BOSTON, MA. (Top40 Charts/ Paid, Inc.) - As fans and gamers have fired up their fret boards with Activision Publishing, Inc.'s (Nasdaq: ATVI) Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, there has been unbridled excitement, across the board, surrounding the epic collaboration between
Aerosmith and the No 1 music video game, Guitar Hero. The game combines the interactive video gaming with Aerosmith's stellar 30-year career to create the ultimate music game experience. To help fans get inside Aerosmith's body of work and learn about the band's history,
Aerosmith members were interviewed extensively on camera by Paid Inc. Video & Film Production (OTCBB: PAYD) (https://www.paidvfp.com/index.htm).
These candid interview segments are interspersed with related interactive content as gamers experience each stage of the band's career. The actual video footage provides the band members' insights and reflections on the songs, their careers and their relationships specific to the venue being played. In the game, players can also unlock behind the scenes video footage.
Keith Garde, president of Paid Inc. Video & Film Production (Paid VFP), directed the production and post-production of the video interviews and has directed or produced numerous other award-winning video projects and music videos for Aerosmith as well as other musical artists.
He noted, "Aerosmith has had such an incredible reign in rock and roll, so capturing the band member's expression of their history as part of this project has been just an incredible experience. The interviews with Steven Tyler, Joe Perry, Tom Hamilton, Brad Whitford and Joey Kramer punctuate the important milestones and the emotions of the band members at each juncture of their career and provide a personal connection to the band for gamer. At the same time, the video segments profoundly spotlight the talent of the development team Neversoft's amazingly accurate and lifelike motion capture of the band members in the game. The video and animation complement each other for an intense interactive experience that raises the bar to a new level."
Paid VFP produced and directed the in-game live interview content and produced video interview spots for use in the game's internet and digital marketing campaigns. Paid contributed to and oversaw the development of all marketing materials for the release of Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, including in-store standing graphics, bus wraps and online marketing visuals and content. Paid also designed and produced a 16 page in-game AEROSMITH Tour Book, one of the most enticing elements of a special package available only to those who purchased the game by pre-order.
"We are proud to have worked in association with Aerosmith, Activision and RedOctane as creative consultants on all elements of marketing, and on the content of the game product itself," Garde said. "AEROSMITH's diversity and sheer volume of great music made them the perfect choice for a Guitar Hero game that focuses on a single group of artists. And this was an exciting challenge for our very talented video production team."
Guitar Hero: Aerosmith brings these quintessential rock legends to the interactive realm to create the ultimate gaming experience. As fans progress through their careers in the game, they can rock out to scores of Aerosmith's greatest hits including various tracks re-mastered by the legendary band for Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, as well as songs from celebrated artists that the band has either performed with or has been inspired by in some way. Highlighting the list of celebrated artists is an in-game guest appearance from one of the pioneers of hip-hop and kings of rock, Darryl "DMC" McDaniels. Venues from historical moments during the band's illustrious career offer the experience of "sweet emotion" and further capture the essence of the band's rise to fame.
For more than 30 years AEROSMITH has defined American Rock 'n' Roll. Just a brief overview of their remarkable career is truly mind-boggling: over 150 million albums sold, induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, countless awards (four GRAMMY Awards, eight American Music Awards, six Billboard Awards, and 12 MTV Awards), electrifying sold-out concerts around the world and a diehard "Blue Army" fan-base numbering in the millions worldwide. Described by Mojo editor Phil Alexander in a May '07 cover story as "America's greatest hard rock act," the members of AEROSMITH-STEVEN TYLER (vocals), JOE PERRY (guitar), BRAD WHITFORD (guitar), TOM HAMILTON (bass) and JOEY KRAMER (drums) - remain creatively vital, and are the platinum standard for artistic and commercial success in the music business. Through it all they have defeated the odds, silenced their critics and have undeniably withstood the test of time. AEROSMITH are beginning to work on their next studio album, the follow-up to 2004's critically acclaimed HONKIN ON BOBO, which received a four-star Rolling Stone review.
