Vancouver-based LBC Studios, which specializes in cannabis-themed games, has created a new game featuring Reggae icon Bob Marley, under license from the Marley family.
However, despite ganja usage being a part of Marley’s Rastafari faith and LBC being a studio founded in 2015 with a mission to make games about marijuana, the new game dubbed Bob Marley’s World Tour, which is set for release in November 2022, does not feature any ganja, but focuses solely on the Reggae icon’s music.
LBC describes the game on its website as: “An all-new rhythm game that brings an authentic, Bob Marley experience to fans in different cities through funky music and epic performances.”
According to the Canadian company, Bob Marley’s World Tour is a “free-to-play mobile rhythm game that will let players perform original songs of Marley’s and remixes from a variety of genres, with RPG band building progression”.
LBC co-founder Solon Bucholtz told GamesIndustry.biz that the reason marijuana was omitted from the game was due to the fact that when the decision was made to create the Bob Marley World Tour, he and his colleagues wanted to make sure they were building a game, not just for Marley fans and music fans, but for real gamers.
As a consequence, they had to make sure it was accessible to as many as possible, since some cannabis games were unable to be distributed in some countries, “strictly based on the content”.
He said that because Bob Marley is a global brand with a global impact, in considering the design of the game, the creators also wanted it to be rated for a younger audience, and be accessible globally.
“And we wanted it to be a product the platforms could get behind. Whether you’re a kid who’s new to Marley’s music or an adult who’s grown up with Bob’s music and his philanthropy and beliefs, you could share that experience together. So the Marley game itself has no cannabis in it,” he explained.
According to Bucholtz, despite there being “some aspects of cannabis that obviously were very important to Bob and his beliefs”, he does not think “think that’s the driving force”.
“And we put enough emphasis on many of the other areas Bob is remembered for today and has a meaningful impact on today in the game that that omission isn’t a negative result in the overall experience or the authenticity we’re delivering,” he stated.
“When most people think of Bob Marley, there’s probably a song that comes to mind. But then there’s the underlying messages that tie to his beliefs as well, around philanthropy, around unity, around bringing people together, and an underlying very positive and non-divisive message. That’s where we wanted to emphasize our focus on the game,” he added.
Bucholtz said that in due course, the company will expand the song list beyond the Marley family to include musicians who were either influenced by or supportive of his music.
“For us it was a natural fit. Music fits well with our audience, Bob Marley is a natural fit, and our team was just genuinely excited to be the stewards of such a popular and well-respected brand and bringing that to the mobile game space,” he stated.
In December 2020, High Roller Games, a Canadian company that specializes in licensed board games, made the Reggae icon the epicentre of its newest game titled Bob Marley: The Game of Peace, Love and Unity.
The board game, which costs $US55, is built or two to four players, sees players forming a band and go out on a Marley inspired world-tour. At the time of its release, it was described by High Roller, which is based in Kelowna, as its biggest ever projects.
Both games support One Tree Planted, the Marley family’s preferred charity, which works toward reforestation worldwide.