Game, spruced-up CDs lets fans meet, be The Beatles

While it might not have been met with as much screaming and fainting as the original British invasion, the arrival of the Beatles video game and remastered CDs on Wednesday still was a thrill for area fans.

The simultaneous worldwide release of "The Beatles: Rock Band" and the group's individual CDs and two new box sets had video and music stores buzzing. Fans of the band, young and old, jumped at the chance to bring Beatlemania into their living rooms.

Ceres mother of three Paula Tucker bought the "Rock Band" game for her sons. The reason, she said, couldn't be simpler.

"Because we love the Beatles' music, duh," Tucker said. "My husband and I are excited about it because it's music we like. But my kids are, too. It's an intergenerational thing. The kids promoted me to get it."

Her sons — ages 16, 11 and 7 — were excited to test the game after school Wednesday afternoon.

"We all really like the Beatles and my dad really likes them, too," said Cameron Tucker, a seventh-grader at Blaker-Kinser Junior High School. "They are really cool and they have really good music."

"The Beatles: Rock Band" is the first video game to feature the Fab Four's music and likeness. The game is part of the "Rock Band" series, which has players perform souped-up karaoke with instruments. The Beatles version comes with replicas of the band members' signature instruments.

Tommy Goff, manager of the Gamestop on Oakdale Road in Mo- desto, got to play with the game last week at a conference and already has bought a copy.

"It goes through the whole Beatles career," he said. "It's all very Sgt. Pepper-like. Everything is a little psychedelic with bright colors."

The game is available for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 and Wii consoles. The 45-song list spans the group's career from "I Want to Hold Your Hand" to "Revolution."

Orders had been coming in for months to many Modesto area stores. Managers say the crowd has been mixed, with younger and older fans expressing interest.

"It's still a pretty young crowd buying (the video game)," said Mike Pimentel, store manager of Game Crazy in Ceres. "But the moms and dads are actually excited about it. It's not every day they are excited their kids get a new game."

Sales at many Modesto stores were steady. By midday, Best Buy had less than 20 copies of the Wii and Xbox 360 games each and only five PS3 versions in stock.

Stereo, mono box sets

But the game wasn't the only way to own a piece of John, Paul, George and Ringo. Wednesday also saw the release of the band's digitally remastered record catalog. Each album is available individually, from the band's 1963 debut "Please Please Me" to the 1970 swan song "Let It Be."

There also are stereo and mono box sets available with original track listings and artwork, liner notes and rare photos. The sets include the band's 13 albums plus the two compilations of non-LP tracks, "Past Masters" Vol. I and II; the stereo set includes DVDs and documentaries.

The mono and stereo versions were sold out on Amazon.com before the release date and on back order for weeks despite their hefty price tags of $299 and $259, respectively.

In Modesto, the box sets were equally tough to find. Best Buy sold out of all its stereo box sets by noon and only one mono set was available. Both F.Y.E. stores in Modesto and the Turlock location only received one copy of the stereo box set each and sold out early in the day.

While "The Beatles: Rock Band" game boasted an equally robust price tag at $249 for the PlayStation and Xbox full-kit versions, it was easier to find at area stores. The standard "Rock Band 2" game retails for $99 to $159.

Pimentel, the Ceres game store manager, said while interest has been high, he expects the game to really take off during the holidays.

"Not only are people buying it and excited to buy it now, I've had other people say, 'Man, I can't wait to get this game. I don't have the money right now, but I can't wait.' Everyone will want it by the time (the holidays) roll around."

But for parents such as Tucker, the price tag wasn't an impediment to sharing a piece of her past with her kids now. She and her husband, both in their 50s, grew up on Beatles music and still play the albums regularly.

"My husband and I are excited about it because it's music we like," she said. "It's more fun, because they are in there playing it and we can enjoy the music. It's fun that a second and third generation can get into that music."

Bee staff writer Marijke Rowland can be reached at mrowland@modbee.com or 578-2284.