year, Irish quartet is now open to band-centric rhythm game a la The Beatles: Rock Band.

With the explosive growth of the rhythm genre in recent years, there are only a few hugely popular bands remaining on the sidelines. One of those holdouts, the long-standing Irish quartet U2, may finally be ready to get into the game.

Let's hope a U2 Rock Band would be "Even Better Than the Real Thing."

U2 bassist Adam Clayton told USA Today that the band was in talks to lend its songs and likenesses to the game last year, but never reached a deal.

"We definitely would like to be in there, but we felt some of the compromises weren't what we wanted," Clayton told the paper. "That could change. I love the idea that that's where people are getting music, and we'd love to be in that world. We'll figure something out."

That doesn't necessarily mean gamers should hold their breath waiting for The Joshua Tree as a downloadable album for Rock Band and Rock Band 2. Clayton's comments suggest the band would prefer a stand-alone product dedicated to their music, much like last month's The Beatles: Rock Band.

"What The Beatles have done, where the animation is much more representative of them, is what we're interested in, rather than the one-size-fits-all animation," Clayton said. "We didn't want to be caricatured."

The Beatles: Rock Band is the only game in the Rock Band series to date to use musicians' likenesses. However, next month's Lego Rock Band will feature squat yellow toy versions of Iggy Pop and David Bowie.

183 Comments

  • Greendrg654

    Posted Dec 17, 2009 9:34 pm PT

    sounds like an awesome idea, can't wait to drum on Sunday Bloody Sunday, or sing I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For!

  • misterbutt

    Posted Nov 25, 2009 9:20 pm PT

    i freakin love u2 and i dont have any gh or rb games so id definitly get it

  • Vimanesba

    Posted Oct 21, 2009 12:18 pm PT

    I don't know.... it kinda sounds EPIC!!!!! GIMME!!!!!!! U2 & RB!!!!

  • Japeg309666

    Posted Oct 19, 2009 9:17 am PT

    A Rush Rock Band would be so much better, and difficult.

  • Pwnd56

    Posted Oct 14, 2009 2:45 pm PT

    no offense to U2 fans, just my opinon.

    NO

  • necronaux

    Posted Oct 13, 2009 10:09 am PT

    We're not going to sell out... kids need to be playing real instramen... wait, how much can we make off this? Oh, U2 and Rock Band, hell ya.

  • Bulzeeb3088

    Posted Oct 13, 2009 9:54 am PT

    My friend's been anxious for any kind of U2 DLC. A whole game would be a dream come true.

  • drknessfeeds

    Posted Oct 13, 2009 12:02 am PT

    I would like to see more Band oriented GH and RB games, tired of downloading so much that its clogging up my hard drive. I want something harder though, I want a GH Slipknot, with so many band members it would be a blast to see and a challenge to program.

  • shani_boy101

    Posted Oct 11, 2009 5:59 pm PT

    noooo! if it's just a stupid cash in (if it wasn't then they would have done it before) then don't do it. WORST. IDEA. EVER.

  • calebcop

    Posted Oct 11, 2009 4:29 pm PT

    Hmm. I do really love U2, and I do kinda like Rock Band, but not enough for me to buy it. But I would really like playing U2 on Rock band. Who knows.

  • joma666

    Posted Oct 11, 2009 2:43 pm PT

    terrible idea

  • Killer2401

    Posted Oct 11, 2009 1:50 pm PT

    Just last weekend I saw U2 in North Carolina...and before that on the second day in Chicago. Both shows where mind blowing, far beyond anything I could expect.

    On the day I went to Chicago I wore a Rock Band shirt, hoping that they would see it and consider having their own game. Maybe they did see it...either way, I know 80,000+50,000 people that will buy it day one...

  • WTFitsPauL

    Posted Oct 11, 2009 3:27 am PT

    Meh!

  • Morbidmassacre

    Posted Oct 10, 2009 11:04 am PT

    STOP DOING THIS. DO NOT RUIN ANY MORE BANDS. U2 is awesome but this game is not a good idea. Also, those GH/RB song fretters really need to get lives. It will not be a long time till there's actually EVERY SINGLE SONG in the WORLD playable in those games. Slow down a little bit, please. Game franchises like this make me lose respect to the video game industry.

  • ZookGuy

    Posted Oct 10, 2009 8:10 am PT

    Lego David Bowie? I'm so picking up Lego Rock Band

  • Gooshnads

    Posted Oct 9, 2009 11:07 pm PT

    loved RB 1 thought RB2 was great
    RB Beatles MEH
    GH is surpassing them now... especially with that drum design
    but i'll keep to my drummania =]
    dunno if U2 will save the franchise

  • Godak

    Posted Oct 9, 2009 10:37 pm PT

    Hmm...I think this would be interesting. U2 has been around for quite sometime, and they have made some excellent music. It would make sense (IMO) for them to get the second stand alone game.

  • CaptainHerlock

    Posted Oct 9, 2009 6:35 pm PT

    @Turtleperson2 Apple doesn't want what happened with Kurt Cobain's image in Guitar Hero 5 to happen to The Beatles. Also, the overwhelming majority of Beatle fans (myself included) have zero interest in playing any other songs in the Rock Band library. The Beatles music doesn't sit well side by side with other artists. And I don't want to play through some slobs like Puddle of Mud or who ever to unlock And Your Bird Can Sing. Harmonix wanted this to be a stand alone game. They knew that was the only way it would work, and the only way they could secure the rights to the songs. And it works magnificently.

  • CaptainHerlock

    Posted Oct 9, 2009 6:28 pm PT

    @NFSU2_RC3

    You can listen to any type of music you want. When you play The Beatles Rock Band, however, they want you to play only as The Beatles. Much like the way The Beatles don't want their songs on those Time/Life compilations you see on late night infomercials, Apple doesn't want The Beatles songs sharing space with other artists. And when they make a demand like that you give it to them. No questions asked. They have that kind of power in the industry (they're the biggest selling act of THIS decade, 40 years after breaking up, that's gotta tell you something). It's a Beatles game with the Rock Band name on it. Not the other way around.





    I know this may be a "wacky" idea to many of you younger gamers, but it's possible to listen to music without it being in a video game! Invest in a pair of headphones, open your ears and your mind.

  • Thatsmypunk

    Posted Oct 9, 2009 4:26 pm PT

    U2 is a good band, but they don't hold a candle to the Beatles. What was done for the Beatles is very unique and should be kept that way. That's like someone saying 'if this was done for them, then it should be the same for me'. I don't think it works that way.

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