We worked with Microsoft and electropop artist M83 to reimagine what a music video could be. In order to explore new frontiers in interactive art and music, we engaged a team of up-and-coming developers to build a game inspired by his track. The resulting web browser game, titled “Meet Me At Go!”, takes music fans on an unexpected journey through the song as they race through a retro-futuristic cityscape, dodging obstacles and collecting objects in pursuit of their love. The experience draws inspiration from the 8-bit world and the aesthetic of classic arcade games and the package included an 8-bit remix of “Go!”. The project was creatively inspired by frontman Anthony Gonzalez’s love for retro video games, as well as themes from the song itself. The game was optimized for touchscreen-based computers like Microsoft’s Surface Book, and for Microsoft Edge, where users can access bonus content.

After receiving stems from artist M83 last spring we produced an 8-bit remix of his song ‘Go!’, which would be used to inspire the game play. The lyrics helped guide the narrative and the 80's sound brought to life the retro landscape. The game developers and sound designers worked hand-in-hand over the course of three months to create a music-driven experience. The desktop browser game was built with the Unity game-development platform, then integrated to the campaign website to reach a global audience. It was made available on the Windows Store, to connect with the indie game community that is present on the platform. The developers also worked with the Microsoft team to optimize the game for the Surface tablet and Microsoft Edge. The game was released on February 7, 2017 alongside the official “Go! Remixes” EP via Mute Records.

The game has had over 200,000 users with an average session lasting 2:47 minutes. 49% of fans played the game on Microsoft Edge, and over 90% used Windows OS. The game scored 4.6/5 on the Windows store, with reviews demonstrating a high level of brand love and sentiment. This helped drive organic conversation that saw #musicxtech generate over 280 thousand impressions. The campaign has engaged over 850 thousand fans to date. Many credible publications spanning technology, music and culture (SPIN, Pitchfork, Fast Company, Hypebeast) celebrated the game and EP culminating in over 233 million impressions. The cost per impression has been calculated as $0.0011. In consumer research 79% of the “creators” surveyed said they are interested in learning more about Microsoft technology as a result of the Music x Technology program. After viewing video content, target audiences believe Microsoft’s best days are ahead of it.