Linkin Park Releases New Song And Game To Promote Album

Linkin Park is taking promotion to the next level for their upcoming album. In order to promote their next album, Linkin Park decided to develop and release a game called Linkin Park Recharged – Wastelands.

Realizing that games have a huge impact on the younger demographic, Linkin Park’s game will be “a third-person action shooter with tactical elements set in the not-too-distance future.”

A genius source of promotion, with every purchase of Linkin Park’s new game, the consumer will also obtain the band’s latest single “Wastelands” off of their new album called The Hunting Party.

The Hunting Party, which hits stores on June 13, is described as an electronically-charged rock album, which makes sense given their success in this genre in their past work.

Additionally, their other single, “Final Masquerade,” is their latest single to premiere via MTV. The song is extremely radio friendly.

Mike Shinoda of Linkin Park explains the initial creation behind the song:

“I made some ‘alternative pop’ demos that sounded like they would fit in with what radio is currently playing. But then I came across a blog piece entitled ‘Rock Sucks Right Now And It’s Really Depressing.”

Shinoda continued to explain how that piece had a profound effect on what he was making with Linkin Park:

“It got me thinking. I ended up writing a response to it, and realized that what I had been working on wasn’t really what I wanted to be making.”

As for the game that will promote the band’s other single, the shooter style game world is on a devastated Earth which has been depleted of its natural resources.

According the Games Spot:

“Society and the few remaining energy stores are now under the control of machines, the Hybrids, and an elite minority. As a member of a specialized resistance unit, the player will fight through hostile territory and complete missions through judicious use of resources.”

Although Linkin Park is using this game to promote its new single, it’s also designed as a commentary on environmentalism and pollution.

No strangers to talking about important causes, Linkin Park has worked with Electronica Arts to produce music and videos related to these issues in order to promote their new album.

Linkin Park’s guitarist, Brad Delson, spoke with Guitar World about the album.

Of the experience of making the album,, Delson said:

“In terms of expectations, the highest expectations in the studio are always our own. We know we can’t go into a creative process trying to please other people. The only people we commit to pleasing is the six of us.”

As stated, Linkin Park’s album comes out on June 13.

[Image via Bing]