Iconic British rock band Queen have launched their first ever official game for Android and iOS devices, called Queen: Rock Tour.
The play-along rhythm game was created in association with Universal Music Group, Hollywood Records and developed by Gameloft for brands.
Gameloft is owned by UMG parent company Vivendi, which completed its acquisition of the company in June 2016.
Queen’s music has been featured in major mobile music games before, but Queen: Rock Tour marks the band’s first ever official game.
Queen: Rock Tour allows users to “immerse themselves into the world of Queen” according to a release.
Players progress through the game and score points by playing along to 20 of the band’s most popular hits including Bohemian Rhapsody, We Will Rock You, Radio Ga Ga, I Want to Break Free and We Are The Champions, whilst performing at 10 historic concert venues from around the world.
Players can also style the in-game performances with over 40 costumes from the band’s history.
You can also unlock trivia and exclusive images from the official Queen archives by scoring highly in the game.
The arrival of the play-along rhythm game comes at a significant landmark for Queen, with 50 years now having passed since the 1971 recruiting of John Deacon, completing Queen’s classic line-up.
A 29-date European stadium and arena tour planned for this year has been postponed to 2022 due to the pandemic.
“Be a Lockdown Rock Star! No turning back.”
Brian May, Queen
“Be a Lockdown Rock Star! No turning back!!!” said Queen’s Brian May.
“Our ambition was to push the boundaries of music and gaming with a fun and rewarding experience that would put players in Queen shoes at pivotal points in their career and make them perform in real-time Queen’s live music unlike ever before.”
Cedric Ratajczak, Gameloft
Cedric Ratajczak, Creative Director at Gameloft for brands, said: “Our ambition was to push the boundaries of music and gaming with a fun and rewarding experience that would put players in Queen shoes at pivotal points in their career and make them perform in real-time Queen’s live music unlike ever before.
“The creative challenge was to modernize the traditional rhythm-game genre with innovative and mobile-friendly twists inheriting from hyper-casual gaming, and with a unique and happy visual style that offers a timeless look to the band, appealing to the new generation of players.
“We devoted enormous attention to the details of Queen’s history, authenticity and artistry to craft a fitting tribute to one of the most significant bands in rock history and aim at setting new standards for how band-focused music games could be executed on mobile today.”
“We hope the launch of Rock Tour will introduce their inimitable rock legacy and catalogue to a new generation of fans, through this unique new gaming experience.”
Andrew Kronfeld, Marketing at Universal Music Group
Andrew Kronfeld, Executive Vice President, Marketing at Universal Music Group, said: “Today, Queen are globally recognized as one of the most iconic and important bands in history.
“Decades after their first live shows together and following on from the huge worldwide box office success of the Bohemian Rhapsody biopic, their popularity continues to grow every year.
“We hope the launch of Rock Tour will introduce their inimitable rock legacy and catalogue to a new generation of fans, through this unique new gaming experience.”
“We are excited to partner with Queen, UMG, and Gameloft to let Queen fans experience the bands legendary music in a new way.”
Ken Bunt, President, Disney Music Group, added: “We are excited to partner with Queen, UMG, and Gameloft to let Queen fans experience the bands legendary music in a new way.”
Rock Tour is certain to appeal to fans old and young alike and is sure to find a place in the hearts of the millions of Queen fans around the world.Music Business Worldwide