Hot on the heels of a massive "FM Update" that added audioscrobbling, a music visualizer and mod support to award-winning indie rhythm title Audiosurf, comes news of a partnership with a real, honest-to-god record label, Aardvark, to bring 160 fresh audio tracks to the game.
If you're unfamiliar with the game, then you must immediately purchase then you probably have little idea how significant -- and unexpected -- a move like this is.
Traditionally, Audiosurf works something like this: you select a song from your computer's own hard drive, wait a few moments while the game builds a rich, colorful racetrack which reflects the music's rhythm and intensity, and then zoom along it in a futuristic hovercraft, picking up colored blocks along the way. It's beautiful, engaging fun, but limited slightly by your existing music collection and ability to choose a song fit for racing.
But what if there were a way to constantly refresh your playlist, automatically pick good surfing songs, and expand your taste in music all at the same time? As it turns out, there already is -- it's called Audiosurf Radio. Every Friday, the Audiosurf crew upload pieces from indie bands interested in the game and the free publicity it offers; this last week saw the addition of Terry Bogus and Lost on Purpose. Indie game attracts indie musicians -- makes sense, right?
But now we're dealing with a record label... and according to a conversation we had today with developer Dylan Fitterer, there are more on the way.
For about a month after the game's release, Audiosurf Radio lay stagnant, and even after attracting the attention of indie artists like Evan Myers, who developed music specifically for the game, Dylan was concerned that they might not be able to accumulate a sufficient number of tracks to satisfy their audience. "What if there's a week," said Dylan to brother Erik Fitterer, "when we don't have anything?" Reflecting on the success of downloadable content in Rock Band and Guitar Hero III, it occurred to the pair that they might find a more reliable source of music in a record label, and so they did.
At least from the standpoint of a label like Aardvark, a deal with Audiosurf was attractive enough to immediately remove all inhibitions. Says Record Director Alex di Savoia in the press release below: “I didn’t hesitate when Audio Surf got in touch regarding the availability of our catalogue. It was a no-brainer. The appeal of the platform was that self-evident.”
Next up? Polyvinyl. While he didn't want to make a formal announcement, Dylan told me that he's 99% sure that Audiosurf has signed with Polyvinyl Record Co., and there are "several other labels" in the works. If any representatives of Tool, Nine Inch Nails or Chemical Brothers are interested, he'd love to feature your music as well...
At the very least, the influx of music these deals provide will satisfy Audiosurfers for some time to come; but I expect that larger, more commercial labels may pay attention to this experiment. After all, where else can you get a gamer audience to not only listen to, but proactively play with your music via a $10 downloadable program?
Full press release:
PENRYN, CORNWALL (10 May 2008)
Aardvark Records and Audio Surf LLC today announcing a partnership which will see the British record label supply the US-based gaming company with its extensive catalogue of pop, rock and dance tracks. The innovative deal will see the initial delivery of 160 songs - including chart hits from Yahel, Zetan Spore, Jeff Alford, Eric M, Little Spitfire and other artists signed to the label - available to Audio Surf enthusiasts.
Audiosurf is the Independent Games Festival 2008 Audience Choice Award winner and the Excellence in Audio award winner. The game is popular with hundreds of thousands of users and a top seller on Steam, the #1 online publisher, for three months with good reason. Audiosurf is a music-adapting puzzle racer where players use their own music to create their own experience. The shape, the speed, and the mood of each ride is determined by the song a player chooses. Players earn points for clustering together blocks of the same colour on the highway, and compete with others on the internet for the high score on their favourite songs.
Like many other racing games, Audiosurf can import music from a player’s collection - including CD audio, MP3s, M4As, WMAs and OGGs. Unlike those other games, Audiosurf actually analyzes each track a player uploads and generates a course specific to that song, using the primary instruments to place coloured blocks and tempo to alter the elevation of the highway. The result is a compelling and intuitive experience. As a song slows, players find themselves slowing, moving uphill, weaving between lanes and casually scooping up the blocks. As the tempo increases, players start heading downhill and pick up speed until the blocks are flashing past so quickly it's practically dizzying. Music can be shared amongst players, however, not in the peer-to-peer or download sense of sharing music. Songs sit on the game’s central server and can be accessed directly, through recommendations made by Audiosurf itself or through Audiosurf’s virtual radio station.
Artists receive branding in the game with links to artists’ websites, promotional artwork, artist details and other information embedded with their songs.
Aardvark Record Director, Alex di Savoia, said: “I didn’t hesitate when Audio Surf got in touch regarding the availability of our catalogue. It was a no-brainer. The appeal of the platform was that self-evident.” di Savoia laughed when asked if he tried the game himself. “Audiosurf has to be one of the most addictive games I’ve come across in a long time. I keep telling myself it’s all to better aid the research process; figuring out which tracks work and which don’t. I’ve played the game using everything I could throw at it: Bjork, Tiesto, Frank Sinatra, Nirvana, Smashing Pumpkins, Earth Wind and Fire and our own Zetan Spore and Yahel.”
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