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UAPB FOOTBALL TEAM, M4 PLAY IN VIDEO GAME

By Erin France/OF THE COMMERCIAL STAFF
Saturday, September 5, 2009 8:59 PM CDT

Golden Lions will roar onto the virtual field with the Black College Football Xperience — The Doug Williams Edition on the Xbox 360.

The game, due in September, features the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff as one of 36 historically black colleges and universities starring in football, drumline and band competitions.

The Black College Football Xperience Bus will offer trials at UAPB’s home game against Alcorn State University Oct. 1, said publicist Lisa Sorensen.

“On the bus, the students will be able to experience the game itself,” Sorensen said. The stop is a part of a nationwide tour to promote the game.

UAPB’s athletic director Skip Perkins said he’s excited to see the university highlighted.

“That Alcorn game is going to be unbelievable,” Perkins said. “They’re highlighting and showcasing and they’ll have some test samples out there.”

‘Didn’t miss a beat’

“It’s an exciting game with many firsts,” Sorensen said.

Co-publisher Nerjyzed Entertainment Inc., wanted a positive game targeted toward the African American demographic, she said.

Nerjyzed Entertainment is a privately held, African American owned digital media entertainment company located in Baton Rouge, La. The game will be co-published by Aspyr Media Inc., a company in Austin.

Perkins said from his knowledge the game is well researched and accurate.

“They really did their due diligence. They did a lot of research. They got the correct pictures, they got the correct layout. Shoot, they might have even talked to the ticket manager to see if they have a layout and everything,” Perkins said. “From my understanding they didn’t miss a beat.”

Besides the football, extra features include an interactive half-time show and drum line challenge.

The game also has an educational portion, Sorensen added.

“There is a legacy museum that actually teaches the players about the history of black college football and the history of HBCUs,” she said.

Additional songs by the campus bands, including the Marching Musical Machine of the Mid-South, are found on the game’s jukebox.

“I was there when we recorded some of the schools in the game like Texas Southern, Tuskegee, JC Smith, and UAPB,” said Brian Jackson, Nerjyzed’s creative design director. “By far, hands down, UAPB was the most symphonic of all the bands. Their musicianship is amazing.”

‘The atmosphere’

“During the game, when you’re playing (UAPB) you’ll hear M4 in the stands,” Jackson said.

A graduate of Howard University, Jackson said the idea for the game was exciting from the start.

“I always wanted to work on a black college football game,” he said. “It was a dream come true for me.”

And the band component is just as important as the football for many fans, he said.

“When I was at Howard University we would camp out the night before just so we could sit by the band,” Jackson said.

‘Geeked Up’

Golden Lions can expect to hear UAPB’s fight song and alma mater as well as their version of “talking out the side of your neck,” by Cameo, Jackson said.

For an extra level of authenticity, he said, the company recorded HBCU students dancing and cheering.

“Not only do we actually have the real students,” he said. “They also do the moves.”

Perkins said the football players are excited about seeing the final product.

“They’re pretty geeked up about it,” he said. “I don’t get into the games but I am interested in seeing the graphics and seeing the players. To see how they showcase and highlight different schools — it’s huge for us.”

Staff writer Troy Schulte contributed to this article.

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