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U2 reconsidering Rock Band project

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

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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
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.

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