What a long, strange trip it’s been: Asheville-based video game developer lands deal to create Grateful Dead game

Jason Sandford

Jason Sandford is a reporter, writer, blogger and photographer interested in all things Asheville.

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The Wall Street Journal’s Speakeasy blog reports that Asheville-based video game developer Curious Sense has landed a deal to develop a Grateful Dead video game. Rhino Entertainment, a Warmer Music Group subsidiary that manages the group’s intellectual property, brokered the deal.

The developer, Asheville, N.C., based Curious Sense has permission to use any material from the band’s deep archives, which includes three decades’ worth of film and video and thousands of live concert recordings. For instance, Curious Sense founder Adam Blumenthal says he’s itching to repurpose an animated sequence from 1977’s “Grateful Dead Movie,” featuring a cosmic pinball game. His company can also tap the Dead’s vivid album cover art, as well images of the band members.

The game project is in its earliest stages, with developers currently mapping out which elements of the Dead universe to incorporate. Blumenthal says some songs are particularly conducive to gaming because of their narratives (“Terrapin Station”), imagery (“Dark Star”) or characters (“Cosmic Charlie”). Such elements will be molded around templates common to casual games, such as hidden-object hunts and so-called “tower defense” games. “Think of the song ‘Samson and Delilah,” Blumenthal says. “Maybe we can make that into an Angry Birds kind of game?”

From the Curious Sense website:

Within seconds of entering the Grateful Dead Game, Dead Heads, and new fans alike, will be drawn into an experience that will adapt to the type of visitor they are. From the first click the player will enter into a universe of Grateful Dead music, sounds, and visuals. Games and activities will reside within several regions of the World, each designed according to a theme from Grateful Dead lore – the Old West, Space, San Francisco, Giza. At every turn whimsy, surprises, pranks, and miracles may be presented.  We’re planning to design an interactive masterpiece, worthy of America’s most important band. (Yes, we are some very excited Dead Heads!!)

Dead Heads will dig the experience for the novel ways we’ll offer them to play with the music they love. Prospective fans will have a new port of entry into the Grateful Dead World.

Curious Sense is currently developing dozens of games to be included in the first version of the product, due to be launched this Summer.