May 12 - 2:05pm EDT   MTV Games, Harmonix and EA have recently announced yet another special edition controller for the upcoming The Beatles: Rock Band Limited Edition Premium Bundle game title for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and Wii gaming consoles. In addition to the previously seen Rickenbacker 325 and Gretsch Duo-Jet guitars, there will also be a replica Höfner bass guitar controller on offer. Formerly used by Sir Paul McCartney, the bass controller will be a replica of the classic guitar meant for right-handed players, unlike Paul McCartney's preference for the left. [full story]

April 16 - 1:30pm EDT   Harmonix on Thursday confirmed full details of its hardware bundle for The Beatles: Rock Band. As hinted at earlier this week, the Limited Edition Premium Bundle will have a guitar controller resembling the Hofner Bass used by Paul McCartney as well as a pearl finish, Rock Band equivalent to Ringo Starr's Ludwig drum set. A microphone and a matching stand will also be part of the package as well as unnamed "additional special content." [full story]

March 5 - 11:15am EST   EA today formally unveiled The Beatles: Rock Band, the first purely digital title of any type to include the British rock group's music. The game will move through a chronology of the Beatles' songs and is now known to be launching alongside a new set of custom instruments based on those preferred by each of the four core band members. Which instruments will be included aren't known but may include a replica of John Lennon's Epiphone Casino (pictured) used from 1966 onwards. [full story]

June 23 - 10:00am EDT   The Beatles are close to securing a deal that would see their first digital music releases through music games rather than direct downloads from iTunes or or similar stores, says the Financial Times. The UK business paper claims sources who say that the pop rock group may have deals "in a matter of weeks" that bring songs to Guitar Hero maker Activision as well as to Rock Band co-creator MTV Games. While no specifics are mentioned, the deal suggests a Beatles-themed title and alludes to the possibility of making Beatles songs available as downloadable content. [full story]

June 11 - 1:40pm EDT   Despite a series of conflicting news releases, Vodafone has confirmed that there will not be a pay-as-you-go version of the iPhone 3G available in New Zealand. NZMac.com first spotted the confusion in statements from Vodafone and Apple New Zealand which announced both contract and prepaid versions of the iPhone in various press releases. Vodafone cleared things up this morning, saying only the contract versions will be available in New Zealand and Portugal beginning in July 11. [full story]

May 30 - 7:50pm EDT   EA on Friday unveiled an additional stage of Spore, it's upcoming evolutional civilization simulation, offering potential players a glimpse into the tribal stage of development in the game. During the tribal era, players focus on building up their own creatures' civilizations while either conquering or befriending those of their neighbours. Players can design the tools and buildings their civilizations build, further customizing their appearance and behaviour. [full story]