Reality TV > Konami Holding Tune With 'Idol'
August 28, 2006
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Japanese game publisher Konami Digital Entertainment, which has a multiyear license from FreemantleMedia Licensing Worldwide for "American Idol," said this week that judges Simon Cowell and Randy Jackson have signed on to provide original voice work and their likenesses for "Karaoke Revolution Presents: American Idol."
Konami product manager Matt Knowles said discussions were being held with Paula Abdul about the "Idol" judge joining her onscreen colleagues on the PlayStation2 game, which ships in December.
Cowell and Jackson will record thousands of lines of original dialogue for "Karaoke," which will extend a franchise that already has been a best-seller for years.
The "Idol" mode of the game re-creates the TV experience down to detailed sets from the last season of the Fox show. Using newly developed artificial intelligence, the game will allow the virtual Cowell and Jackson to dynamically critique particular aspects of the player's singing.
"The game looks at the singer's real-time pitch, how he or she delivered from start to finish, their custom-made costume, and how he or she compared to other contestants," Konami senior producer Mike McHale said. "Simon and Randy will be able to speak directly to the gamer and make each performance a personal and unique critique. It's just like the player was competing on the real show."
Cowell and Jackson also will participate in promotional appearances for Konami to generate interest in the game, which will ship just as Fox starts to drum up promotions for the next season of the show.
"Over the years, 'American Idol' has produced some amazingly talented singers, but let's be honest — most of the people who turn up for the auditions are useless," Cowell said. "For anyone who wants to know what it's like to audition in front of me, now you're about to find out. This game is a great representation of 'American Idol.' "
Knowles said he is working with FreemantleMedia on ways to incorporate the video game into the upcoming season of the broadcast show. There also will be online initiatives with "Idol" that will allow consumers to get involved with the game, along with several cross-promotions that link the game with the show.
"We'll likely work with some contestants from past seasons to promote the game," Knowles said. "We're focusing on all of the different things we can do with this year's show, and so far anything's possible."
The game starts in the audition room and ends on a finals stage that was created using the blueprints from the show. Players sing into a real microphone that connects to the PS2 and records every nuance of their delivery and compares it to how the original artist sang the track. Judges also will be featured in animated cutaways during the player's performances to bring out their personalities.
Players who earn it will be able to watch selected video footage from the first five seasons' performances, including Clay Aiken's rendition of "Build Me Up Buttercup." There will be 40 licensed songs in the game, including such songs from the first five seasons as "Don't Let the Sun Shine Down" and "Do I Make You Proud," the first single from reining "American Idol" winner Taylor Hicks. There also will be such new singles as "Be Without You" and "You and Me."
To make the experience more personalized, gamers with an EyeToy camera peripheral will be able to create a 3-D representation of themselves inside the game an see themselves on large video screens within the venues.
McHale said that through Konami's multiyear deal for the "Idol" license and the judges, additional video games will be released for other platforms next year and beyond in sync with the television seasons.
This marks the second time a game company has licensed the "Idol" brand. U.K. game maker Codemasters released games based on the show in 2003.
