Shinobi Ninja Release iPhone App, Bundled With EP
Remember those awesome side-scrolling beat 'em up video games like Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Double Dragon? I do. Brooklyn's Shinobi Ninja has released an iPhone app called Shinobi Ninja Attacks! and bundled it with their new EP. In the game, instead of katanas and nunchucks, fans select a member of the group and use drumsticks and guitar to fight their way through a torrent of obstacles and hipsters on their way to rock a show at Club Babylon.
What's really neat about the Shinobi Ninja Attacks! app is that it rewards fans for playing. As fans reach higher levels, there are two free music videos can be unlocked. As well, using smartphone GPS capability to locate concertgoers who have installed the app; it rewards fans for making the real world journey to a show by delivering more free music and promotions over-the-air, onto their phone.
To me, this is another great example of CwF + RtB = $$$.
(Check out their music after the jump.)
So Dope! Thanks for posting
You’re right — this is an amazing example CwF. What’s amazing is they couple it with a free EP download for those that beat the game (which is easy enough to do). Do you happen to know who did the development of the iPhone App for them?
It will be interesting to see how mobile phones become a platform to CwF in the future. This is an amazing application but is kind of a “one-off” solution that can’t be adapted for all bands that easily. It will be interesting to see what techniques companies will use that give ways for ALL bands to affordably be able to engage their fans.
We reward three different economically desirable activities via the game:
(1) completing all four levels (task based unlock)
(2) coming to a live show (GPS based unlock)
(3) purchasing the music online (email validation)
This gives our fans a couple of choices regarding how they get on the Shinobi train
(1) 2 bucks for app and unlock EP after a few hours
(2) 4 bucks for EP and unlock game instantly
(3) 15 bucks (approximately) for on live show, game, and EP
I think that you are right that a side-scrolling retro action game is not going to work for every band but i also think that every band can have a game, or at least an interactive media application- its more affordable than you would think ;-D The key is having a story to tell.
I’d be happy to talk about the development process in more detail with you or anyone else reading…holler at me: steve at shinobininja dot com ; @shinobininja
Steve S
Manager
Shinobi NInja