EMI Reveals Now! Dance Game Set For November Release

Record label giant EMI has signed an agreement with new games publisher Tubby Games to release its first video game title based on its hit "Now! That's What I Call Music" franchise. The compilation album franchise will be released as a karaoke and dance game for Nintendo Wii this November, and is the first of a planned series of video game releases under the Now! name, according to news site MCV. The game will feature music artists on the EMI label, as well as from outside labels. Confirmed artists include Jessie J, Tinie Tempah, Dizzee Rascal and Rihanna. Neil Meredith, strategic director at Tubby Games, explained, "There have been a lot of other music firms that have expressed an interest in this space - games are a big opportunity for them." "Now! is an evergreen title that can hold in the charts over time. We have had a great reaction from retailers already and have high expectations for it in the UK and across Europe." He added, "This isn't about a quick volume sell-in, but extending the brand in the right way. We hope Now! can repeat the success it has had in music in games." Back in April, Gamasutra business editor Colin Campbell questioned whether the dance genre is headed for a fall, noting that the next 12 months will see "the inevitable results of saturation."