BNL in 'NHL 2002'

By Extended Play Staff, TechTV, August 31st, 2001.

The music group Barenaked Ladies talks about gaming and being in a game.

It's nothing new to have hit songs accompanying your gameplay. We've all heard Offspring's "Crazy Taxi" riffs or Moby's contribution to "FIFA 2001."

It is rather unusual to see a new single actually makes its debut in a game. This brings us to none other than the Barenaked Ladies. BNL has been pulling in huge crowds and selling tons of CDs for years. It turns out the band also plays lots of games.

"I've had every system since 'Pong.' I've had them all," guitarist Ed Robertson says.

Don't believe him? When we attended a Barenaked Ladies concert, the band used a song from "Parappa the Rapper" for its sound check. (Take a look at our streaming video for proof.)

Yeah, these guys play games, and now they get to be in a game. Electronic Arts (EA) is getting set to release "NHL 2002," and a new Barenaked Ladies song is featured in the opening sequence.

"It's exciting to have a song in such wide release. It'll be heard by more people in this videogame than it will on our records," BNL drummer Tyler Stewart says. BNL's new song will be featured in the game a couple of months before it's released on the BNL Greatest Hits album.

"There are a lot more people buying and playing videogames now. I just picked up 'GT3' and have been playing that on the bus, and there's original music written for the game by people like Snoop. The medium is changing," Robertson explains.

"I'd love to be at a party and people put on one of our songs and everybody starts singing it and knows it from a game and not the radio. That'd be really cool," Tyler adds.

EA didn't stop at just putting a new BNL song in the game. It also put the actual band in the game. You'll be able to compete as members of the Barenaked Ladies.