But that may be changing. On Thursday, MTV Games and Apple Corps Ltd., the primary rights holder for the Beatles catalog, announced that over the coming year they will collaborate on a new interactive music video game featuring the band's music.

The game will be developed by Harmonix, publisher of the phenomenally popular Rock Band. The company expects it to be available in time for the 2009 holiday season.

"Introducing the genius of The Beatles to a whole new generation of music lovers through original and inspired ways is extremely exciting to us at Apple Corps," said Jeff Jones, CEO of Apple Corps. "We are truly pleased to be working with the innovative forces at MTV and Harmonix as they embody our mutual passions for music and creativity."

Support From Beatles

The project has received strong support from the two remaining Beatles, Sir Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr, as well as representatives of the estates of John Lennon and George Harrison.

"The project is a fun idea," McCartney said, "which broadens the appeal of The Beatles and their music. I like people having the opportunity to get to know the music from the inside out."

Ringo Starr agreed: "The Beatles continue to evolve with the passing of time, and how wonderful that The Beatles' legacy will find its natural progression into the 21st century through the computerized world we live in. Let the games commence."

Huge Potential

The deal brings together music's best-selling group with one of the breakout video-game hits of the last few years. So far, Harmonix (owned by MTV Games) has sold 3.5 million copies of Rock Band and is following in the footsteps of the rival Guitar Hero by releasing a branded version of the game. Next month, Wal-Mart will begin exclusive sales of an AC/DC version of Rock Band.

Harmonix went to some length, however, to note that the Beatles project will not be part of the Rock Band brand. During a conference call announcing the deal, Harmonix CEO Alex Rigopolous unequivocally said, "It's not a 'Rock Band' game."

"It's a new creative exploration of their music," Rigopolous said, "and a celebration of their legacy in a way that hasn't been done before."

The general scope of the game has been described as a musical journey through the band's history. However, there is no word yet as to whether that means every Beatles song will be available, or whether gamers will be able to "play" the music as individual members of the band.