More McFly news - the Super Site (sort of) explained
12 comments | Published by Laura Brooks |
Right you lot, thank you for supporting McFly Day on teentoday.co.uk. We had fun, did you? Hit ‘see more’ and you can get some details about the Super Site that the band are launching later in the year.
- Firstly, the Super Site represents a totally new model for connencting with fans and distributing music pioneered by the band and their label. The band themselves invested their own money into it.
- Simply put, it is a Flash virtual world / website.
- This isn’t a Habbo Hotel clone. Instead it is a custom-built virtual world into which the boys having actually been green-screened (they were filmed from all angles and their likeness is in the site - it’s not actually Honey, I Shrunk The Kids).
- Everyone will be able to access the site and engage with the band, in some way, free of charge.
- However a subscription will give you full access to the site. Including the boys’ bedrooms. Now I don’t know about you, but we’d happily spend all our riches (not much) for the chance to spend a night in Dougie’s room.
- More seriously (boooooo) full access includes the ability to download all the band’s music, demos and unmixed tracks, as well as other audio, and access video content and web chats.
- We saw things like how-to guitar lessons with Danny, plus there was the mention of rarities and never-heard-before tracks and even music by the band’s family, friends and producers (guess who?) and their own side projects all part of the subscription… [it goes on].
- This fan community will reward people for supporting the band and contributing to the website’s Super Site’s community using a points mechanism. Although we’re not sure how that links into your subscription and the $$$ you pay up.
- Rewards include discounts to gigs and priority tickets, the chance for meet and greets (and hugs), freebies, and even one-on-one webchats (which sadly would probably be a lot more wholesome than it sounds) amongst various other things.
- A bit like twitcam and other ‘webchats’, you will be able to communicate with the band, but better than that it includes a custom-built vote functionality that allows people to pick A,B,C or D and help the band make decisions whilst ensuring everyone is heard. Presumably the ‘ignoring’ comes when you all pick the worst track on the album to be released.
- EXCITING - importantly the Super Site should see the band release their music GLOBALLY at the same time. Good news for the fans in South America everywhere outside the UK at last!
- It’s basically a well-executed in4merz (and other similar points-for-promotion type sites), pumped up on protein shakes, steroids and a military work out, with a bit of subscription thrown in.
- It’s definitely a needs-to-be-seen-to-be-believed type thing. We’ve seen (and planned out) some rather impressive websites in our time, as well as good old teentoday.co.uk, but it was obvious this isn’t a website-in-a-box type experience. Our lowly expectations were quickly surpassed and we reckon yours will be too.
- The EXACT detail of what was on offer is yet to be 100% confirmed and committed to but we did the right thing for our beloved TTers and spoke with Fletch about the importance of ensuring that this wasn’t one of those generic fanclub sites that promise the world and then just send you a lollipop on your birthday. WE WANT OUR MONEY BACK MARIAH. This definitely isn’t the case.
- If you want our 100% honest opinion as to whether this is a cruel attempt by the band to exploit their fanbase and land a massive pay day the answer is NO. Actually it feels like a genuine idea to create a global community of McFly fans and distribute music to them in the fairest way possible. And it’s great to see a relatively young group lead and pioneer this type this new way of thinking. Good work Tom, Harry, Dougie and Danny!
MORE MCFLY DAY:
I’ll Be Your Man review.
Shine A Light review.
McFly news round-up one.
Tommy and Danny’s favourite Pret EXCLUSIVE.
What do you think of the boys' plans for their website? Shit or hit?
mcflysupporters
CAN’TWAIT.
i loooooooooooove mcfly.
staceeey
sounds amazing. mcfly care sooo much for their fans an it shows.
MASSIVELY looking forward to this year an finding out exactly what the boys have in store for us.
mcfly forever! :D
Harriet
Well, I was excited before. Now I’m… um… MORE EXCITED!!
Esmerelda
I’m sad to say that while I’ve been with the boys since the beginning, all the reviews are really not extending my love of them. Unfortunately, I don’t think I’m gonna be a big fan of this new style they’re trying out. Autotune and synth aren’t really my thing. Still, if this style of music helps the guys get positive reviews from the critics and expand their global audience, I’ll still be happy for them. Am just hoping most of the fans don’t end up feeling alienated like me. Fingers crossed there’s enough oldschool McFly (ie. more pop/rock, less electric) to keep me interested. I’ve invested far too much into these guys and really, super, EXTREMELY hoping I won’t be completely disappointed (please, please, please, PLEAAASEEE)!
On the other hand, the SuperSite sounds freaking amaaazing! I absolutely love the concept and it’s completely revolutionary. I reckon I’d be willing to sign up to paid subscription. Really seems like it’ll be worth it and I trust the boys considering they seem really passionate about this project (and have put a lot of time and money into it).
pray4love
can’t wait, seriously!
it’s gonna be amazing autumn with mcfly.
sarah lou
i think i prefer in4merz.com, after all they don’t charge u and although it’s only £6 a month, i don’t c why i should pay a band to help them + i can promote lots of acts that i like, not just 1
aimelove
the jonas brothers did something similar to this, not in the virtual world free music thing, but they did a points based promotion system a couple of years ago & it was really good. it helped the fans feel more involved & jobro fans are always trying to boost the band so it gave them recognition for the work they do. i dont know if it’s still going (kinda got fed up with them) but i do know, that while i was apart of it, i felt that alot of the rewards were very america based which alienated & demotivated me. mcfly should be careful of doing that with non-uk fans, but of course universal release is a step forward to combat that :D
seems exciting!
sophielovesmcfly
Sounds fantastic! I’m really excited, especially about the full access stuff (I’m definitely going to be coughing up cash for that subscription!) like the priority tickets and meet-and-greets.
All in all, it sounds like a great idea; I do hope that my expectations are too high though.
allabout
i think it sounds really really cool, and i’m so excited. but it’s a problem that we have to pay.. a lot of fans around the world won’t be able to pay for it! and that’s, i think, a bit unfair.. anyway, great idea and good work McFly!
Sean
Their management have been going around for ages trying to sell this idea to online companies, in an attempt to get them to build / part fund it.
Its a nice idea, pay us a modest fee, get access to all our music and stuff for free for life… but the model will collapse in a year or so once all the fans who want it have bought it.
Their physical releases will suffer, boxsets, greatest hits etc will be something they will only be able to wish for.
I think they’ve essentially signed their own P45’s for 2012
Matt
I don’t understand why some people are so negative and pesimistic? Maybe we should wait and see what the Super Site’s like before talking it down. This could well be the future for how band’s and fans interact with eachother and how band’s can share content with their fans all over the world! We should (in my opinion) celebrate the fact that a British band like Mcfly care enough about their fans to take a risk they really don’t have to take. It COULD be amazing!!
I’m VERY excited and want to urge everyone to at least be open minded about what could be the start of a revolution!
Julia
@Matt, well said! I agree with you, this is a grea idea and I’m sure it’ll take the music industry on another level (wow, sounds like a high hope!) It’s just a human nature to think negatively, some people have a real knack to it xD
@Sean considering that it’s most likely to be a monthly payment, it won’t collapse in a year or two. I think if they really contribute this much to the site, it’ll be a next big thing in IT world as well as music
@Sara lou knowing how much the band put effort to deliver their art to fans, their willing to socialise with them and true interest to fan’s opinion, I think a little fee won’t hurt feeling or pockets of those who consider themselves fans.
Thank you TT for all these amazing reviews and articles! They’re gonna have me busy for the next couple of days as I’m going to translate it and post in Russian McFly boards
Credits are guaranteed, of course!