September 2008 – Singstar ABBA
Sony Computer Entertainment Europe, ABBA and Universal Music Announce Collaboration on SingStar™ SingStar™ ABBA Available For This Christmas, Exclusively on PlayStation®
ABBA Singstar
Sony Computer Entertainment Europe today announced a collaboration with ABBA to bring the band’s best loved tracks to SingStar for both PlayStation®2 and PLAYSTATION®3. Owners of either system will now be able to sing along with some of the most iconic pop tracks of all time including ‘Mamma Mia’, ‘Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight)’, ‘Waterloo’ and ‘Dancing Queen’.
SingStar ABBA is being developed in full collaboration with ABBA and Universal Music Group in Sweden, which manages the rights to the ABBA brand. The terms of the agreement include a window of exclusivity for disc-based PlayStation titles until December 2009.
ABBA’s recordings have sold an estimated 370 million units worldwide. Their 1992 album, “Gold,” is one of the most popular albums of all time, with sales of 26 million copies.
The SingStar agreement comes as the music of ABBA enjoys a renewed surge of popularity worldwide, sparked by the huge success of the film, “Mamma Mia!” Global sales of the soundtrack album, released by Universal Music Group, the world’s leading music company, are now approaching 3 million.
“We are thrilled to be collaborating with ABBA to bring their tracks to SingStar this Christmas,” said David Reeves, President, Sony Computer Entertainment Europe. “The popularity of this iconic band continues year after year, and we know SingStar fans will be delighted to add this selection of classics tracks to their SingStar collection.”
Lucian Grainge, Chairman/CEO of Universal Music Group International, commented: “ABBA have joined that elite club of musicians and artists whose popularity only grows with time, as new generations enjoy some of the most memorable music ever made. SingStar ABBA will have the world singing along again.”
SingStar ABBA is the perfect soundtrack to any party, guaranteed to get pop lovers of all ages on their feet when it is released this winter.
About SingStar
Since its launch in 2004, SingStar™ has become one of the world’s most popular games titles and a phenomenal success for Sony Computer Entertainment Europe (SCEE), proving that everyone wants a chance to sing along to their favourite tune. In four years and across both PLAYSTATION®3 and PlayStation®2 platforms, SingStar has sold more than 13 million discs in SCEE territories and has seen more than two million tracks downloaded from online service, SingStore™. And things are about to get even bigger…
o The original SingStar® was launched in May/June 2004 exclusively on PlayStation®2 to public and critical acclaim, entering the charts at number one in most of Europe’s biggest countries.
o SingStar® Party, the follow-up, was launched pre-Christmas 2004, and included not only another great line-up of international artists, but also further ‘party’ and multi-player features, such as duets.
o SingStar® Pop followed in the Spring of 2005 introducing yet more original features and options including rap scoring and medleys, plus 30 of the biggest and best hits of the last three years.
o SingStar® ‘80s launched at Christmas 2005 and featured a tracklist 100% dedicated to the best music of the ‘80s, with licensed tracks and videos from artists such as Duran Duran, Culture Club, Wham, Blondie, The Cure, offering a real treat for all SingStar fans, and serving as an essential Christmas party accessory!
o SingStar® Rocks! launched in April/May 2006 and is packed with attitude, capturing the ultimate balance of exciting new rock acts e.g; The Killers, Razorlight, and Kasabian plus a few alternative rock gems and a good sprinkling of ‘dad rock’.
o SingStar® Legends released in November 2006 and features an impressive line-up of past and present music icons, including John Lennon, Aretha Franklin, David Bowie, U2, Madonna and the Jackson 5.
o SingStar® Pop Hits launched in April 2007 with a tracklist dedicated to the biggest names in pop. With thirty huge pop tracks from award winning artists including Jennifer Lopez, Scissor Sisters, Nelly Furtado and Fall Out Boy, Pop Hits is an essential buy for any pop music lover.
o SingStar® R&B launched in October 2007 with a sassy line-up of the best of R&B music introducing a mixture of modern day superstars and much revered Soul and Motown icons from the past. Featuring Rihanna, Pussycat Dolls, Diana Ross & The Supremes, Martha Reeves & The Vandellas and Salt-N-Pepa.
