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Record Label Adds PS2 Game To Album

Posted by simoniker on from the what's-the-amplitude-kenneth? dept.

Thanks to the San Jose Mercury News/AP for their article discussing Atlantic Records' addition of an abridged, playable PlayStation 2 game to a new music album, due out next month. According to the article: "The first 1 million copies of P.O.D.'s fifth record, "Payable on Death," will come with a version of "Amplitude," a game that allows players to remix a collection of pop songs." Interestingly, "The abridged version of the game will only have a P.O.D. song called 'Space'", a track that wasn't available on the original release of the Sony-published music game, and the president of the record company says: "Atlantic Records has an opportunity with this because this technology is not copyable, it's not downloadable, it's not swappable."

41 comments

  1. If it were anyone but P.O.D.... by PainKilleR-CE · · Score: 1

    I'd probably pick it up just for the extra Amplitude level. As it stands, though, the one track w/ P.O.D. in Amplitude drives me nuts, and it's at least a Crystal Method remix of one of their songs.

    As for the claim that this won't be copyable / shareable, ummm yeah right. Maybe for people that don't have modded PS2s, but for those that do, it'll be easy enough.

    --
    -PainKilleR-[CE]
  2. Not copyable? by Mattcelt · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Then how do they make it in the first place?

    I can't believe how naive these people are, thinking that there is anything secure in the digital world. Everything can, and will, be broken at some point.

    I give them a month, tops, before the game (and the song) is copied, cracked, and shared extensively.

    1. Re:Not copyable? by Acidic_Diarrhea · · Score: 4, Insightful
      I think they realize that it is not secure but the fact is the average person does not have a modded PS2 and would have to buy the CD in order to get the game. Sure, the game will end up being available for download but this seems like a step in the right direction for the music industry. Again, to the average user this is a nice deal because you get something extra in addition to the music. I saw a Marilyn Manson cd being sold that included a DVD along with it. This type of value-adding is what the music companies need to do in order to get people back to the store to buy their CDs - if that's the business model they want to hold onto.

      By the way, everytime any Slashdot article mentions a spokesman talking about the security of a product, someone posts the "I give them a [time period] before..." It's not really needed.

      --
      I hate liberals. If you are a liberal, do not reply.
    2. Re:Not copyable? by PainKilleR-CE · · Score: 1

      Again, to the average user this is a nice deal because you get something extra in addition to the music. I saw a Marilyn Manson cd being sold that included a DVD along with it. This type of value-adding is what the music companies need to do in order to get people back to the store to buy their CDs - if that's the business model they want to hold onto.

      Unfortunately, they've marked up the price on this one quite a bit, with the recommended price at $20. I have a handful of CDs that came with DVDs (off-hand, the Marilyn Manson CD you mentioned (and watching that DVD I wondered how many people would actually get through the whole thing), a Tori Amos CD, and a Korn CD, there may be a couple others), and none of them cost me anywhere near $20 (except for a Tool boxed set that was basically a CD and a DVD with all of their videos up to that point in an oversized box for $30). Sure, this DVD has one level of Amplitude on it (with a song that isn't in Amplitude, or on the CD), but how many people pay for a one-level game demo? (well, I guess the answer to that will depend on how many people buy this CD).

      Also of note, I paid about $30 for Amplitude new, and though the store I bought it in had Frequency on the wall with a $20 price tag, they couldn't find the game itself when I asked for it (even after going back to the wall and bringing them the box).

      --
      -PainKilleR-[CE]
    3. Re:Not copyable? by Acidic_Diarrhea · · Score: 1
      Ah, I didn't know they were charging that much for it. That is completely unacceptable. I don't buy albums unless they come out for $10 and include some extras other than just the music. For instance, the most recent Metallica release included a user name and password to get a bunch of live mp3s and studio outtakes. (I would have bought this but it's Metallica and Lars alienated me by going after the fans.)

      And yes, that Manson DVD was very bad - a little too self-congragulatory

      --
      I hate liberals. If you are a liberal, do not reply.
    4. Re:Not copyable? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      By the way, everytime any Slashdot article mentions a spokesman talking about the security of a product, someone posts the "I give them a [time period] before..." It's not really needed.

      Sure it is! Everytime they release some digital product, they feel the need to drop some BS about copying/sharing/swapping/this time it's REALLY secure, I think it's okay for the "other side" (i.e., us) to make an equivalent comment.

    5. Re:Not copyable? by nocomment · · Score: 1

      "Atlantic Records has an opportunity with this because this technology is not copyable, it's not downloadable, it's not swappable."

      This just in, within minutes of this announcement AtLANtikCr4c|< 1.0 was released and allowed this to be played on PC's Macintosh, Linux, as well as able to copy in your own cheat codes in real time, as well as burn directly to cd-r.

      --
      /* oops I accidentally made a comment, sorry */
      /* http://allyourbasearebelongto.us */
    6. Re:Not copyable? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You don't need a modchip to play copied PS2 games. The cog trick, the knife trick, the fliptop mod, etc.

    7. Re:Not copyable? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
      Those suck.

      Those are all ways that would harm the health of the lifespan of the PS2.

