American Idol Interactive CD-ROM Game The
Search For A Superstar Continues…
LOS ANGELES, September 5, 2002 – The
"making-of-a-star" phenomenon skyrockets when Vivendi Universal Publishing’s
Kids division raises the curtain on the only interactive game based on Fox’s hit
television series of the summer, "American Idol: The Search For A Superstar."
Keeping the search for a superstar alive, the American Idol CD-ROM game debuts
at retail on November 1. Complete with a microphone, hip tunes, cool dance
moves, two hosts and three judges, the game features all the factors necessary
to crown the cyber "American Idol." Bringing the spirit of the television show
to the home computer, contestants compete on the "American Idol" stage against
other hopeful stars using their singing and dancing talents with more than 20
popular music tracks from top recording artists. In the final round, players can
record their performance and post it online for a nationwide voting competition.
Designed for players ages ten and older, the
American Idol CD-ROM game, for Windows® has a suggested retail price of $30.
Licensed by FremantleMedia Brand Licensing and published by Vivendi Universal
Publishing, the American Idol CD-ROM will be distributed nationwide by Vivendi
Universal Games.
"American Idol is truly a cultural
phenomenon," stated Leslie House, vice president, Kids division, Vivendi
Universal Publishing. "We are thrilled to bring home all of the show’s
excitement to fans across the country and allow for a new interactive level of
competition."
Produced by FremantleMedia North America and
19 TV, "American Idol" had an explosive start on FOX this summer and at the time
of writing, is attracting audiences of over 15 million people for each episode.
This new television sensation consistently ranks first in its time period for
all viewers and has delivered the highest ratings of the summer among adults
18-49 across all networks. Over 80 million phone votes were registered to date
over nine shows. In addition, the show consistently doubled the audience share
from the lead-in program.
American Idol CD-ROM Game
Players experience the life of an "American Idol" contestant by immersing
themselves in the celebrity lifestyle and creating their own superstar. As
players prepare for their final performance, they shop for the hottest fashions
and accessories, hone their singing skills, and refine their dance moves.
Competing against fellow contestants to achieve fame and glory, players must
prove they have what it takes to make it to the top of the game. Just like the
TV show, the game features three judges who provide praise, support and
criticism after each performance. To attain real fame, contestants then move to
the next round by posting their performance on the dedicated website —
www.AmericanIdolGame.com
— to garner first place in the
"American Idol" online competition.
Key Features:
The game simulates the experience of an "American Idol" contestant.
Players can choose a featured music track or record their own singing to these
hit songs using the included microphone
Numerous competitions keep the stakes high. Hopeful stars perform dance moves
and singing tests in various mini-games to prepare for the final showdown.
Thousands of different styles are available to customize the 3D real-time
stars with cool outfits and stylish accessories, skin and hair options to
reflect the player’s own personal style.
Refine "your" star-style by collecting dozens of dance moves, special effects,
set designs and camera angles to create a show-stopping music video.
Debut recorded performance by posting it on the dedicated website —
www.AmericanIdolGame.com
— allowing the online audience to vote on their selection for the next
superstar.
System Requirements: Windows 98/2000/ME/XP:
Pentium® II 266 MHz or faster; 24X CD-ROM drive; 64 MB RAM; 150 MB hard drive
space; 16 bit color; 640×480 resolution; 3D video card with 8 MB of memory; Full
duplex sound card; 56k modem (for Internet capabilities)
FremantleMedia is one of the largest
international producers of entertainment programs in the world, producing more
than 200 programs in over 35 countries. The company is responsible for US
favorites such as the hit series "American Idol," the award-winning "100 Centre
Street," "The Nero Wolfe Mysteries," "The Price is Right" and "Family Feud" in
syndication. The company’s international distribution division sells 19,000
hours of programming to 150 countries worldwide. FremantleMedia is the content
business production arm of RTL Group, Europe’s largest television and radio
broadcast company, with interests in 23 TV channels and 14 radio stations in 9
European countries.
19 Entertainment, founded by Simon Fuller, is
one of the world’s premier music based entertainment companies, responsible for
the management of many of the world’s leading artists, such as Annie Lennox, the
Spice Girls and S Club, as well as building an enviable roster of songwriters
and producers responsible for producing over 200 top 40 hit albums and singles
and 75 No.1 singles and albums in the UK and USA alone. 19 is also the creator
of S Club the TV series, now in its 4th year and sold to over 100 countries, as
well as the most popular TV show in the UK in 2002, Pop Idol, the format of
which is now rolling out worldwide in conjunction with FremantleMedia. 19’s many
other activities encompass movies, television production, video/DVD production,
Internet and wide ranging merchandising and sponsorship relationships.
Vivendi Universal Publishing (VU Publishing),
the publishing division of the world’s second largest communications group (Vivendi
Universal), is an international leader in multi-platform publishing and content
distribution. As one of the top three players in the global publishing market
and the only publisher with an international reach, the Company’s key content
areas include literature, reference, school, college, kids, games and consumer
press. VU Publishing publishes content in four major languages, including
English, French, Spanish and Portuguese, and has strong local publishing brands.
VU Publishing is also a leading PC and console based multimedia software
publisher for kids, with development studios such as Coktel and Knowledge
Adventure, and a leading publisher of online, PC and console-based games.
