STEPPING UP THE G.A.M.E.
Feb 1, 2006 12:00 PM, Markkus Rovito
Meat Beat Manifesto, Yoda, Hieroglyphics and Zelda have something in common: They were all at the inaugural G.A.M.E. (The Game and Music Experience) event at San Francisco's Moscone Center December 2-4. Whether you've nodded your head while smokin' mad fools in 50 Cent's Bulletproof game or fumbled your way through an ultracheesy rendition of “(I've Had) The Time of My Life” on the Karaoke Revolution game at a drunken party, chances are you've noticed the growing importance of music to videogames.
That connection is what the G.A.M.E. events are all about. GameSpot (www.gamespot.com), a division of CNET, launched what it calls the “gaming party” to bring the atmosphere of the E3 (Electronic Entertainment Expo) videogame trade show to the general public and combine it with live music to highlight the continuing convergence of games and music. Atlantic Records, whose artist roster frequently contributes music to games, partnered with GameSpot in the undertaking.
Thousands of gamers played the hottest current games, vintage classics and eagerly awaited new titles, including Dead or Alive 4 for Xbox 360, Star Wars: Empire at War for the PC and The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess for Nintendo GameCube. Captivated game geeks mashed buttons at hundreds of high-tech gaming stations, separated into seven popular genres: military, urban, sci-fi, fantasy, sports, racing and fighting. While resting sore thumbs, attendees took in breakdancing and taiko drumming demonstrations, DJ sets and top Bay Area artists such as J-Boogie's Dubtronic Science and Hieroglyphics. Cocky players could also challenge GameSpot editors one-on-one or compete in tournaments for prizes as sweet as a souped-up Scion with integrated game consoles and plasma screens. GameSpot plans to continue throwing regional G.A.M.E. events during the holiday season in cities such as New York City and Chicago.
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