      You're money would be better spent getting a modchip than a new PS2.

      Will the flip trick let you play imports?

    8. Re:Not copyable? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      More to the point is how many more parentheses can you put in this post? You even have one inside of another set! Time for some english and grammar classes my friend.

  3. this ship is unsinkable! by tiled_rainbows · · Score: 2, Insightful

    this technology is not copyable, it's not downloadable, it's not swappable

    Does this guy want the game cracked? Saying stuff like the above is just going to make it happen all the faster.

    --

    evil math within Nature's Cubic Creation!
  4. An opportunity? by DJayC · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Atlantic Records has an opportunity with this because this technology is not copyable, it's not downloadable, it's not swappable.

    I don't understand the opportunity. The game is on a bundled DVD. The music itself is, of course, still on a normal CD, which is copyable. Are they concerned about people copying the game, or the music? The game is no less prone to copying than any other PS2 game, and the music CD is just as prone as every other music CD. Strange for them to mention that benefit.

  5. Not copyable? by dirtmerchant · · Score: 2, Funny

    Sounds like a bet to me.

  6. Aahahaaha by @madeus · · Score: 2, Funny

    "Atlantic Records has an opportunity with this because this technology is not copyable, it's not downloadable, it's not swappable."

    A-ha, a-hahaha, ouch, my sides - it hurts! Make it stop, make it stop! Ahaha.....

    If it's not copyable, that surely must mean they are making every copy by hand (from scratch?)! Wow, that's some busy backrooms you've got there! These things must cost hundreds of dollars each!

    1. Re:Aahahaaha by mog · · Score: 1

      Well.. you got the price right, at least.

    2. Re:Aahahaaha by An'Desha+Danin · · Score: 1

      Hundreds of dollars? Naw, you just give a starving kid in some third-world country a blank DVD and a chisel, by the time you factor in labor costs the kid actually pays the company for the privilege of producing the disc.

      --
      Anything you might ever need to say about anything has already been said better by Penny Arcade.
  7. Amplitude! by bludstone · · Score: 1

    Yeah.

    For the record, amplitude is a fantastic game. Its like a live-action modtracker.

    Madfun in vs mode.

    --

    no .sig
  8. so...... by wanderers_id · · Score: 1

    they are trying to say that you can't copy it in analog? (you know, output from your amp into your PC's MIC input) may sound like crap (always did when I tried) but you CAN to that. -Mr. Obvious

    1. Re:so...... by Stigmata669 · · Score: 2, Funny

      Dude! what sound card do you have?! I want one thatcan record PS2 games in through the analog mic input!

      --
      Yawn.
    2. Re:so...... by chrismcdirty · · Score: 1

      That.. and the fact that technology is getting better all the time. So now we have digital output, and for the people with higher end sound cards in their system, likely digital input. So now we have a digital-digital copy through lines. It's not as fast, but it still works.

      --
      It's like sex, except I'm having it!
    3. Re:so...... by wanderers_id · · Score: 1

      It's just something I whipped up out of old sound cards, some wires, and car battery.

      I guess I wasn't clear enugh.

      The idea is that you output your PS2 to an AMP (reciever) and then you send a line out to your plain old sound card. Or if you have a nice sound card with a digital input, you can just send audio from the PS2 optical port to the sound car's optical port.

      Long story short: streaming

    4. Re:so...... by Tsuzuki · · Score: 1

      Dude, have you played Frequency or Amplitude? You only get part of the track at the time... it's fun enough in a gameplay environment, but without the interactivity it's pretty unlistenable.

    5. Re:so...... by wanderers_id · · Score: 1

      Damn, I didn't count on that.

      OK, you win.

      (Knowing what you're talking about is over rated anyway)

  9. (sorta) already happened ... by duck+'o+death · · Score: 1

    Mogwai's last album, "Happy Songs for Happy People" came out with a demo-type version of Cubase and wav's of all the separate tracks to the album's first song. Basically they let you remix as you wanted; I thought it was a neat idea.

    --
    Don't put salt in your eyes.
  10. Price by AndyBusch · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Note at the end of the article it says the suggested price is $20. It mentioned an included DVD as well. If you get a CD with an album and game, and a DVD, $20 is ok, but otherwise it's pricy. If the one track game is inflating the price, that's not so hot, but if they didn't add anything to the cost by including the game, that's really awesome. I've always liked enhanced CDs, though not when they make it annoyingly difficult to watch the stuff (like the ones that require a network connection to read the data on the CD).

    1. Re:Price by zudo · · Score: 1

      The game is on the DVD

    2. Re:Price by Snowspinner · · Score: 1

      My objection to "enhanced CDs" is usually that they try to auto-play the enhancements whenever I put them in my CD-ROM drive to rip them. =)

      --
      Philip Sandifer's academic website
  11. Not copyable? by ClioCJS · · Score: 1
    I think there point was that, without a modchip, you will not be able to copy the playstation game.

    As for those of us with modchips, that hate P.O.D., hopefully this will show up on eMule sometime. Amplitude is just about the best game ever.

