Consummating a collective wet-dream for scrawny, irony-loving music hipsters everywhere who have longed for years to reconcile their fanatic love of music and geeky appearance with their severe phobia of all things athletic into a singular, unholy, masochistic mashup of love-to-hate-it, "cool-because-it's-not" clusterfuckage, 2K Sports (you know, the sports publishing label of Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc.?) has announced plans to partner with influential music outlet Pitchfork Media in support of their highly anticipated new game, Major League Baseball 2K8.
2K Sports has invited Pitchfork -- who, according to... ummm, Forbes Magazine... uh, "shares a passion for the game of baseball" -- to select half of the music to be featured in Major League Baseball 2K8, with the somewhat monstrously capitalist hope that the nerdy and jobless will be able to enjoy a pointlessly cutting-edge selection of the most intimidatingly discriminating music around (along with the deepest and most authentic baseball simulation experience available, of course). Artists include Modest Mouse, Peter Bjorn & John, The Cure, The Strokes, LCD Soundsystem, and Black Rebel Motorcycle Club. Apparently, the old bleacher mainstays like Van Halen's "Jump" and Mungo Jerry's "In the Summer Time" just don't cut it anymore, huh?
"Baseball and video games are two of Pitchfork's favorite hobbies, so the opportunity to select music for Major League Baseball 2K8 is a dream come true," says Chris Kaskie, associate publisher at Pitchfork and lover of free video games. "Partnering with 2K Sports is a natural fit for Pitchfork, as they're a like-minded company that shares a passion for music and a desire to promote forward-thinking and exciting new projects instead of following a more traditional path. We're thrilled to work with 2K Sports to select one half of the Major League Baseball 2K8 soundtrack, and can't wait to play the game."
Oh, but the brand-building doesn't stop there. Each artist and song selected for the game by Pitchfork will also be denoted as a "Pitchfork Pick," when and wherever it shows up in the game, and each tune will supposedly include "additional bio information" as well. That way, you can stop to read a highly detailed review of the track you’re listening to before you, you know, play a simulated game of baseball from your couch.
"Pitchfork Media is a respected and reliable part of the independent music community and an integral part of the lives of hundreds of thousands of music enthusiasts worldwide," says director of brand and lifestyle marketing at 2K Sports Tim Rosa. "This is the first time Pitchfork Media has partnered with a video game publisher, which is exciting since we share the same dedicated passion for highlighting new artists and being involved in independent music. We've always respected their impeccable taste and no-holds-barred voice in the music industry because it complements our approach to games -- we both want to push our respective industries further by supporting independent substance over mainstream smoke." You heard him, people; give that little indie game Major League Baseball 2K8 a chance!
And speaking of awkward assimilations into "indie rock" culture, 2K Sports will apparently also join the 3rd Annual Pitchfork/Windish Agency Day Party at SXSW this year on Friday, March 14, because they are bros now. The lineup will include, duh, "Pitchfork Pick" Jay Reatard among others. Don't miss it! Meanwhile, Major League Baseball 2K8 (rated E) is due March 4, 2008 for just about every game system that is still competitive (sorry, Virtual Boy owners).
Tracklist:
* denotes a "Pitchfork Pick" selection
