Getting Up gets in stores

Getting one's first game into stores is never easy, but it's rarely more difficult than it was for Marc Ecko. The fashion mogul is taking his first shot at the gaming industry, and after several obstacles, he has finally seen his game ship to stores for the PlayStation 2, Xbox, and PC, courtesy of publisher Atari and developer The Collective.

Marc Ecko's Getting Up: Contents Under Pressure drew ire from several politicians because of its potential to spawn copycat behavior in its users. Unlike other games scrutinized by public figures, Getting Up isn't about stealing cars, engaging in lascivious acts with prostitutes, or killing cops. The main theme in Getting Up is graffiti, which, depending on how one looks at it, is either an art form or a nuisance.

The gameplay is a microcosm of the controversy that surrounds it. The lead character, Trane (voiced by hip-hop star Talib Kweli), heads out into New Radius, a city (as Atari puts it) "where freedom of expression is suppressed by a tyrannical city government." Trane's goal is to earn respect by placing his graffiti tags around the city in hard-to-reach and visible places, while avoiding rival crews, the wrath of the overbearing mayor, and the city's hired Civil Conduct Keepers.

The game has attracted plenty of Hollywood talent, musicians, and well-known graffiti artists. Among the actors providing voice talent for the game are Rosario Dawson (Sin City), Brittany Murphy (8 Mile), and Sean "Diddy" Combs (Carlito's Way: Rise to Power). Providing beats for the game's hip-hop soundtrack are RJD2, Rakim of Erik B. and Rakim, Kweli, and System of a Down's Serj's remix of a Notorious B.I.G. song.

Atari is hoping all the celebrity talent will pay off. The publisher is in the midst of a dismal financial year, with its latest earnings report seeing a year-on-year drop-off in revenue of more than a third.

Marc Ecko's Getting Up: Contents Under Pressure is rated M for Mature and retails for $49.99. A limited edition with bonus features is also available for $59.99. For more information, check back later today for a review of the game, or check out GameSpot's previous coverage.