Linkin Park to release “Linkin Park 8-Bit Rebellion”

Two-time Grammy winning rock band LINKIN PARK, game developer Artificial Life, Inc. and Warner Bros. Records announced today the launch of the LINKIN PARK 8-BIT REBELLION! App for iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad.

Created by Linkin Park and Artificial Life, Inc., the LINKIN PARK 8-BIT REBELLION! App is a heightened app experience for music fans and gamers alike with multiplayer features.

In the LINKIN PARK 8-BIT REBELLION! App players embark on an epic adventure taking them through six unique districts in the game, each featuring the distinctive style of a band member. The master goal is to retrieve the band’s stolen music track – Blackbirds, a brand new, unreleased Linkin Park song made exclusively for the game. The song is unlocked upon completion of all missions inside the game.

Production on the LINKIN PARK 8-BIT REBELLION! App began more than a year ago, with the band (vocalists Mike Shinoda and Chester Bennington, drummer Rob Bourdon, guitarist Brad Delson, DJ Joe Hahn and bassist Dave “Phoenix” Farrell) working closely with Artificial Life, Inc. on every aspect of the game: storylines, gameplay, character design and of course, music. Mike Shinoda designed the band members’ avatars and edited every line of dialogue, making this much more than just a simple rhythm game.

The iPad app renders the adventure with high-definition graphics, and a unique user interface that has been specially redesigned to utilize the iPad’s larger screen. Essential functions are now just a touch away, so players never need to pause the action to dig into menus. The iPad app also includes two control schemes, allowing players to choose the setting that best suits their gaming style.

Among the game’s endless highlights are original and 8-bit remixes of Linkin Park tracks including “New Divide,” “One Step Closer,” “In The End,” “Crawling,” “QWERTY,” “Hands Held High,” “Faint,” and “No More Sorrow.” This marks the first time that Linkin Park’s music has been reinterpreted using old-school video game sounds. The game, which also includes original artwork by the band, opens with “One Step Closer” sounding like it was coming out of a first-generation NES.

Additional game features include:
Personalization of players’ avatars and apartments provide a unique community experience
Non-player characters (NPCs) inhabit the world, adding drama to the gaming experience
Shopping for virtual items with coins awarded by winning fights and completing missions
Earning trophies for adding friends to the rebellion
A news feed to stay up-to-date with Linkin Park
Facebook and Twitter integration connecting millions of social network users worldwide
The iPad app features include:
Enhanced graphics to allow players to see their avatars and the six districts come to life in great detail
Optimized user interface for the larger screen and makes menu items easy to access at all times: equip weapons and change music tracks without ever leaving the main screen.
Multiple controls so gamers can choose between two control schemes to best fit their playing styles. The iPad-specific D-pad setup has been implemented for players more comfortable with button-oriented controls.

“As opposed to putting together an app featuring just our songs and name, we wanted to make this an exciting gaming and music experience and the folks at Artificial Life shared that vision,” says Shinoda. “They were able to turn my sketches and our creative ideas in to a living, breathing world that we think gamers and fans will thoroughly enjoy.”