Konami Scouts for Virtual American Idol Talent
Got the pipes but maybe not TV-friendly? You can still be an American Idol.
Published: October 13, 2006
As licenses go these days, it doesn't get much more hot than American Idol. The show, even with waning numbers over the years, is still easily the biggest on TV, and Konami's deal with FreemantleMedia to essentially brand what was an already successful karaoke game here in the States (thanks in no small part to the development talents of Guitar Hero and FreQuency maestros Harmonix Music Systems, who have bowed out of the franchise they helped start), was sheer genius.
Karaoke Revolution Presents: American Idol may be burdened with a huge ass title, but most folks will probably only see those two last words and snap it up instantly. Konami's cool with that -- so cool with it, in fact, that they're playing right toward the license itself, starting up a contest to crown a Virtual American Idol in a 10-stop tour around the country to test out the game's grading AI and the in-game judges' comments to the contestants.
“In the Karaoke Revolution Presents: American Idol Virtual Contest everyone from the millions of American Idol fans to Karaoke buffs everywhere can put their singing skills to the test using one of the holiday season’s most anticipated video games,” exclaimed Matt Knoles, Product Manager at Konami. “Consumers around the country will get a sneak peek at Karaoke Revolution Presents: American Idol, which combines the drama and personality of the top-rated television show with the most advanced karaoke video game engine around.”
“American Idol has always encouraged people to step forward and live out their superstar dreams,” added FremantleMedia’s David Luner, SVP, FLW, North America. “We’re pleased to collaborate on something that expands the American Idol experience in such an original way.”
All you need to do is show up at one of the stops on the tour, belt out your favorite song from the game and if you capture the top spot for your city, you'll get a copy of the game. Just for showing up and humiliating yourself in front of a virtual Simon, you'll get a t-shirt and a $5 off coupon for Konami's online store. The winners for each region will have their taped performance thrown up on Konami's Bemani site and let the internet vote from November 25th through December 22nd. The winner of that is flown out to Hollywood to attend a taping of the actual American Idol. No, it's not a spot on the show, but hey, you're up close and personal with the contestants... and a ton of screaming fans.
The contest kicked off today at Ziff-Davis' DigitalLife event, so we're kinda going on short notice here, but if you're in New York, there will be a second tryout tomorrow. Here are the stops on the tour:
New York, NY | Jacob J. Javits Convention Center | October 13-14
Philadelphia, PA | King of Prussia Mall | October 21
Dallas, TX | The Parks at Arlington | October 22
Washington D.C. | St. Charles Towne Center | October 28
Houston, TX | Willowbrook Mall | October 28
Atlanta, GA | Lenox Square | November 4
San Francisco, CA | Stonestown Galleria | November 4
Boston, MA | Northshore Mall | November 11
Los Angeles, CA | Glendale Galleria | November 11
Chicago, IL | Woodfield Shopping Center | November 18
Good luck!
Karaoke Revolution Presents: American Idol may be burdened with a huge ass title, but most folks will probably only see those two last words and snap it up instantly. Konami's cool with that -- so cool with it, in fact, that they're playing right toward the license itself, starting up a contest to crown a Virtual American Idol in a 10-stop tour around the country to test out the game's grading AI and the in-game judges' comments to the contestants.
“In the Karaoke Revolution Presents: American Idol Virtual Contest everyone from the millions of American Idol fans to Karaoke buffs everywhere can put their singing skills to the test using one of the holiday season’s most anticipated video games,” exclaimed Matt Knoles, Product Manager at Konami. “Consumers around the country will get a sneak peek at Karaoke Revolution Presents: American Idol, which combines the drama and personality of the top-rated television show with the most advanced karaoke video game engine around.”
“American Idol has always encouraged people to step forward and live out their superstar dreams,” added FremantleMedia’s David Luner, SVP, FLW, North America. “We’re pleased to collaborate on something that expands the American Idol experience in such an original way.”
All you need to do is show up at one of the stops on the tour, belt out your favorite song from the game and if you capture the top spot for your city, you'll get a copy of the game. Just for showing up and humiliating yourself in front of a virtual Simon, you'll get a t-shirt and a $5 off coupon for Konami's online store. The winners for each region will have their taped performance thrown up on Konami's Bemani site and let the internet vote from November 25th through December 22nd. The winner of that is flown out to Hollywood to attend a taping of the actual American Idol. No, it's not a spot on the show, but hey, you're up close and personal with the contestants... and a ton of screaming fans.
The contest kicked off today at Ziff-Davis' DigitalLife event, so we're kinda going on short notice here, but if you're in New York, there will be a second tryout tomorrow. Here are the stops on the tour:
New York, NY | Jacob J. Javits Convention Center | October 13-14
Philadelphia, PA | King of Prussia Mall | October 21
Dallas, TX | The Parks at Arlington | October 22
Washington D.C. | St. Charles Towne Center | October 28
Houston, TX | Willowbrook Mall | October 28
Atlanta, GA | Lenox Square | November 4
San Francisco, CA | Stonestown Galleria | November 4
Boston, MA | Northshore Mall | November 11
Los Angeles, CA | Glendale Galleria | November 11
Chicago, IL | Woodfield Shopping Center | November 18
Good luck!
