NovaXpress Posted July 12, 2004 Share Posted July 12, 2004 Reading through the old game mags, you'll see a lot of hype for this game. Data Age claimed that they surveyed the arcades and found that Journey was the most popular band among video game players. I think that was bull. Journey did have a best-selling album when this lousy game was thought up (and they never came close to the success of "Escape" afterwards), but they were considered to be the lowest form of "wuss rock." I'd compare their reputation to something like Creed with even less balls. They were popular among teenaged girls and despised by teenaged boys. I think the bad choice of band doomed this project from the start. The most marketable bands for video gamers at the time would have been Kiss or AC/DC. Does anyone know the name of the second song in the 2600 game? I know that "Don't Stop Believin" plays during the scarab flight animation but what is the other song? I'm not going to start listening to Journey songs with my own ears. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adrian M Posted July 12, 2004 Share Posted July 12, 2004 I know that "Don't Stop Believin" plays during the scarab flight animation but what is the other song? Oh, that's what it was supposed to be? I honestly never could tell! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NovaXpress Posted July 12, 2004 Author Share Posted July 12, 2004 Well, it's a decent emulation of the "Don't Stop Believein" bass line but Data Age didn't bother with any melody. Strictly because they were video game characters, I still know the names of all 5 Journey members at the time of this game. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adrian M Posted July 12, 2004 Share Posted July 12, 2004 Well, it's a decent emulation of the "Don't Stop Believein" bass line but Data Age didn't bother with any melody. Strictly because they were video game characters, I still know the names of all 5 Journey members at the time of this game. I first played the game at a friend's house back in 1984. I think he bought the game for $1.00 out of some Kay Bee bargain bin and promptly disposed of the instructions. For all intents and purposes we thought we were playing some action game involving a journey....we never made the association that the game's premise and title were based on the band. Then again, we were only in second grade, so I guess you can't blame us. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bivotar Posted July 12, 2004 Share Posted July 12, 2004 I think that was bull. Journey did have a best-selling album when this lousy game was thought up (and they never came close to the success of "Escape" afterwards), but they were considered to be the lowest form of "wuss rock." I'd compare their reputation to something like Creed with even less balls. They were popular among teenaged girls and despised by teenaged boys. I think the bad choice of band doomed this project from the start. The most marketable bands for video gamers at the time would have been Kiss or AC/DC. I wouldn't agree with that assessment of Journey at all. That depends on your age, people you hung out with, and other factors. Whether you like them or not, Journey was extremely popular. AC/DC, while popular, was considered pretty "hard" and Journey was more "mainstream". As a teen in the 80's, we listened to a lot of Journey and liked it. Went to the concerts, made out to "Open Arms" in the backseat, bought the vinyl albums, etc. My gf even bought the video game and we played the crap out of it. VCS games based on movies weren't all that spectacular either. Doesn't mean the movie was bad. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NovaXpress Posted July 12, 2004 Author Share Posted July 12, 2004 Journey had one smash hit album. Just one. Bands like Kiss and AC/DC were big sellers year after year, indicating a serious fanbase that will buy anything (as Kiss fans have proven). Regardless of quality of music, I'm saying that in order for any licensed game tie-in to succeed, it must have a devoted following among both fans of its own genre as well as video game players. Journey was an old band, but new to the Top 40 when this game was licensed. And you'd have to agree that most of their fans were women, who did not play games back then. A "Highway to Hell" game would have had more intrinsic marketing value because AC/DC had millions (they outsold Journey by a mile) of fans built up over several years who were pretty much exclusively young, pop-culture addicted, overactive males. Sounds like video game players to me. Bivotar, so do you know the name of the other song from the game? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NE146 Posted July 12, 2004 Share Posted July 12, 2004 I still dig Journey! I can whip out the solo from Stone in Love in a heartbeat, and there's no better way to get my current hippie band to groan then playing the intro to "Lights" I could probably name the song for you, but I'd have to try out the game... something oddly enough I have never done in all my years of VCS gaming. I'll do it tonight The game had to be pretty hyped though. Because even I got a promotional pamphlet for it in the mail (I think from an order I placed for some other game) and I distinctly remember this because I don't think I ever got anything else! (as far as promotions go...) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bryan Posted July 12, 2004 Share Posted July 12, 2004 Journey had one smash hit album. Just one. Bands like Kiss and AC/DC were big sellers year after year, indicating a serious fanbase that will buy anything (as Kiss fans have proven). I don't know about that. Frontiers stayed at #2 on the album chart for 9 weeks (this was when Thriller was out). I also like their current album (Arrival) which doesn't feature Perry (they tried and tried to work with him again, but he's pretty much a hermit nowadays). I came across this interview with Journey's former manager that is quite honest and harsh toward the band in places. Apparently, Perry forced the other members to sign a contract that they would never speak ill of him, so this was an eye opener. -Bry Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cybergoth Posted July 12, 2004 Share Posted July 12, 2004 Hi there! Uihja, so "Journey" was the name of a band?!? For a 1982 game, shouldn't they have choosen a more popular band like Duran Duran? Greetings, Manuel Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joeybastard Posted July 12, 2004 Share Posted July 12, 2004 Both Journey the band and Journey the game suck. The band is such wuss corporate crap they can't even be called rock and roll. The game just isn't fun. I play it about once a year just make sure I still hate it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kenwood Posted July 12, 2004 Share Posted July 12, 2004 The only decent song from Journey... Let's Dance.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NovaXpress Posted July 12, 2004 Author Share Posted July 12, 2004 I don't know about that. Frontiers stayed at #2 on the album chart for 9 weeks (this was when Thriller was out). Frontiers: 6 million copies Escape: 9 million copies Not too shabby, but Escape also scored multiple #1 hits while Frontiers did not. And the main point AGAIN is that Journey's mostly female audience wasn't going to buy a videogame anyway. AC/CD's Back In Black: 19 million copies sold (almost all to game-playing boys) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Major_Havoc Posted July 12, 2004 Share Posted July 12, 2004 Yeah I dunno why everyone bags on Journey so much. Hell for poppy stuff at least they're more band oriented than any fluff you find these days. I dig the live album "Captured" where Neil Schon rips on several tracks (imho they kind of went downhill from that point.. "open arms?!" UGH!). But anyway, you gotta admit, Steve Perry has a unique voice you don't find anywhere else. The guy friggin sings like you just don't hear much these days. Of course like most bands you gotta seperate the wheat from the chaffe but that's not anything unusual. ANY WAY YOU WAANT IT THAT AM WAY U NEEED IT ANYWAY AM WAANT IT Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
atarisales Posted July 12, 2004 Share Posted July 12, 2004 I still dig Journey. I guess it was because of the chick that I was dating at the time. From my best memory - she gave excellent MIND while listening to Journey. Anyway, the game is still fun. My 2 cents. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nester Posted July 12, 2004 Share Posted July 12, 2004 Well they probably got Journey because they were cheaper than Kiss or AC/DC. And yes, Journey was never a particularly interesting band. The music was dull and the lyrics were predictable. But since when was a good band ever popular? Sure it would have been much cooler to have the Replacements "Sorry Ma, Forgot to Take Out the Trash" videogame, but who would have bought that? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
video game addict Posted July 12, 2004 Share Posted July 12, 2004 Trying to convince your parents into buying you this new Highway to Hell Atari game would have been alot tougher back in the day. They don't seem so hardcore now, but at the time KISS & AC/DC where probably not top choices of most of the people who actually purchased the Atari games. Seeing as it was alot of our parents back then. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brad2600 Posted July 12, 2004 Share Posted July 12, 2004 A "Highway to Hell" game would have had more intrinsic marketing value because AC/DC had millions (they outsold Journey by a mile) of fans built up over several years who were pretty much exclusively young, pop-culture addicted, overactive males. Sounds like video game players to me. When will someone program such a game in tribute ot AC/DC? Even a good shooter with AC/DC for background music would rock. I'd buy it. I only paid $1 for my copy of Journey Escape. It looks and plays like garbage. