Iron Maiden launch online game

16 August 2010

by Eamon Forde

To promote their new album The Final Frontier, long-serving UK metal band Iron Maiden have created an online game.

Built by Matmi, the premise of the game is (and you’ll have to stick with us here) as follows: Iron Maiden are in space on their way to play the first intergalactic gig (OK…); but they are attacked by space pirates (right…); and their instruments scattered around the galaxy (I see…); so they have to go looking for their equipment or else their show is at risk (Ah…).

While on paper that sounds so ridiculous that even a 12- year-old metal kid would snort in derision, the game itself is enormous fun and beautifully aware of its own ridiculousness.

The online game is free and a sequel is contained in the enhanced CD edition of the album, released last Friday.

This is not the first time that the band has built a game (Matmi previously build them the Flight 666 game). Nor are they the only EMI act to use online and social gaming to promote releases. Last year, Lily Allen released the Escape The Fear game while at the start of this year, Gorillaz unveiled their Escape To Plastic Beach game.

This is a booming area for labels. As Dan Duncombe. VP of Digital at EMI UK, told us in TMN's recent Gorillaz cover feature, “The reason we invested in creating online games as part of the marketing campaign for specific artists is that we know there is an audience out there that has turned off from radio and TV and are solely online. These people are going elsewhere and that has complimented the rise in gaming and the social acceptance of gaming, both online and offline with things like PS3 and Wii.”

To play the game, see thefinalfrontiergame.com.