Ubisoft plans Fame Academy games
You were just stunning. You really lit up the stage.
Ubisoft will be bringing us not one, but two distinctive Fame Academy games this year, thanks to an agreement with French producer Monte Cristo. Based on the UK TV show of the same name, in which a bunch of variously hopeful wannabe musicians are propelled through a - yes - Fame Academy and played off against one another for telephone votes in a Saturday night BBC One special, the games will attack the competitive rhythm-action and management sim genres on PS2 and PC respectively.
The first of the two games, due out in October on the PC, has players managing the winner of the TV show, carving out a career for him or her over nine levels of pop career management. Choices will include what to wear, which dance steps, music and lighting effects to use, which of the 20 showbiz advisors to employ as teachers, and which venues to play. The game should offer virtually anything - from Las Vegas to a Woodstock revival.
You'll also be able to customise your star's looks, with 40 head shapes, 120 hairstyles and 270 clothing items and accessories. Perhaps more importantly though (actually, nah), you'll be able to twin them with some of 14 top licensed tunes from Sophie Ellis-Bextor, Texas, Ms Dynamite, Elton John, Daniel Bedingfield, Lionel Richie, Christina Milian, Ce Ce Peniston, Donna Summer, One T, Cunnie Williams, Oliver Cheatham and Havana Delirio.
Unsurprisingly, these same tracks will also form the bulk of the gameplay in the PS2 rhythm-action title, due out a month later in November, in which players will control one of the ten Fame Academy participants and compete against one another in single and multiplayer modes across seven levels. Dance mat compatible, we'd expect this one to do well, but we're not sure the TV show is actually all that popular... Wasn't there talk of it being canned? Still, the game will feature choreography and motion capture of professional hip hop dancers, and should be out in time for Christmas (and presumably the end of the show).
We'll bring you more on Fame Academy - and its Pop Idol-based rival from Codemasters - as soon as we've had a chance to play them. We'll try and remember to watch the TV shows too. Maybe. Until then: shots.