MTV: Green Day should outsell Beatles

By Tom Bramwell Published 17 May, 2010

"Higher awareness" among demographic.

MTV Games boss Scott Guthrie has indicated that he expects Green Day: Rock Band to sell more than The Beatles: Rock Band.

While the Fab Four's videogame debut last year was critically acclaimed - Eurogamer's resident Beatlemaniac Johnny Minkley awarded it 9/10 - sales worldwide were reportedly well below two million.

That's more than Guitar Hero 5, also released late last year, but far fewer than Rock Band 2 or Guitar Hero: World Tour 12 months ealrier.

"We were pleased with the performance of Beatles: Rock Band but we were expecting higher sales," Guthrie told MCV.

"Our core audience of 16 to 34-year-old males are much more familiar with Green Day music than The Beatles."

"Green Day probably has a much higher awareness than perhaps The Beatles did."

Green Day: Rock Band is due out for PS3, Wii and Xbox 360 on 8th June.

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About Tom Bramwell

Tom is Operations director of Eurogamer Network and Editor-at-Large of Eurogamer.net. He joined the company in February 2000. Follow him on Twitter.

Read more articles from Tom by visiting the Tom Bramwell archive page.

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Comments (46) Latest comment 2 years ago

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  • Fab4 #1 2 years ago

    Fucking sad indictment of society if it does.

  • terminalterror #2 2 years ago

    Unsurprising, but still a shame that they didn't manage to break out of their normal demographic with Beatles: Rock Band

  • Vice.Destroyer #3 2 years ago

    It depends, dude. Not everybody likes the Fab Four, Fab4.

  • INSOMANiAC #4 2 years ago

    All they needed to do was bring out some DLC whereby you could kick Yoko Ono repeatedly in the face to the tune of Maxwells silver hammer.

  • ignatiusjreilly #5 2 years ago

    "Green Day probably has a much higher awareness than perhaps The Beatles did."

    I doubt it. More people might like to play Green Day in a video game, but I still think more 16-34 year-olds have heard of The Beatles.

  • Gambit1977 #6 2 years ago

    I'm trying to understand how he believes that 'familiar' means sales. I'm familiar with GD but think they're shite...I won't be buying it.

  • homerramone #7 2 years ago

    You mean green day are not actually better than the Beatles because they will shift more units. Who'd have thought it :-)

  • Alatair #8 2 years ago

    @ignatiusjreilly
    He means the Greenday game not the band.

  • BigJonno #9 2 years ago

    I think he's right. There is probably more crossover between music game players and Green Day fans than there is between music game players and Beatles fans.

    I'm still surprised that Beatles Rock Band didn't sell more copies just in terms of the Beatles collector's market.

  • INSOMANiAC #10 2 years ago

    I was really looking forward to the Beatles rockband and was very surprised to be picking it up for 17 quid not long after release. It came out at the wrong time into a saturated market.

  • Dylbot #11 2 years ago

    What a fucking joke.

  • Bangaioh #12 2 years ago

    Will be interesting to follow and see the outcome... I was thinking more of something like Rolling Stones, I've never played RB or GH but I could easily imagine the fun of playing Sympathy With The Devil.
    I agree though, GD suck.

  • INSOMANiAC #13 2 years ago

    A Guns n Roses rockband would outsell the LOT!

  • INSOMANiAC #14 2 years ago

    ps, I mean the REAL Guns n Roses, not the pop tat Axl Rose is churning out these days.

  • enfilade #15 2 years ago

    To be fair, we're told that the Beatles game sold more copies than GH5, so it's entirely possible - as Insomniac said - that by this time last year people had just had enough of these music rhythm games.

    Personally, Beatles Rockband was the first (and only) such game in which I found every song worth playing.