o SingStar® Volume One (PS3) saw SingStar make its long awaited debut in the Next-Gen world in December 2007 and was an instant Christmas hit. Featuring 30 brand new tracks by artists such as The Killers, Pussycat Dolls, Gwen Stefani and Gorillaz, SingStar Volume One also heralded the arrival of SingStore and MySingStar. SingStore allowed players to download additional tracks from an ever increasing library of both classic and modern songs. Online music community My SingStar Online allowed players to upload their videos and audio performances for comments from other players and allowed listening and commenting on other’s performances.
o SingStar® Summer Party launched in May 2007 with a tracklist celebrating the best of summer smash hits. SingStar Summer Party feel good tracklist had classic hits from pop icons such as Elton John, Blur, and Blondie. Mixed in with current pop acts such as Rihanna, Amy Winehouse and Mika. Finished off with a good helping of cheesy pop from Lou Bega, Chesney Hawkes and Yazz.
o SingStar® Volume Two arrived on PS3 in the Summer of 2008. As well as another 30 exclusive tracks, the second Blu-ray SingStar disc offers an all new Harmony mode, allowing players to sing different parts of the same song at the same time. It also offers all-new customization options for MySingStar and improves the look of the famous SingStar carousel.
o The SingStar® franchise has been a huge hit internationally selling over 13 million units across the PAL region – SingStar is now a house-hold name in over 67 different countries. With the top rock, pop and party tracks from the world’s biggest artists, SingStar offers fans a diverse and eclectic mix of dance floor classics for any occasion with over 30 great titles to chose from.
o Critical to this commercial success has been the strong commitment to localisation ensuring that our consumers can enjoy SingStar® in their own language and sing the songs that are heard on radio stations across the world. To date, SingStar® has been localised in the following languages: French, German, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Dutch, Norwegian, Swedish, Danish, Finnish, Polish, Croatian and Russian.
About Sony Computer Entertainment Europe
Sony Computer Entertainment Europe (SCEE), based in London, is responsible for the distribution, marketing and sales of PLAYSTATION®3, PlayStation®2, PSP™ (PlayStation®Portable) and PLAYSTATION®Network software and hardware in 99 territories across Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Oceania. SCEE also develops, publishes, markets and distributes entertainment software for these formats, and manages the third party licensing programs for the formats in these territories. Since the launch of PLAYSTATION 3 in November 2006, over 14.4 million units have been sold globally and continue to be sold at a record level. Maintaining its position as one of the most successful consumer electronic products in history, PlayStation 2 has sold over 131.3 million systems worldwide. Since its launch at the end of 2004, over 41.3 million PSPs have been sold globally, highlighting the importance of the portable entertainment market. With the huge increase in interest and accessibility of network applications and network gaming, over 10 million people have registered to the PLAYSTATION Network, the free-to-access interactive environment, and 200 million items have been downloaded.
More information about PlayStation products can be found at www.playstation.com or visit the Virtual Press Office at www.scee.presscentre.com.
PlayStation, PLAYSTATION, PSP and the PlayStation logo are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc..
About Universal Music Group
Universal Music Group is the world’s leading music company with wholly owned record operations or licensees in 77 countries. Its businesses also include Universal Music Publishing Group, the industry’s leading global music publishing operation.
Universal Music Group’s record labels include Decca, Deutsche Grammophon, Disa, Emarcy, Fonovisa, Interscope Geffen A&M Records, Island Def Jam Music Group, Lost Highway Records, Machete Music, MCA Nashville, Mercury Nashville, Mercury Records, Philips, Polydor Records, Universal Motown Republic Group, Universal Music Latino, Universal Records South, and Verve Music Group as well as a multitude of record labels owned or distributed by its record company subsidiaries around the world. The Universal Music Group owns the most extensive catalog of music in the industry, which includes the last 100 years of the world’s most popular artists and their recordings. UMG’s catalog is marketed through two distinct divisions, Universal Music Enterprises (in the U.S.) and Universal Strategic Marketing (outside the U.S.). Universal Music Group also includes eLabs, its new media and technologies division; Bravado, its merchandising company; Twenty-First Artists, its full service management division; and Helter Skelter, its live music agency.
Universal Music Group is a unit of Vivendi, a global media and communications company.
