Sir Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr appeared together to launch the forthcoming Beatles version of Rock Band.

The pair unveiled the game, which is released in September, to a crowd of gamers yesterday at Microsoft's Electronic Entertainment Expo presentation in California.

Beatles: Rock Band allows users to play along to 45 of the band's biggest hits using remote-controlled plastic instruments.

Gameplay takes place in venues that held some of the Liverpool band's biggest gigs, including New York's Shea Stadium and the Cavern Club in Liverpool.

Starr said: "The game is good, the graphics are very good, and we were great.”

"We love the game, it's fantastic," Sir Paul McCartney added. "Whoever thought we would end up as androids?"

The Rock Band game marks the first time the Liverpool band's music has been licensed to a third party.

Fans can buy the game for the Xbox 360 from September 9.

(by Jason Gregory)