Japanese band GreeeeN to pioneer ‘interactive live events’ in new DS title

Welcome to the future of J-pop!

By J.D., January 5, 2010

Super-popular Japanese band GreeeeN - LIVE on the DeeeeS!

J-pop sensations GreeeeN are a bit like Daft Punk in that they keep their faces hidden and prefer instead to work under anonymity. It’s a tactic that’s paid off, with GreeeeN scoring millions of CD sales over the past few years, but now the shy moneymakers are about to try something completely different: they’re going to perform for fans at live events INSIDE THEIR OWN DS GAME. This means animated, motion-captured, shadowy performances in idyllic stadium settings and other venues, which play out while fans play along and interact with the events and, possibly, the music itself.

Hudson’s touting this concept as a completely new way of presenting music and is using “interactive live” as its clever bit of marketing copy. There will be a total of 30 songs performed, with mini-games, karaoke-style lyric subtitles, multiplayer elements and more. The game interactive live is out in Japan on April 1st and will cost around 5,000 yen, and a bit more for the LE which comes with a bonus CD.

Considering how many GreeeeN fans there are in Japan and how definitive and novel a package this looks to be, I reckon HUDSON×GReeeeN LIVE!? DeeeeS!? could potentially be a million-seller in its own right. If that’s the case, you can bet on so many J-pop artists jumping on the bandwagon that its wheels fall off. Let’s just hope SMAP don’t get there before that happens!