Hip-Hop Stars Come To Life On Def Jam: Icon Video Game

Def Jam Interactive and Electronic Arts are teaming up to put out their third video game together, and music will play a bigger role than ever.

Def Jam: Icon, which will be released in March for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, follows 2003's Def Jam Vendetta and 2004's Def Jam Fight For N.Y.EA has just opened a Chicago studio with 150 employees that's working with more than 35 artists, including Ludacris, The Game, Paul Wall, T.I. and Big Boi. Each artist was laser-scanned and their facial and body movements were motion-captured to enable them to become photorealistic playable characters with unique moves and exclusive music tracks.

"Music is the cornerstone of hip-hop culture, so we wanted to incorporate music and rhythm into the actual gameplay mechanics," says executive producer and EA Chicago GM Kudo Tsunoda. "We are completely innovating the role of the environments in the games, moving from the typical lifeless arenas the hip-hop celebrities are fighting in to environments that play an instrumental part in the fight where they will react to the music and interact with both characters like a third fighter."

"We have worked very closely with the team to ensure that authentic hip-hop culture and lifestyle permeates through every part of the product," says Def Jam Interactive marketing VP Lauren Wirtzer. "Def Jam: Icon will guarantee the ultimate combination of a real hip-hop experience and revolutionary fighting gameplay."

Def Jam has plans to develop other new titles by partnering with other video game companies.