1982 · Data Age · Action · Arcade

Journey Escape

Atari exclusive

You're on the road with the rock band Journey! After each concert, your goal is to guide the five band members to the escape vehicle so they can get to the next concert on time. You start with $50,000 from the concert and need to guide one band member at a time; the screen scrolls vertically, and you need to get past the crowds and various obstacles before time runs out. Trying to slow you down are numerous fans, reporters, promoters, and photographers.

Released: 1982
Platforms: Atari 2600
Genres: Action Arcade
Developers: Data Age
Publishers: —
Modes: Single-player
Perspective: Bird view / Isometric
Themes: Action
Country: United States
Languages: English

About

Journey Escape is an action video game developed and published by Data Age for the Atari 2600, and released in January 1983. It stars the rock band Journey, a band that had recently sold six million copies of its newest album Escape, their number one album of all time containing the single "Don't Stop Believin'". In the game, players control band members as they escape groupies, photographers, and promoters on their way to their next concert.

Journey Escape was a mutual endeavor by Data Age and Journey, who had both come up with the idea of a video game based around the band independently. It was designed by J. Ray Dettling, a former science fiction writer and physicist who worked closely with Journey creative director Jim Welch. 5 million in television advertisement for the game, in addition to promotion by Journey via a live tour in 1983.

Keywords

management

Media

The articlegameplay, story, development, reception

Gameplay

The player must lead the band members to their "Scarab Escape Vehicle" (as featured on the cover) and protect the concert cash from "love-crazed" groupies, sneaky photographers, stage barriers and "shifty-eyed" promoters. Assisting the player are roadies, which provide short periods of immunity to obstacles, and The Manager, which allows the player to move to the Scarab completely unhindered. The screen scrolls vertically non-stop, although the speed can be controlled; the player moves side to side to dodge the aforementioned obstacles.

Story

From the game's manual:

You're on the road with Journey, one of the world's hottest rock groups. A spectacular performance has just ended. Now it's up to you to guide each Journey Band Member past hordes of Love-Crazed Groupies, Sneaky Photographers, and Shifty-Eyed Promoters to the safety of the Journey Escape Vehicle in time to make the next concert. Your mighty manager and loyal roadies are there to help, but the escape is up to you!

Development

Journey Escape is based on the San Francisco-based rock band Journey, which had recently released their seventh studio album titled Escape. Escape sold over six million copies by the end of 1982. It ended up being their best selling album of all time and contained their hit single "Don't Stop Believin'". Journey already had strong ties to video games, they had provided songs for the Tron soundtrack and drummer Steve Smith was a previous high score champion in Defender.

According to bassist Ros Valory, he and Smith had first encountered Defender in an arcade in Japan. Smith went on to buy his own Defender and Stargate arcade machines, which went on tour with the band and were placed backstage. According to the band's manager Herbie Herbert, Journey was already in talks to produce its own video game when management was approached by Robert Rice, the vice president of marketing at Data Age, with the same idea. A licensing arrangement was made within the span of an hour.