Vivendi Universal Games Signs Agreement With Legendary Rock Band Metallica

Yahoo Finance/Vivendi Universal Games ^ | 6/4/03 | Press Release

[Pro-Bush]

Press Release Source: Vivendi Universal Games

Vivendi Universal Games Signs Exclusive Worldwide Development Agreement With Legendary Rock Band Metallica

Wednesday June 4, 12:10 pm ET

Deal Includes Publishing Rights for Multi-Platform Action Game Featuring Band's Music and Voice-overs

LOS ANGELES, June 4 /PRNewswire/ -- Vivendi Universal Games (VU Games) today announced that it has signed an exclusive multi-year agreement with renowned rock band Metallica. The contract grants VU Games the worldwide rights to publish and distribute a multi-platform vehicle combat action game featuring music, voice-overs and inspiration from the band. Scheduled for release in 2005, the game will be produced in collaboration with Segnana, Inc. ( www.segnana.com ), a company that partners with Metallica on interactive and online endeavors. The new title -- a high action, third person vehicle combat game packed with fully customized vehicles and weaponry, endless terrain and desperate, murderous opponents -- will include voice-overs from band members, incidental background music and other exclusive content from Metallica. Under terms of the contract, Metallica will also record an original song exclusively for the game along with a music video featuring elements from the interactive experience. A sneak-peek trailer of the title will appear on Metallica's new album, St. Anger, which hits store shelves on June 5, 2003, and will also be featured during the band's "Summer Sanitarium Tour" kicking-off July 4th in Detroit, Michigan.

"We are excited to bring game fans an interactive entertainment experience that delivers intense vehicular combat action along with the powerful music and energy of Metallica," said Luc Vanhal, Vivendi Universal Games' President and COO, North America. "Today's announcement further underscores Vivendi Universal Games' commitment to work with leading artists in the entertainment industry to create engaging interactive products that appeal to the expanding games audience."

Additional product information -- including the title name, developer and platforms -- will be announced at a later date.

About Vivendi Universal Games

Headquartered in New York, Vivendi Universal Games ( www.vugames.com ) is a global leader in multi-platform interactive entertainment. A leading publisher of PC, console and online-based interactive content, Vivendi Universal Games' portfolio of development studios includes Black Label Games, Blizzard Entertainment, Coktel, Fox Interactive, Knowledge Adventure, NDA Productions, Sierra Entertainment and Universal Interactive. Through its Partner Publishing Group, Vivendi Universal Games also co-publishes and/or distributes interactive products for a number of strategic partners, including Crave Entertainment, Interplay, Majesco, Mythic Entertainment and Simon & Schuster, among others.

[dennisw]

Isn't Viviendi/Universal doing terrible? Edgar Bronfman Jr. (sly Jewboy)sold it to these clueless Frogs who drove it into the ground. Bronfman is trying to buy it back for 33% of what he sold it off for 5 years ago and that is market price, not a steal.

Thus you have unsavvy Froggies investing in Metalica has beens.

[eno_]

You hit the nail on the head. Rock bands make no sense as game brands. This must be the brain fart of some jackass in Paris. "Synergy" with the media properties, no doubt.

[Phantom Lord]

To say Metallica is not legendary is to ignore reality. By the end of this year they will have passed 100,000,000 albums sold.

While Zepplin, Black Sabbath, and The Beatles may have paved the road, Metallica turned it into a Super Highway.

[samuel_adams_us]

How many albums did Led Zepplin sell? It was over 200 million at last count from what I heard on TV the other night about their new DVD that is out. I would say that speaks for itself.

[adaven]

Metallica are right next to Led Zepplin, The Doors, and the Stones in terms of legends. When Metallica are as old and frail as the Led Zep and Stones geezers, I'm sure their album sales will be equal or even higher.

Metallica has been around for "only" 20 years now and have touched multiple generations.

And, I think Antonio Vivaldi paved the way for hard rock/metal. Talk about great "riffs"! Let's give credit where credit is due!

Cheers!

[samuel_adams_us]

Metallica are right next to Led Zepplin, The Stones? What? Wow, whatever you are smoking, pass it around!

[Phantom Lord]

Personally, I think the Stones suck donkey balls. I find their music to be about as boring as it can get.

[samuel_adams_us]

I understand, but you are the minority in that regard.

[Phantom Lord]

Thats fine.

[RandallFlagg]

Hey, Lord! My CD code won't take. Is their site overloaded? Did yours work?

And, check your FReepmail.

[Hawkeye's Girl]

Well, when I tried to go to the website, I got a browser connection error. I think all of us fans trying to access the site must have overloaded the server since the domain name isn't working.

The new album is awesome, and I am a happy camper, especially considering all rumors I heard about various rappers supposedly going to appear on it. Angry is good. Loud is good. Heavy is good. Fast is good. And all the complainers should shut up and actually listen to the music; whether you liked or hated Load and Reload has no bearing on how sweet this one is.

Not only do I not know the answer,
I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT THE QUESTION IS!!!

[rmmcdaniell]

If it were not for the likes of Led Zepplin and the stones, there would be no Metallica, they built the road, Metallica has merely traveled upon it.

So what? If it weren't for the first cave man banging bones against a rock wall and trying to refine the sound by developing dedicated musical instruments there would be no music at all. Similarly it if weren't for that first smelly caveman who learned how to build a shelter in the field out of sticks and mud so he could escape the damp dank cave, architecture would have never moved forward. Personally I’d much rather listen to Metallica and sleep in my warm house than to listen to that caveman bang bones against rocks in his mud hut. Progress is good.

[Katana16j]

I was close friends with a few people from one of vivendi's studios.

They took the leading entertainment software company (Reknowned for there quality and great franchises) and fired most everyone with any talent and cancelled most of thier best franchises. The rest they're milking dry.

Sad really.

[Phantom Lord]

I haven't tried the CD code yet. Was too busy watching the DVD over and over and over while I cleaned the house, cooked dinner and packed for my trip to NY today.

[Phantom Lord]

Metallica has a hypnotic effect on me and my wife. It was one of the things that brought us close. And she didn't like them when I met her. She traveled with me from Buffalo NY to Charlotte NC to see a show so she could "spend time with me" and she fell in love with them. Its a wonderful thing we share. Our first dance at our wedding was to Nothing Else Matters (Elevator Version) and we had the DJ play Apocalyptica during dinner!

I could not imagine my life without Metallica. They changed me and my life in so many ways when I discovered them.

The Atlanta show will be my 16th show. And my neighbor just moved to London a month ago and I am trying to find a way to hop over there for a show in England this summer.

[T.Smith]

Once Metallica has been around for forty-odd years thier total will be a lot higher, too. You can't compare the cumlative sales of a band that started in the 60's with a band that started in the 80's. It just doesn't compute.

That having been said, Metallica has sucked since the black album, but the Stones have always blown.

[T.Smith]

Sloppy post, should have proof-read.