Free music is sweet. Forty-four free brand new Smashing Pumpkins songs is even better. Frontman Billy Corgan revealed news on his website last week that the band will be releasing their new, enormous album via free downloads in a series of releases starting this October.
Though the songs are part of an album called Teargarden by Kaleidyscope, they will not be released in a bundle. Instead, the song will begin popping up on the website around Halloween and 11 four-song “mini-boxset” EPs will be released to the public. Once all 44 songs are up, a full box-set will be assembled. These boxsets will be available for sale, in some cases with exclusive demos attached.
Corgan has always been something of a maverick in the way of online music, beating Radiohead to the punch when he released Machina II/The Friends and Enemies of Modern Music for free back in 2000, Pitchfork reports.
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Fans who purchase top-price tickets for No Doubt’s upcoming North American tour with Paramore will receive a digital copy of the band’s entire catalogue free, according to MTVNews.com.
The deal only applies to tickets of $42.50 or more, before extra fees. This excludes lower price levels and lawn seats. No Doubt fans who sign up online this Saturday (when tickets will be on sale) will receive every digital No Doubt song, starting with their 1992 debut to the 2003 release “The Singles.”
“Since the band is heading back to the road, we wanted to find a cool way to get people listening to our music and stoke them with a great deal at the same time,” said Tom Dumont, No doubt’s guitarist, in a statement. “With this download, it’s easy for fans to get psyched up to hear our music live once again, and that rocks.”
Their upcoming tour will mark the first time the band hits the road in five years.
Archive Entertainment announced on Thursday the release of Archive Games, a digital distribution platform that strives to connect independent video game developers with players. Three new independent studios have partnered with Archive Entertainment: Vultrix, Per Olofsson and 174 Studios.
Overflow, by Vultrix, is a puzzle game in which players must redirect the flow of a dangerous body of water. Gamers can draw bridges and barriers to divert and block the water. Space Pizza, by Per Olofsson, places gamers in the role of a rookie pizza delivery driver that must avoid obstacles under a time limit. Take Down Online, by 174 Studios, is still in development, but will be a combat-orientated NMO where gamers must capture points with teams as they travel by foot, humvee or helicopter.
These games can now be downloaded for free through Archive Games. For more details, visit http://www.ArchiveGames.net/.
EA and Crytek said last week they will be giving away ten free days if Crysis Wars, the new multiplayer suite for Crytek’s Crysis franchise and part of this fall’s Crysis Warhead. Crysis Wars will be free to play from December 19 until December 28.
To get the free gameplay, users can register online at www.mycrysis.com and then download Crysis Wars. After users register, they will receive a key that will be saved to their profile, allowing them to play on every online multiplayer servers from now until December 28 at 11:59 p.m. The free trail also features the Holiday Map Pack, which features the Savanna and Frost maps.
