LONDON - It’s almost 40 years since ‘The Beatles’ split, and yet the British band is set to earn the biggest amount ever this year, and could even net 1billion pounds by Christmas.

The Beatles comeback will start with remastered versions of 13 of late John Lennon, Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, and late George Harrison’s studio albums.

The 170-pound box set is the first upgrade to the Beatles’ back catalogue since the music was released on CD 22 years ago, and it’s the first time every track is available in stereo.

A Beatles In Mono box is also set to go on sale the same day for 200 pounds, and, on September 9, the Fab Four will also make their video game debut in ‘The Beatles: Rock Band’.

The 50 pounds game lets players perform in a virtual Beatles band with 45 songs to choose from, and the series of games has already raked in 600 million pounds, with the Beatles edition cited to be the most popular yet.

As well as a huge selection of songs, it also recreates iconic moments in the band’s history from their first gig at the Cavern Club to the zebra crossing at Abbey Road and the record company rooftop where they staged their famous 1969 concert.

Experts believe the game will introduce a whole new generation of music fans to the Beatles, keeping the cash rolling in for decades to come.

“By encouraging players to become part of the band, the marketing people are introducing timeless pieces to a younger audience,” the Mirror quoted brand expert Jonathan Gabay as saying.

“But they’ve gone further still with nostalgic, highly detailed backgrounds. This will appeal to the older market, which will relish the old eras of the Swinging Sixties and psychedelic Seventies.

“So, in one masterstroke, they address failing sales of CDs as well as grabbing a new generation of Beatlemaniacs. They have been very shrewd,” he said.

The next stage in the Beatles masterplan is putting their tracks on iTunes.

A long-running legal dispute between Apple computers and Beatles firm Apple Corps, which is jointly owned by Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr and the estates of John Lennon and George Harrison, has stopped their music from being available online.

However, XBox games console owners will now be able to download All You Need Is Love, making it the first ever-digital Beatles song, followed by The Abbey Road, Rubber Soul and Sgt Pepper’s albums.

And music business analysts believe the entire Beatles’ back catalogue will then be made available on iTunes, possibly in time for next Christmas.

Marketing strategist Michael Bayler says the excitement over the new Beatles releases, downloads, and game are testament to very shrewd management.

“Up to now, the Beatles’ copyright protection has been tight. For many years, the answer for using their music to promote goods was ‘No’,” Bayler said.

“If the music is harder to come by, the value will go up. If the Beatles music was everywhere, there would be a significant drop in the perceived value of the catalogue because of over-exposure.

“There is a perception of exclusivity with the Beatles which means they are still in demand and these developments will be hugely successful.

“Put it this way, if the Beatles’ music had been on every tampon, car and shampoo advert around the world for the last 30 years, how much impact would the album reissue or Rock Band game have? Not much.

“The very scarcity of The Beatles means that there’s a pent-up demand, which means that when they do come out the take-up is huge.

“There’s going to be recognition that music income isn’t coming from where it used to come from. It’s not just about radio play and CDs any more. If you’re looking to maintain your superstar status there, forget about it.

“Music sales have been severely reduced, so for The Beatles to continue as aggressively as they have been, they need to seek alternative avenues.

“The sales of games like Rock Band are phenomenal. And I think these decisions by The Beatles and those in charge of their back catalogue will do very well indeed,” he added. (ANI)