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zeus Posted July 12, 2004 Share Posted July 12, 2004 I still dig Journey. I guess it was because of the chick that I was dating at the time. From my best memory - she gave excellent MIND while listening to Journey. Anyway, the game is still fun. My 2 cents. "I bet she gives great helmet!" --Spaceballs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WildBillTX Posted July 12, 2004 Share Posted July 12, 2004 I remember reading a review of Asia's first LP - "This is the sound of talented musicans rolling over and playing dead". Journey was the same way, a bunch of musicans selling out and making radio friendly pop/rock that teenage girls loved. Guys knew if you had a Journey tape in your car (preferably a Trans-Am, Camero or Mustang 5.0) you had a chance you were gonna get laid. They were marketed almost like todays boybands, after reading the interview its plain to see Herbie Herbert considered Journey to just be a machine pumping out product. I think they were one of the first American bands to have corporate sponsorship on thier tours from Budwieser. At least they didnt do something stupid like a rock opera like Styx's horrible "Kilroy Was Here". I remember that stupid Midway Journey arcade game - with the band's faces digitized on cartoon bodies. Check out http://www.cinemarcade.com/arcade84.html Its a CGI tribute movie about 80's mall arcades and uses Journeys "Stone In Love" as the background. For some reason its the perfect song for this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red 5 Posted July 12, 2004 Share Posted July 12, 2004 I was in 7th grade when Journey Frontiers came out and the album (33 1/3 LP on vinyl) was HUGE at the time. Am I proud that I loved it... no ... no I am not... but at the time, they were HUGE. And if the target audience for a game was 10 - 14 year old boys, they hit me at a perfect time. I bought the game, I played it in the arcade, and they were my first concert ever. (Bryan Adams opened up which made it even worse, when I look back on it.) However, for nostalgia of the early 80's, I think of a few things immediately. 1. My atari 2600 2. Rubik's Cube 3. Bad MTV rock bands like Journey, REO Speedwagon, Night Ranger and others. AC/DC would have been fun, but wouldn't fit in with the nostalgia. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WildBillTX Posted July 12, 2004 Share Posted July 12, 2004 I could imagine video game concepts for other classic rock bands. 1) Styx - "Cruise the river Styx while fending off santanic Mr. Robotos!" 2) REO Speedwagon - "REO's Speedwagon has blown a tire - can you fix it?" 3) AC/DC - "Get your band's lead singer drunk while not O.D.ing him!" Too bad there has never been a Spinal Tap game. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StanJr Posted July 12, 2004 Share Posted July 12, 2004 Journey was a pop sensation at the time, AC/DC was the devil's music. No way was any video game company (a still infant industry) going to tie themselves to Satan and the Black Mass. Nowadays, such a thing is pretty common and even the lamest, one hit wonders get their stuff on in/on a video game. (Bon Jovi's sad resurface was ALL over Madden 2002, ugh) Journey may not have had the staying power of an AC/DC or KISS, but they were hot at the time and for pop culture marketing that is all you really need. The game is pretty weak though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WildBillTX Posted July 12, 2004 Share Posted July 12, 2004 I was in 7th grade when Journey Frontiers came out and the album (33 1/3 LP on vinyl) was HUGE at the time. Am I proud that I loved it... no ... no I am not... but at the time, they were HUGE. And if the target audience for a game was 10 - 14 year old boys, they hit me at a perfect time. I bought the game, I played it in the arcade, and they were my first concert ever. (Bryan Adams opened up which made it even worse, when I look back on it.) I understand. I felt the same way with KISS in the mid 70's when they were huge with KISS Alive and Destroyer through Love Gun. KISS was the perfect band to get through the hell of my Jr High School years. They freaked out the people at church and my parents - which made me and my freinds love them even more. Bryan Adams was one of the worst concerts I ever went to - his voice was like raw sewage to the ears at concert volume. His opening act "The Hooters" (remember them?) were so much better that night. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NovaXpress Posted July 12, 2004 Author Share Posted July 12, 2004 Journey may not have had the staying power of an AC/DC or KISS, but they were hot at the time and for pop culture marketing that is all you really need. Apparently not, seeing as the Journey Escape game was a tremendous flop. Once again, any band whose following was predominently made up of girls was a bad choice for a game license. I agree that metal bands would have been too scary for toy manufacturers at the time but that's there loss. So do any of you Journay fans know the name of the other song in the 2600 game? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Major_Havoc Posted July 12, 2004 Share Posted July 12, 2004 So do any of you Journay fans know the name of the other song in the 2600 game? yeah I told you I'd tell you. I just have to play the game first. I'll do it tonight Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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