UPDATE: Fans eagerly strapped into their VR headsets to download Green Day's Beat Saber music pack, but many have experienced nothing but fury upon discovering every song is tactlessly censored. Green Day fans know the f-bomb is a regular staple occurrence in nearly every song and many revel in belting the lyrics out shamelessly alongside the riotous frontman. Green Day fans don't take kindly to censorship in general but the choice to bleep the swears with a beep tone rather than simply cutting the profanity has fans all the more enraged.
––Original story follows below.
Geoff Keighley's Game Awards 2019 aired live last night, December 12, showcasing many surprise announcements. Iconic Punk Rock band Green Day closed out the musical performances with a bang and provided one of the most unique deliveries out of all announcements made that night. The performance reveal was immediately followed by Keighley's announcement of the band's collaboration with the VR game, Beat Saber.
As the events got underway a big announcement seemed imminent, given Keighley's obvious anticipation leading up to the band's performance. The reasoning behind Keighley's exuberance soon became clear. As Green Day broke into their second number, 'Father of All' the screen behind the band came alive with VR footage of the new single being played in-game.
Keighley announced immediately after the band walked off stage that the six-song music pack would be made available in-game that night and would include a mash-up of Green Day's iconic hits and a couple of singles off of the band's newest album, set to release on February 7th, 2020. The DLC is available on all Beat Saber platforms at a cost of $8.99. The songs included in the DLC are 'American Idiot', 'Holiday', 'Boulevard of Broken Dreams', and 'Minority' along with the band's two newest singles 'Father of All', and 'Fire, Ready, Aim'.
The midnight release of Green Day's six-pack DLC coincides with Beat Saber's addition of 360-degree gameplay. Two of the songs, 'Father of All' and 'Holiday' have been made available accordingly in the long-awaited game mode.
The renowned rock band's collaboration with Beat Saber is not altogether surprising. Green Day has previously partnered with EA Games to release their own Green Day Rock Band in the summer of 2010. Then in the summer of 2012, the band teamed up with Angry Birds Friends to promote the release of Green Day's trilogy album 'Uno', 'Dos', 'Tré'.
Given Green Day's past involvement, it makes sense the band would be interested in partnering with the gaming industry once again, to promote their latest project. In return, the band seems excited to lend their voice to bolster support for up and coming gaming technologies like Virtual Reality. In fact Green Day's frontman, Billie Joe Armstrong deems the partnership is fitting, stating that VR upholds the rock 'n' roll mentality, "challenging the way things are done" and "never taking no for an answer.” Armstrong also claims VR provides the most engaging way for fans to experience the band's music, short of attending a concert of course.
Green Day's and Beat Saber's partnership is comprised of several corresponding events. The attraction of VR builds hype for Green Day's upcoming album release at the beginning of the New Year, and in return, the band's star power pushes the VR movement forward. Both Green Day's career and the gaming industry's VR capabilities continue to fearlessly push boundaries making this collaboration the perfect fit.
Source: Variety