Songs by The Beatles will only appear in the as-yet-untitled Harmonix-developed Beatles game and will not be available as downloadable content for Rock Band, Harmonix's other music game franchise, according to Reuters.

"None of the Fab Four's songs will be available for download on the existing Rock Band franchise," claims the news outlet.

Taken at face value, that statement dismisses the possibilities of both downloadable content and the option of downloading songs from the disc, a technique Harmonix used to bring Rock Band and AC/DC Live tracks into other Rock Band games.

As for why rival Activision was unable to secure The Beatles for Guitar Hero, Sony/ATV CEO Martin Bandie noted that Activision "presented [the option] as if they were doing the music business a favor," adding that "when it comes to The Beatles, the leverage changes." Harmonix owner MTV reportedly paid a "very rich" sum for the license.

Activision CEO Bobby Kotick has recently spoken out, suggesting that perhaps the music industry should pay for inclusion in Guitar Hero games and more mainstream exposure, instead of Activision being forced to pay licensing fees.

No platforms have been announced for Harmonix's Beatles game, though it is slated to arrive by holiday 2009 and will be compatible with existing Rock Band peripherals.