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Video Games Are Launching Rock-n-Roll Careers
jillduffy writes "Steve Schnur, a high-level music exec at Electronic Arts, talks about how video games are launching the careers of top musical artists these days. Some of his examples: 'Avril Lavigne was first introduced to European audiences through FIFA 2003. Fabolous was first introduced in America via NBA Live, and went on to sell over 2 million albums here. JET got their American iPod commercial based on exposure in Madden 2004. Avenged Sevenfold were an unsigned act when we featured them in Madden 2004...' Schnur explains how the phenomenon is made possible by the new generation of media junkies, who feel a song becomes real when they 'play it.'"
Avril Lavigne is essentially a product created by a marketing team and her music is written in just the way that it will appeal to a label afraid of risks. By being thrust out into the public by a crack team of crap pop songwriters, she was already bound for success before appearing in the game. It's not as if any nobody with actual talent can hit it big by appearing in games.
Creativity kills the music industry which runs on the status quo, that top 40 set of songs that we've been listening to for years that lately has been used to associate with product placement.
I like the idea of HACKING Guitar Hero by uploading your own songs.
I mean, if I'm going to shell out at least $200 for a joystick shaped like a guitar and some game with 70 songs when I can get a modestly priced electric guitar for less than than or a really nice acoustic guitar (like a Dobro) and learn how to play some songs from a website or a music instructor (I know a good teacher who charges $14 per session and you get to jam with other people learning how to play), then I think I should damn well be able to play songs not part of the game.
Best of all, I actually know how to play the guitar, get chicks, and won't have something like this happen when the game is over.
The Rapture is NOT an exit strategy.