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What "The Beatles: Rock Band" teaches about innovation

By Lawrence B. Ebert, Esq.

In a review of The Beatles: Rock Band by Randy Lewis in the LA Times, one finds some patent-related terms:

But one consequence of actually attempting to replicate their words, melodies, harmonies and rhythms in Rock Band is a more visceral sense of just how inventive their music was -- and remains, even 40-plus years down the long and winding road.

At the end:

Harmony, in the end, really is what the Beatles: Rock Band comes down to. It's an adventure in collaboration, not competition; a celebration of innovation, not acquisition.

Collaboration, unless you were Pete Best getting displaced by Ringo Starr.

One wonders at the intent of the wording "innovation, not acquisition."

In an earlier IPBiz post, there were some instructions on "what to check for" in a review of a product, and one thing was whether the reviewer got the product to be reviewed for free. Here:

The review copy that recently arrived -- it's due out on Wednesday -- was the limited edition "premium bundle" (list price: $249.99) including the software disc (also available on its own for $59.99), the guitar and drum controllers modeled after Paul McCartney's Höfner bass and Ringo Starr's Ludwig drum kit, one microphone and a mike stand. Harmonix, the MTV Networks subsidiary that developed the game, also offers additional controllers modeled after George Harrison's Gretsch Duo Jet guitar and John Lennon's Rickenbacker (also sold separately for $99.99 each).

Full post as published by IPBiz on September 06, 2009 (boomark / email).