    Edit: Apologies, I meant Insomaniac. His name was just too extreme for it register on my radar :)
    Edited by enfilade at 17/05/10 @ 10:12

  • metalangel #16 2 years ago

    I like Green Day, but not enough to stop hating shitty music games. And I don't think even the biggest Green Day fan in the universe would be able to stomach the amount of hearing their music needed to get somewhere in the game.

  • local_celebrity #17 2 years ago

    Who the fuck are Green Day?

    Never heard of these Beatles either. Are they rappers?

  • Nath_monn #18 2 years ago

    Hmmmm for me two things happened at once, I stopped puberty and listening to greenday!!! Go figure...

    Yet again corporate bullshit prevails though, such a shame (albeit hardly suprising) to go for a popular band = more sales route, over a band that are actually fun to play! I couldn't imagine a blander band to immitate on RB, well maybe foo fighters, but that's another argument!

    Plus I can't wait for me to be the fouth member of the greenday trio...how's the videos gonna work when there's four players? Hopefully I'll be able to import the Lennon avatar in from beatles....

    Lame game

  • Ninja_Tino #19 2 years ago

    Yeah, people complained about only having 45 songs but all were a blast to play, as a group at least. Quality over quantity, and all that. Shame it didn't sell better. Bloody youth of today (of which I am one)!

  • Doctor_What #20 2 years ago

    'Shame. The production values on RB Beatles were fantastic - I'm a mid-range Beatles fan (like a few tracks, got one album, but not a fanatic) but their RB title really made me appreciate their tracks more. I can't quite see the same happening for Green Day!

  • chasejamie #21 2 years ago

    I like Green Day and will be buying this. So fuck you all! Mwa ha ha ha ha! The Kinks were also better than the Beatles. Mwa ha ha!

  • Toothball #22 2 years ago

    I've not really listened to Green Day since I stopped being a teenager, but am still moderately looking forward to this. It looks like it'll be a similar experience to watching all those cartoons from the eighties again, except with nineties music.

  • RobotRocker #23 2 years ago

    Dookie will rule on drums along with the Nimrod and Warning singles (Except Good Riddance. Arrrrgh). American Idiot was all right I guess. 21st Century Breakdown is proof that someone should bury Billy Joe's copies of Tommy and Rocky Horror in the back garden before he can be "inspired" any more though.

    MTV are right though. Green Day are one of the biggest touring bands in the world and have a load of cultural cred so it will sell a good amount of copies even if we don't buy it. Soz.

  • skullstorm #24 2 years ago

    Must be fun playing the exact same song over and over.

  • Rajin #25 2 years ago

    I never ever understood why people love greenday, there are far better alternatives to punk, punk-rock, or even better grunge imho.

    Edited by Rajin at 17/05/10 @ 11:10

  • ignatiusjreilly #26 2 years ago

    Heavy guitars, power chords, three-minute pop songs - whether you like them or not, IMO Green Day are the perfect band for something like Guitar Hero. I would normally prefer to listen to the Beatles, but for Rock Band/Guitar Hero, I think I'd get much more pleasure from Green Day.

  • cianchristopher #27 2 years ago

    All their songs are three-chord pop-punk songs....

    What is the fucking point of emulating that with a plastic guitar?

  • PlugMonkey #28 2 years ago

    Nath_monn
    "Hmmmm for me two things happened at once, I stopped puberty and listening to greenday!!! Go figure... "

    Did that also coincide with Greenday deciding to "grow up" and get all "political"?

    Dear Billie Joe,

    We already have one Bono. Many consider that to already be one too many. Please go back to writing songs about transvestitism and wanking.

    Regards,

    The World.

  • Max_Powers #29 2 years ago

    No surprise that The Beatles Rock Band dissapointed in sales. I could have told them that at launch. In fact I did.

    I don't know how things are in the UK but over here the only people still endlessy jabbering about the Beatles are middle-aged men waaaaayyy past their prime who dismiss GH/RB as "why don't you learn to play the real instrument".

