From Playwire Media Comes Innovative New Online Series ‘Off The Record’—Bridging Gap Between Video Games, Music, And Pop Culture
Deerfield Beach, FL (PRWEB) September 24, 2015 -- GameZone, the owned and operated gaming destination of Playwire Media and flagship content portal of the largest gaming community online, announced today a new partnership with indie video game publisher Versus Evil and Fearless Media to launch their new original series Off the Record. The new GameZone original explores the relationship between music, gaming, and pop culture, giving gamers exclusive access to the industry’s most anticipated titles and celebrities.
The first episode, which airs today, is co-hosted by Def Jam artist Big Sean from his tour bus on J Cole’s Forest Hills Drive Tour. With an early first look of the highly anticipated title, Big Sean plays Afro Samurai 2: Revenge of Kuma to explore the new features of the game, and provide insight on the game’s original hip-hop soundtrack, which is integral to the enjoyment and storytelling experience.
Afro Samurai 2: Revenge of Kuma, a third person action hack and slash video game, is the violent and bloody sequel to the original Afro Samurai video game which was based on the animated series of the same name. The game will be released over three distinct volumes, each with its own story arc, characters and fighting styles to master, in addition to a unique soundtrack created by up-and-coming indie hip-hop artists that have been mentored by the one and only RZA of the legendary Wu-Tang Clan. RZA has been the music director on the franchise since the original animated series and was responsible for creating the ‘Afro Sound’ which fans of the franchise have grown to love and respect.
“I’m all about giving people opportunities. I think a lot of new talent will be discovered through things like this,” commented hip-hop artist Big Sean on using independent artists for the soundtrack. He continued, “What I appreciate about [Afro Samurai 2] is that it’s good music, good rap music, good storytelling. It takes it back to the basics of hip-hop...The music helps tell the story.”
David Robinson, lead designer on Afro Samurai 2: Revenge of Kuma and President and Founder of Redacted Studios added, “...we have the rap which comes and tells the story of the scene you’re actually playing—and that’s what makes it a phenomenal integration of sight and sound. It’s literally a hip-hop opera. You’re listening to the rap because it’s telling you what’s going on in the story that you are playing.”
Fearless Media selected Playwire Media and GameZone as their preferred partner in this effort not only for their ability to create and distribute quality content, but also because they have the relationships with key talent that makes the difference. “We had a very clear vision of how we wanted to market this game,” said Cara Scharf, President of Fearless Media. “Afro Samurai 2 has been a labor of love but it is a brand that has a strong foundation and it’s a brand we believed in. We wanted to make sure that all partners that were involved in this campaign felt the same way,” she added.
Fans of Afro Samurai and gamers alike can watch the first episode of Off the Record today on GameZone.com.
Afro Samurai 2: Revenge of Kuma is now available for digital download on PC, Xbox One, and PlayStation®4. For more information about the game, visit afrosamuraigame.com, facebook/afrosamuraigame, or on Twitter @afrosamuraigame.
About Playwire Media
Playwire Media is a full-service digital innovation partner that leverages online advertising and proprietary technologies to build publishing brands in the gaming and entertainment verticals. Playwire Media is headquartered in Deerfield Beach, Florida and has business operations and satellite offices around the world. For more information please visit playwiremedia.com and on Twitter @playwire.
About Versus Evil
Versus Evil, LLC is a global independent video game publisher based in the US. The company was founded on the principles of helping independent game developers be financially and creatively successful in the highly competitive video games market. Led by a group of AAA games industry veterans, Versus Evil's services include the full suite of publishing support such as brand marketing, community, social, PR, creative, production, QA, legal, distribution and other general business support. As a global publisher, the Versus Evil team is strategically placed around the world with presences in California, Texas, Maryland, New York, and London and works with indie studios in North America, South America, and Europe. @vs_evil / vsevil.net / [email protected]
About Fearless Media
Fearless Media is a New York-based digital focused agency pioneering true integrated advertising campaigns. The Fearless team creates one-of-a-kind experiences that engage consumers through a unified approach, including all forms of media and creative. This new breed of advertising gives instant context to products, generating widespread buzz and positioning brands as marketing leaders. The Fearless team has a clear understanding of how engagement and performance come together and what it means to be first to market.
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Mara Gordon, Playwire Media, http://www.playwiremedia.com, +1 (954) 418-0779 Ext: 245, [email protected]
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