Ringtones? In your video games? It's more likely than you'd think.

 

Grand Theft Auto IV has recently hit the shelves and made a splash with gamers, as expected. It has also encountered its usual controversy, as expected, despite the game's adult ratings. But here's something interesting about this go-around: in addition to new characters, new storylines, and new missions, the game has a huge focus on the cell phone of the main character, Niko.

 

Niko's cell phone is an integral part of the game. It is used to call friends in the game, find jobs to earn cash and respect, or even for starting online games with other players. The phone is particularly interesting, as it functions like a real phone -- it can be customized with accessories and ringtones, as well as accept and send text messages.

 

This just goes to show how ubiquitous the cell phone has become in our society. When the game first came out, there were no customizable cell phones in it, nor was there the opportunity for the players to use the character's phone. It's a brave new world, though, and the gaming industry took a chance that people would be interested in playing a game that realistic and interactive. Not surprisingly, it has paid off.

 

The Grand Theft Auto series is property of Rockstar Games, and the entire franchise is one of the most successful ones in modern video game history.

 

 

In fact, the Pakistani Taliban organization hates music so much, they have not only banned commuters from listening to music in their cars, but they have also banned musical ringtones for all phones in the tribal areas of the country. In other news, you can get cell phone service in tribal areas of Pakistan. Which leaves me wondering why, exactly, I can't get my phone to work in certain areas of New York.

 

Maulvi Faqir Muhammad, who is a spokesman for the group called Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, said anyone violating the laws would be punished under Islamic laws, though he did not specify what the specific punishment would be.

 

The group has recently stepped back from peace negotiations with the Pakistani government, and has been flexing its might since. Recently, they have also demanded men grow proper beards within two months, and are finding new ways to enforce Islamic law, also known as Shariah.

 

Because they generally look down on music, it is no shock that they would also be against musical ringtones. Still, it's a shame that people have to live under such oppressive rules.

Have you been trying to figure out new and innovative ways to show the world you care about endangered species and rare animals? Look no further, thanks to the Center for Biological Diversity. Rather than just putting some bumper sticker on your car that will fade over time or telling people about your cause, you can now have a phone that rings with the sounds of animals.

 

Birds are the most popular downloads on the site, though they also offer other animals such as bears, alligators, wolves, whales, and other awesome animal noises. The site hopes to raise awareness about the state of the earth and the animals on it.

 

There is but a catch: to get the free ringtones, you have to sign up for an e-mail newsletter from the group. Of course, since this is actually a useful e-mail for activists and animal enthusiasts alike, there's no reason to complain about that!

 

The free endangered animal ringtones can be found at the Center For Biological Diversity Web site. They're perfect choice for the socially and environmentally conscious... and while they seem an unlikely pairing, they really do make perfect sense.

 

The ringtone charts this week don't have any massive shake-ups, but there has been some action on the hottest songs emanating from people's phones all over the United States.

 

The song's position this week is followed by last week's position in parenthesis.

 

1 (1) Grupo Montez De Durango - "Adios Amor Te Vas"

This song has been holding steady at #1 and has been on the charts for an astounding 58 weeks now.

 

2 (2) Koji Kondo - "Super Mario Brothers Theme"

Mario might well be one of the most popular video game characters of all time -- and this is proven by the song's 158-week run on the ringtone charts.

 

3 (5) Henry Mancini - "Pink Panther"

Another perennial -- the Pink Panther is an enduring character.

 

4 (3) Afroman - "Because I Got High"

This song is down one from its peak at #3, but it is unlikely to fall off the chart any time soon.

 

5 (4) 50 Cent featuring Olivia - "Candy Shop"

168 weeks and counting... this proves two things: people love the candy shop and they love 50 Cent.

 

6 (6) Soulja Boy - "Crank That (Souljah Boy)"

People really like Supermaning their hoes, it seems.

 

7 (7) Nickelback - "Rockstar"

It's amusing that most people claim to hate this band, and yet they sell millions of everything they do.

 

8 (new) Flo Rida featuring T-Pain - "Low"

This song is heading straight for the top, as it makes it debut at #8 on the chart this week.

 

9 (9) 50 Cent & Olivia - "Best Friend"

It's clear that 50 Cent and Olivia are a winning combination!

 

10 (12) Tupac - "I Ain't Mad At Cha"

It's amazing that a dead man can be just as, if not more, popular than he was when he was alive.

 

As I said, not too much motion on this week's chart. That said, keep an eye on Flo Rida and T-Pain, as the two of them should be pretty much unstoppable. The buzz on newcomer Flo Rida is immense, and combined with a name as strong as T-Pain, I'd expect this song to dominate for quite some time.

 

 

 

 

 

The story of RingtoneFeeder's beginnings is a humble one.

 

Two friends, Geoff and Klaus, were using iChat [what else] when they decided they were not pleased with the iPhone-specific ringtones that were available. Rather than complain, or just deal with it, they took matters into their own hands and started creating original music that they optimized specifically for the iPhone and the way it processes sound. And with those initial creations, RingtoneFeeder was born.

 

The site offers a subscription service where, for $1.98 per month [or a discounted $19.98 per year], users will automatically get at least one brand-new ringtone every week. Upon subscription, the user also gets the five latest. The service should appeal to collectors of all types, as once the ringtones have been delivered, they will not be re-released, meaning: the earlier someone signs up, the more ringtones they will collect.

