John Gaudiosi | Industry Gamers
Gene Simmons knows business as well as he knows rock n roll. In addition to selling over 100 million records and DVDs, he’s turned KISS into a licensing behemoth that includes over 3,000 items ranging from condoms to coffins. Now the star of the hit reality TV series, “Gene Simmons Family Jewels”, has entered the technology space with Ortsbo (Ortsbo.com). The rock legend has joined the digital language translation company, in part, because he speaks five languages (English, Hebrew, Hungarian, German, and some Japanese) and is learning Mandarin.
Simmons, who was at the Sundance Film Festival with comic book legend Stan Lee last week, talks about how Ortsbo, and technology, is changing music, and the world, and offers his thoughts on music video games in this exclusive IndustryGamers interview. Note near the end his comments on securing an Angry Birds game deal and that he’s in talks with Sony PlayStation as well.
IndustryGamers: What role can Ortsbo play in helping people learn new languages and connect with other cultures?
Gene Simmons: It is really a fascinating idea. If you have a moment today and you know anybody overseas or anywhere that speaks another language, all they need is a text device or an email device and you can use Orstbo for free. There’s nothing to join and it works with your online experience like Facebook, MSN, Twitter and it’s even in the Apple Store for iPad and iPhone. Once you’re in there you type in whoever it is that you want to communicate with and they will receive your texts or emails in real-time in their language. And you’ll receive responses in English. They don’t even have to be on Ortsbo to communicate with you. We already have 50 million unique visitors from over 170 countries.
IG: You mentioned Facebook, how can Ortsbo impact casual online gamers who play Zynga and other games online?
GS: Well, of course it’s the connection. Anywhere people try and communicate and have a language barrier we are now making those connections. Gaming, of course, but we’re also helping the military, and branching into education. Even in America you have something like 20 million “illegal” immigrants who have language difficulties, but everybody has a cell phone. If you’re in a third world country, even before food, you have a cell phone. That’s the amazing thing. Ortsbo is really going to help humanity, if I may be so bold.
IG: What’s your favorite piece of technology that you can’t live without today?
GS: I suppose my cell phone because it’s all things. It’s got my computer in there. I can text and take videos and photos, and that’s about all I need for. But I can certainly access Ortsbo on my cell phone. I can vocally record ideas if I’m writing a song. So that’s pretty much the handheld device that’s the all in one.
“While the gaming world is waiting for the KISS games that are going to explode, we’re busy taking the brand to places where no band has gone before.”
IG: Back in the day Gathering of Developers released a KISS Psycho Circus video game. What opportunities do you potentially see out there for KISS and videogames?
GS: Well, we’re talking with Sony games now. We are really trying to take it in areas that haven’t been done before and have stayed out of the marketplace because the ideas simply weren’t exciting enough. So while the gaming world is waiting for the KISS games that are going to explode, we’re busy taking the brand to places where no band has gone before. So Hello Kitty is one of the biggest brands on planet Earth. Now there’s KISS Hello Kitty, which we’ve already launched in 90 countries. We’re talking with Angry Birds, KISS and Angry Birds, which will become a deal. The KISS and the Archie world have now teamed up and the first issues of KISS Archie comic books hits the world this month. KISS golf courses are starting in Las Vegas right across from the Hard Rock. That opens in January. It’s just endless what we can do, but we only do things when it’s right. Just because there are games, and just because there’s this or that out there, unless the deal is right and unless the content is exciting to our fans, we don’t do it.
IG: How have you seen gaming impact the music industry over the years?
GS: Technology has impacted the music industry in more ways than even it understands. People think it’s about the Internet, but it’s usually a cold experience. You’re just watching it. The more you get involved, the more it connects with you and the more you’re doing it and the more you control the music and the visuals, the more it becomes important. It becomes a part of you. Guitar Hero is pretty addictive. Once you play it, it’s going to be tough not to want to get up in the middle of the night either alone when nobody is looking, or with your friends.
IG: What’s the last video game you played?
GS: Nicholas brought me in and we started playing — I can’t tell you what the name of it was — but all of a sudden I’m on another reality and I’m being chased. The Angry Birds people were up here and we sat down and we played Angry Birds. We blew some buildings apart, catapulted some of the birds, and then their eggs were stolen.
IG: You were the voice of the demigod in Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock, but we’re not seeing new Guitar Hero or Rock Band games this year. What are your thoughts about the potential future for music video games?
GS: I think people got used to it and somebody’s going to have to find a new way to use that. Music isn’t going anywhere. People want that. You just have to figure where and how music is going to be used. Maybe just the cliché of a band up there and a guy with a guitar on the neck, whether you have to go through the Portals of Hell or not, maybe with music the videogames are going to have to be more like Warcraft with more story and be more character-driven.