I am not a gamer. I have too many other demands on my time (Beloved, blog, work, sleep, etc.), so I’ve never allowed myself to get sucked in. However, this video is making me reconsider that position.

This is the intro to the retro version of a game called “Rock Band,” in which players “simulate the playing of rock music by using controllers shaped like musical instruments.” (Wikipedia) Sure, it sounds kind of like Guitar Hero and some other games, but that’s not what makes it special. It doesn’t just put you in A band. It puts you in THE band. The original band who made the songs famous. That’s pretty big, but I would still be unmoved to try it, were the band not the Beatles. That’s right. The 2009 release of the game was all about the Beatles, and I want to go to there. I can’t begin to imagine what it cost to license and produce, but the game is so spectacular, it even received the blessing of Apple Corps, and Beatles Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr.

The first half of the video consists of overlapping recreated (and entirely recognizable) scenes mixed with animated art, and it’s beyond magnificent. I’m completely with them until the video turns to closeups of the game’s beloved characters singing Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds. The synch is so off, I keep getting pulled out of the experience. This is where they lose me, and it’s the reason I am, sadly, not interested in actual game play. It is nonetheless an amazing video and a spectacular effort by creator Josh Randall and his team.

And, look! Some making-of videos!

(Oddly enough, there does not appear to be a part 2. Perhaps YouTube user RandomNinja is just really bad at counting.)