Publisher of Beatles Rock Band, Electronic Arts (EA) has been beaten to the number 1 spot in the gaming charts by non other than the direct competitor, Activision Blizzard’s Guitar Hero 5 (as of 19th September 2009).

In fact, not only has it been beaten to the number 1 gaming chart spot, but Beatles Rock Band didn’t even come 2nd… not even 3rd. It came 4th!

Don’t get us wrong, this isn’t a bashing of B:RB, but it is interesting because we do think it is a good game and with having the Beatles brand behind the game, bearing in mind how many records these guys have sold over the decades, where did Electronic Arts go so wrong?

Well, that isn’t hard to answer really, when you look close enough. It is nothing to do with the quality of the new Rock Band game, but it has everything to do with timing.

According to a HMV spokesperson, chart position was mostly effected to a ‘mid-week release’. It has to be something very, very special to enter the charts mid-week and be able to come on top because you have 1/2 the time to get twice as many sales in.

Wow, what was EA thinking? I think this is what you call a EA publishing #failwhale.

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