    If the game sold around 2 million copies that must have been a big financial loss for Activision as the rights, royalties, marketing etc. must have done MASSIVE DAMAGE to their budget.

    Despite hating the band, I thought GH: Metallica was a really well done 'single band' entry in the franchise(s).



  • soviet_ #30 2 years ago

    I hated all music games until The Beatles Rock Band. I play actual guitar and still wasn't particular impressed at mashing buttons even though it was to Helter Skelter...

    The plastic drums however, so much fun. Brilliant infact

  • soviet_ #31 2 years ago

    Oh yeah, Green Day are shit

  • banjo21 #32 2 years ago

    Must be logical. I'm over 40 and never heard of green day.
    Then again The Beatles were well gone before my time, but I do know the name.

  • JahB #33 2 years ago

    We already have one Bono. Many consider that to already be one too many.

    plugmonkey taking the words straight out of my mouth.

  • Bodd #34 2 years ago

    Meh. Call me when there's a GH or RB: Iron Maiden.

  • makeamazing #35 2 years ago

    Dont recall Green Day to be honest, i think i would prefer a Depeche Mode game...

  • metalangel #36 2 years ago

    Billie Joe and Barney Calhoun from Half Life 2... separated at birth?

  • MrChuckles #37 2 years ago

    Well, i know my group of friends early 20's->late 30's would much prefer playing Green Day than the Beatles. My family however would much prefer playing Beatles... Of course, my family never playing console games, so i guess the Green Day version will get a played a lot more around these parts.

    Personally, i think the beatles are a defining moment in music, brilliant band... But which do i listen to more? Green Day i'm afraid... Just a bit of a metaller... I'm mid 30's too, so shoot me for being an emo or something...

  • Sonic_D #38 2 years ago

    First gig I went to at the age of 15 was Green Day, at the Brixton Academy in 95. Great memories. However, I find their output nowadays to be so so dull. And I don't see how their songs are going to be fun enough, don't get me wrong some songs will be great to play, but the chord-fest will become dull. All the best tracks on RB/GH are those with variety.

  • Mkwone #39 2 years ago

    Either that or people are bored stiff of bi-monthly GH and rockband games being released.

  • PlugMonkey #40 2 years ago

    STKD
    "The band were around 19 when Dookie came out.
    They grew up. That irony of that statement perhaps means you should look into doing the same."

    Their early albums were fun songs about simple little truths (like wanking). Their later albums have been navel gazing emo mumblings about, y'know, like, serious issues and, y'know, stuff. The level of their posturing leaves a bit of a credibility gap, and it all strikes me as being a bit naff and cringe inducing.

    If that's what growing up entails, I'll stay immature. You don't have to try to be quite so bloody serious just because you're in your thirties.

    So, being a grown up, when did you give up the wanking?

  • smelly #41 2 years ago

    >when did you give up the wanking?

    I can only speak for myself here.. but for me it happened when i found someone who'd do it for me regularly.

    But even then - every so often in the shower i cant help myself.

  • skullstorm #42 2 years ago

    To quote a vastly superior band "I don't want to grow up".

    bonus points for knowing who.
    Edited by skullstorm at 17/05/10 @ 21:10

  • brigadier #43 2 years ago

    Screw the rest of you music elitists, I can't bloody wait! :D

  • PlugMonkey #44 2 years ago

    STKD
    Those "simple truths" aren't a relevant part of his life now he's married with two kids. To pretend they were would be wrong and very childish.

    You think there aren't any simple truths to middleage, marriage or fatherhood?

    I like their early stuff better.
    Edited by PlugMonkey at 17/05/10 @ 22:53

  • hahayou #45 2 years ago

    Is he saying that Jesus of Suburbia is bigger than Jesus?

  • Alatair #46 2 years ago

    It's hilarious that some people think Greenday's lyrics are worth listening to.
    1.Buy a Pink Floyd album
    2.Listen to it.
    3.???
    4.PROFIT