    --
    -Clio
    Karma: Bad (mostly from not giving a fuck)
    Blog: http://clintjcl.wordpress.com
  12. why, that's impossible! by RubiX^3 · · Score: 2, Insightful

    I believe by saying "cannot be copied", "uncopyable", "copy proof", etc... you are actually speeding the enevitable process of it being copied. not that i would copy it... i just know someone who could. :)

    --
    -=o
  13. A challenge? by The+Head+Sage · · Score: 0

    Atlantic Records has an opportunity with this because this technology is not copyable, it's not downloadable, it's not swappable. No one can say this unless they never, ever release a piece of software and only use it themselves. Eventualy it'll be copied and then spread across the p2p networks. They've just issued a challenge to the people. I give it 2-3 weeks.

    --
    To NULL or not to NULL.
  14. i like playing amplitude by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    "Atlantic Records has an opportunity with this because this technology is not copyable, it's not downloadable, it's not swappable."

    My copy of amplitude plays really well on my modded PS2. I don't think I'll bother copying this one though, it's not worth the CD.

    By the way, most PS2 games are not actually pressed on DVDs they're pressed on CDs. PS2 has the capacity to play DVD formatted games, but if the publishes can squeeze it into a CD, they save production costs. Amplitude definitely fits on a CD.

    1. Re:i like playing amplitude by zudo · · Score: 1

      That's not strictly true. Most games for ps2 these days are released on DVD because you can load faster off them than cd on ps2. It's easy to tell whether you game is on cd or dvd, the cd's are purple on the underside whereas the dvd's are kind of silver-gold colour (like normal dvd's) with ps2 watermarks if you look hard enough.

      Dunno what amplitude is on, it's not out in europe yet but frequency was on cd here.

      As an aside frequency is a brilliant game and I expect amplitude will be too.

    2. Re:i like playing amplitude by AlexMax2742 · · Score: 1

      Amplitude was released in DVD format.

      And I'm defeniatly getting this, if for nothing else than another Amplitude level. Amplitude kicks ass, end of story.

      --
      I'm the guy with the unpopular opinion
  15. It's not that hard to understand. by Chuck+Chunder · · Score: 1

    It's added value.

    They want people to have an extra reason to buy the real CD over the other alternatives.

    --
    Boffoonery - downloadable Comedy Benefit for Bletchley Park
    1. Re:It's not that hard to understand. by DJayC · · Score: 2, Insightful

      The opportunity lies in the fact that they have included a game with the CD. Of course that adds incentive to buying the music. But the article references the fact that it is an opportunity "because this technology is not copyable, it's not downloadable, it's not swappable". This is not why it might be a good idea... it's a good idea because, as you said, it's added value.

  16. Oracle: UNBREAKABLE by Winterblink · · Score: 1

    There seems to be a retard club for these PR guys or something. :)

    --
    "I'm a leaf on the wind. Watch how I soar."
    -Hoban Washburn
  17. LOL by Shafli · · Score: 1

    I give it two days before that thing is floating around Kazaa or whatever. No, in fact, I bet it'll be out in the P2P community before it even hits store shelves. "Atlantic Records has an opportunity with this because this technology is not copyable, it's not downloadable, it's not swappable." WHAT A JOKE!!

  18. Not swappable?? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Atlantic Records has an opportunity with this because this technology is not copyable, it's not downloadable, it's not swappable.

    kid #1: Hey Joe, you wanna swap this POD CD for your 50 Cent CD? I prefer the street-tough rhymes of Mr. Cent to the hard Christian punk-inspired rhythms of POD. I know they've been making fun of you in church so I think it's a fair swap. Also I would point your attention to the Playstation game on said CD. I don't own such a unit myself, but you do.

    kid #2: Yes that sounds like a good idea. Here's my 50 Cent CD. I sure laugh at that name, since the CD cost much more than 50 cents.

    kid #1: okay, here's my OWWWWWWW THE ELECTRIC SHOCK!! AAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH THE STEEL BOLTS THROUGH MY SOFT SUPPLE FINGERS! THE PAIN! THE HORROR! WHY IS IT MAKING THAT WHINING SOUND!!!! AAARRRRHHHHHGGGGGGGGG! LORD HELP ME!!! WHY THE SPINNING RAZORS! WHY!!!!

    kid #2: Cripes! They aren't kidding when they say these CDs can't be swapped! I'll keep my 50 Cent Cd, thanks, and I'll just download the tracks and game from Kazastersharegrok, even though it makes Jesus cry, I'd still like to have use of both legs.

    kid #1: an ambulance! an ambulance please! my arm.. it's hanging by a NERVE!!!

  19. great... by Flunitrazepam · · Score: 1

    Now I can NOT buy a shitty band's cd and NOT buy a shitty game all at the same time!

    --
    1) Your analysis is based on bad assumptions so your result is way off. 2) You're a sick bastard for fucking a horse.
    1. Re:great... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Too bad Amplitude isn't a shitty game, and you're dumb.

  20. Is this really new? by spitzak · · Score: 1

    I'm pretty certain there are already lots of CD's released with a data track of Windows programs.

    The fact that they targeted the PS2 rather than a Windows machine is pretty interesting, but it seems all the press release is about things that would be true for the Windows executable as well.