YouTube & Video

VEVO & S-Curve Records Create New Interactive Music Video

Screen shot 2011-11-30 at 1.16.02 AM(UPDATED) With words like “engagement” and “involvement” being at the focal point of nearly every new piece of music technology surfacing as of late, we’re beginning to see more and more artists taking the traditional, passive experience of merely watching music videos and bringing it to the next digital plateau. 

Hence why music video streaming platform VEVO has once again partnered with S-Curve Records to create yet another advanced user-interactive music video – this time in the form a more “traditional” video game.

Last year, you may recall that S-Curve debuted an interactive music video for Andy Grammer’ single “Keep Your Head Up” (which went on to win an MTV “O” award for “Most Innovative Video”). While the Andy Grammer video allowed viewers to engage in an interactive “choose your own adventure” type of experience, this new interactive music video utilizes the help of Florida-based pop-punk band, We The Kings, to create a completely original, quite innovative, and unique paradigm by involving each of the band members in a series of video game adventures that the viewers can control.

The video, made for the band’s single entitled "Say You Like Me", blends a music video with gaming components to further immerse the viewer in a more participatory experience. Viewers choose their band member and then go on to complete a series of on-screen point-and-click commands to further the story, and thus the video & song. If the viewer "wins" the game by completing the different levels (some of which are spoofs of other popular video games) as all four band members consecutively, they receive a free download of the single as well as a badge to proudly post onto their Facebook page, as well as eligibility for an official Leaderboard.

While the game is not challenging by any means (even under the "Hard" difficulty setting), it's a fantastic way to become immersed in not only the song, but also the band itself. Each band member's adventure has their own set of unique tasks that are specific  to their role within the band (i.e. "grab the guitar!" vs. "grab the drum sticks!"). As a result, the viewer is both engaged with the single and informed of the band.

Play the music video game here.

This post is by regular Hypebot contributor, musician, and music business professional Hisham Dahud (@HishamDahud)

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