Oh yes.
This from Wired (not exactly a tabloid):
This from Wired (not exactly a tabloid):
Report: Beatles Eye Rock Band, Guitar Hero
Every few months, rumors swirl about Beatles music finally going on sale in online music stores. We've largely trained ourselves to ignore these rumors, because nothing ever seems to materialize. By the time Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, Olivia Harrison, Yoko Ono Lennon and company get around to selling Beatles music on iTunes, a decent percentage of music customers may have no idea who they are.
However, The Fab Four could apparently soon follow in Metallica's footsteps by licensing a videogame in which gamers can play their (still incredible, to my ear) catalog. The Financial Times reports that Beatles representatives met with both Activision, makers of Guitar Hero, and MTV Games, which puts out Rock Band, to discuss the possibility of a Beatles-themed game in a deal that "could be worth millions of dollars."
The Beatles' label Apple Corps (which owns certain rights to the catalog) and EMI (which own the rights to the masters) would both have to be on board. Apparently, mobile carriers have recently expressed interest in the Beatles' catalog after some of their songs appeared on American Idol, with Apple Corps' permission -- a possible foreshadowing of more licensing deals to come.
"To my view, it's only a matter of time before we see Beatles songs that are the original recordings in motion pictures, in television work, and yes, maybe even one day in a commercial," Martin Bandier, chief executive of Sony/ATV Music Publishing, which owns certain Beatles publishing rights, told the FT. "Mr Bandier, arguing that sensitivities about commercialism should be balanced against the merits of exposing the band to a younger generation."