Beatles Xbox 360 charity auction earns $17,300

To help promote the launch of MTV Games and Harmonix's The Beatles: Rock Band last week, Microsoft listed a specially designed Xbox 360 console featuring detailed artwork from the opening sequence of the game. Within two days, the eBay charity auction had secured some 80 bids and a commitment for $7,000, proceeds from which will be donated to the international medical humanitarian organization Doctors Without Borders.

Today, the auction timer on the Beatles-themed Xbox 360 officially expired, and after 111 bids, the final selling price reached $17,300. Microsoft has not indicated how may Beatles consoles would be made available, saying only that a "small number" will be auctioned off for charity in the lead-up to the holiday season.

Microsoft also announced today that The Beatles' hit "All You Need Is Love," which is currently available only on the Xbox 360, has set a record for "the fastest-selling downloadable song in Rock Band history within two days of availability." Microsoft declined to provide a numeric value to how many units the song has sold. As with the Beatles-themed Xbox 360, proceeds from "All You Need Is Love" will be donated to Doctors Without Borders.

For more on The Beatles: Rock Band, which is also available for the PlayStation 3 and Wii, check out GameSpot's previous coverage.