 

Of course, there are some drawbacks. Because they are composing and writing the songs themselves, subscribers will not get the hottest hit songs out there. Further, there is no guarantee as to whether or not the user will even like the ringtone of the week, since they're original songs and are automatically delivered. Nonetheless, the low price point does make it somewhat worth the risk -- if you're a risk taker who likes truly original ringtones.

 

The company currently only delivers ringtones for iPhones, but they have not ruled out creating and promoting a similar service for other handsets. If you're interested in their original creations, you can check out the site at http://www.ringtonefeeder.com

Burger King is well known for its $1 Value Menu, which has saved many a hungry college student's day. And now that famous Value Menu is taking a new turn -- by way of a partnership with Virgin Mobile -- and offering $1 ringtones. Although the selection, which is available at www.virginmobileusa.com, is quite limited [just like the restaurant's dollar menu, when you think about it!] it does offer fans a chance to get songs by some hot new artists at an affordable price.

 

Some of the more popular artists included on the special Burger King-branded menu include:

Danity Kane

Goo Goo Dolls

Lupe Fiasco

Big & Rich

Metallica

Jason Mraz

 

The company decided to target diverse audiences, by hitting many different genres with their offerings. The ringtone offer is for a limited time only, and more than anything, is an interesting look at cross-company promotion. Burger King has one of the best ad agencies around, as they are one of the few who have had success with viral campaigns and quirky, innovative commercials. While ringtones and fast food don't naturally go together, Burger King has largely been bulletproof in its advertising offerings for the past few years. It makes perfect sense for Virgin Mobile to choose to attach themselves to such an established brand and to be one of the first to somewhat feed off of Burger King's online and real-world advertising success.

 

That said, a word of warning: the company will be promoting Burger King via WAP ads and SMS advertising. Of course, this comes hand in hand with the $1 ringtone, and could ultimately be the downfall of the campaign. People really dislike SMS advertising, for one, and it seems a bit strange to charge someone $1 for the ringtone and then add them to a mass advertising list. Time will tell if this strategy works for the companies....

 

 

There was a time when Gold and Platinum status were reserved for the most elite albums and singles, and nothing more. But times have changed drastically, and The CRIA [Canadian Recording Industry Association] has decided to go with the flow and will now be awarding Gold and Platinum status to ringtone downloads.

 

In order to qualify for Gold status, a ringtone must be downloaded 20,000 times. Platinum status is awarded when sales double Gold, at 40,000. Interestingly enough, for an album to go Gold, it must still sell 50,000 copies and for Platinum, 100,000. When the CRIA began recognizing MP3 sales in a similar fashion, they chose the 20,000/40,000 model that they have applied to ringtones, as well.

 

Some people wonder why on earth the CRIA would choose to recognize the sale of ringtones in this way. It is a fair question with a simple answer: in 2007, 45% of the digital music sales in Canada were ringtones. The other 55% were MP3 sales. It is entirely possible that by the end of 2008, we'll see ringtone sales surpass MP3 sales.

 

It is not surprising that ringtones sell as well as they do. Ringtones, which were never readily available over peer to peer networks, as MP3s have been, have always been a file that people bought. When it comes to adapting to new technology, much of the way it sells is determined by habit. And people are in the habit of paying for ringtones, far more so than they are for individual songs or albums. This accounts for the staggering numbers of ringtone sales.

 

In the first week of certification, the CRIA awarded 43 ringtones Platinum status and 17 ringtones were certified Gold. And it goes well beyond that -- Akon's hit song "Smack That" was certified 8x Platinum, with over 320,000 downloads to date.

 

With sales like that and official chart and Gold/Platinum designations, one thing is for certain: ringtones are here to stay.

 

Ringtones can be fun, but don't be fooled: Choosing a ringtone is a big responsibility. You never know when someone is going to call you, so you have to choose a ringtone that will be appropriate regardless of where you are or what you're doing.

 

For example, here are some situations where the wrong ringtone could be pretty awkward...

 

Click here to read the rest...

 

Is there anything a movie fan looks forward to more than the summer movie season? It's the time of the year when the studios pull out all the stops - and the big guns. Not sure what the big ones for this year will be? Look no further - here's the breakdown.

 

It definitely looks like it should be a big summer, with lots of action, huge opening weekends, and a bunch of studio executives laughing and smiling their way to the bank.

 

Click here to read more...

Hi guys,

 

You may have noticed that I haven't been around or made any news posts the past few days. That's because I have bad news and good news. The bad news first:

Shoutmouth, in its current form, is ceasing to exist. We'll be taking down the forums, and everything will be changing. This came as a sad surprise to me. I really love this site, especially now that all you guys have signed up and helped make it so awesome. So I'm sorry to bring such bad news.

That said, here's the good news. Because I refuse to give up on the dream [writing about emo/punk/etc. music] and couldn't stand the idea of taking the community apart, I made a new site for you guys. It's called Emo, Punk, and Beyond (that's emopunkandbeyond.com). I'll still be making news posts over there, and there's a kick-ass forum set up as well. And it's a really pretty purple site, because I like making purple sites. :)

Thanks for everything you did for this site. I hope to see you all on Emo, Punk, and Beyond, and we'll just carry on our party over there. The only thing that will change on my end is I will be updating in the evenings/nights because this has ceased to be my day job, and I'll be doing other work during the day.

If you guys have any questions, leave them on the first post over there, or e-mail me at emopunkandbeyond@gmail.com.

 

♥ pixie