iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad owners will soon be able to take advantage of a new app from the acclaimed band Linkin Park. The rock group, who received many accolades for their songs, will soon unleash a new game app entitled Linkin Park 8-bit Rebellion! The title is an action-adventure massively multi-player app fashioned around a music artist.
The band in collaboration with game developer Artificial Life, Inc. started production on the game over a year back. The members actively participated in all aspects of the game like character design, music, storylines and gameplay. They also appear as characters in the title. In the game, the evil agents PixxelKorp have stolen the band’s music and it is up to the players to free the band’ idyllic 8-bit world.
Gamers will be able to traverse through many unique districts which are based on the different band members. When players complete the entire game, they are rewarded with an exclusive Linkin Park song called ‘Blackbirds’. According to the company, this is the very first time any band has unveiled a new song via the means of a mobile game app.
Linkin Park vocalist Mike Shinoda commented, “The collaborative process with Artificial Life was exceptional. They were able to turn my sketches and our creative ideas into a living, breathing world that we think gamers will thoroughly enjoy. This game is not just made for Linkin Park fans-anyone will be able to play and enjoy 8-Bit Rebellion.’ My bandmates and I grew up playing games like ‘Metroid,’ ‘Donkey Kong,’ ‘Zelda,’ ‘Space Invaders,’ ‘Mega Man’ and ‘Rygar.’ We wanted this game to have the feel of a vintage game, and a big part of it was the music.”
The upcoming game app comprises of original as well as 8-bit interpretations of their best hits namely ‘In The End’, ‘QWERTY’, ‘Faint’, ‘Hands Held High’, ‘No More Sorrow’, ‘Crawling’, ‘One Step Closer’ and ‘New Divide’. The game also portrays original artwork by Linkin Park and allows gamers to fashion their very own avatars by opting from a variety of combinations. The online community features include message boards, sending gifts, IM chats, ranking other players and in-app messaging.
Artificial Life CEO, Eberhard Schoneburg explained, “It was a unique experience to work with Linkin Park to create one of the most innovative mobile gaming experiences to date. Our close co-operation with the band has led to a cool and fun game play, a great design and a groundbreaking app that pushes the limits of the iPhone gaming experience and sets new standards for music based games. Throughout production the band worked closely with our designers intimately contributing to the creative process for character designs, in-game artwork, mission structure and, of course, the music in the game! 8-Bit Rebellion helps fans get closer to the band by drawing them into the virtual world that they have helped to create as well as providing their global fan base with an exciting community experience. It’s a must for all Linkin Park fans.”
The offline mode also enables gamers to buy new items in stores and complete exciting missions. They can then go online and sync their items, game progress and scores seamlessly onto the server. The forthcoming app combines gaming, news updates and social networking all in one engaging package.
Linkin Park 8-bit Rebellion! is expected to unfurl onto the iTunes App Store shortly. The exact date and pricing details are still under wraps.