#thisaintnofarm
That hashtag represents the embodiment of the yet-to-be-released Facebook game Gig-It, which puts fans in control of creating their own online concerts by selecting the artists, songs, attire, special effects, dance moves and backup dancers.
The game, described as a free-mium title, has absolutely gigantic hopes of reinventing the music industry by incorporating social gaming as another revenue stream for artists as well as providing another interactive platform for their work to be displayed.
“We have announced 50 artists and many, many more are coming,” Gig-It founder and CEO John Acunto said. “The artists really care about their fans and their brand. We worked really hard to make sure we represented the artist and their brand really well by painstakingly using motion capture to get the real experience.”
And Facebook gaming made the most sense in terms of reaching the most ears and producing a real-life revenue stream.
One of the artists in the game, 2 Chainz attends the Gig-It Launch Party at Capitale Bowery. (WireImage)
DJ Khaled, La La Anthony, and Miguel attend the Gig-It Launch Party at Capitale Bowery. (WireImage)
“The artists themselves are sending a message, they want to reach the billion people on Facebook and do it in a very different matter. This is a brand new revenue stream for the artists. When you see the virtual t-shirts and music in Facebook, you’re not going to buy a goat or a castle, but you can actually go in and buy the music in the game.”
Gig-It has spared no expense to let the world know that it is ready to be a major player in a world that has been dominated by Facebook-based games such as Zynga’s Farmville and Words With Friends. The company, headed by Acunto, has already signed major artists, including major names such as T.I., Kendrick Lamar, Ne-Yo and Flo Rida, who have been recreated and have their work featured in the Gig-It world and their plans continue to grow with every passing day.
“It’s very hard to have an artist trust their brand to something, especially a Facebook game,” Acunto said. “I think they realized that there’s a billion people on Facebook and said ‘Hey, let’s jump on board.’ They also helped shape this game. It encompasses everything an artist is.”
Between, the artists, venue, music, visual effects and on-stage performances, there are an estimated two billion different concert combinations for players to create. Players will be able to play the game for free, but there will be options for those who wish to purchase different, more unique gear and concert effects can purchase them through the game.
“We worked really hard over three years to combine YouTube, Facebook and gaming,” Acunto said. “It’s almost impossible to create the same exact concert. At the end of the day, we have a big statement. This is the largest music game in history. The product should speak for itself.”
Players will also be able to post their virtual concerts directly to their timeline to share with their friends, and while the game is not necessarily competitive in nature, it does offer scoring of gigs and a way to compare your concert with your friends.
If that was not enough to show off the flashy, confident attitude that Gig-It is entering the social media gaming circle with, the company threw a star-studded launch party at Manhattan hot-spot Capitale on Tuesday night, transforming it into a jumping concert atmosphere with performances by Nas, 2 Chainz, Fabolous, Miguel and appearances from DJ Khaled, Ne-Yo, Flo Rida, Rick Ross and French Montana.
asulla-heffinger@nypost.com