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.'"

Assosciation

[Degreeless]

There's definatly something in this, when I'm playing a game the music becomes assosciated with something from the game; a plot point, a grand set-piece, or even just the elation of victory. From this an assosciation is built so that when the music is heard its subconsciously linked to those gaming moments and if these moments were good it can fire the desire to hear the song again.

Perhaps not the most scientific of proofs but from personal experience it holds water.

Re:They already had their break

[Kinthelt]

Nice theories. Too bad they get shot down by the fact that she writes her own songs.

The claim about Avenged Sevenfold is disingenuous.

[Mr. Heavy]

With their usage of the term "unsigned," they're trying to imply that nobody had heard of the band previously, when they were in fact on two labels that were at the time pretty well-known in the metalcore and punk scenes (Good Life and Hopeless). They happened to be in between contracts. Whoop-dee-doo.

Re:They already had their break

[Tuidjy]

Having been born in the 60s, Guitar Hero was mostly a trip into memory lane for me. But I did buy Jonathan Coulton CDs because of Portal, and I would have never ended up as one of Chiasm's fans without Vampires: Bloodlines. I have to admit that I have been introduced to quite a few bands through video games. But this is only to be expected. Video Games have completely displaced TV for me, and as for radio, the stations to which I listen tend play songs from the 80s and 90s.

It were not for Oktober/Ozzfest and opening bands, where would I hear the new stuff :-)

Re:They already had their break

[MMMDI]

Wait, what? GH3 has the bonus bands this time around...

An Endless Sporadic - Impulse
Backyard Babies - Minus Celsius
Bret Michaels Band - Go That Far
Die Toten Hosen - Hier kommit Alex
Dope - Nothing For Me Here
Dragonforce - Through the Fire and the Flames
Fall of Troy - FCP Remix
Gallows - In the Belly of a Shark
The Hellacopters - I'm in the Band
Heroes del Silencio - Avalancha
In Flames - Take This Life
Kaiser Chiefs - Ruby
Killswitch Engage - My Curse
LA Slum Lords - Down N Dirty
Lacuna Coil - Closer
Lions - Metal Heavy Lady
NAAST - Mauvis Garcon
Prototype - The Way It Ends
Revolverheld - Generation Rock
Rise Against - Prayer of the Refugee
Scouts of St. Sebastian- In Love
Senses Fail - Can't Be Saved
The Sleeping - Don't Hold Back
The Stone Roses - She Bangs the Drums
Superbus - Radio Song

Re:They already had their break

[HAKdragon]

For what it's worth, Aspyr is only responsible for the PC and Mac port of the game. The PS3 and 360 versions of the game were done by Neversoft.

Re:They already had their break

[R2P2]

I meant the *same* bonus bands that were in the first two Guitar Hero games:

Anarchy Club
Count Zero
Freezepop
Honest Bob and the Factory-to-Dealer Incentives

All of them were in the first two Guitar Hero games, and none of them are in Guitar Hero 3. Count Zero is the only one that's _not_ on the Rock Band disc, and they still got a track in through the Official Xbox Magazine.

And yes, I *know* it's because Rock Band was made by Harmonix and GH3 was made by Neversoft, and I'd say Rock Band has a huge advantage simply because it was made by people who make music games (and music - employees are in a lot of the bonus bands), not people who make skateboarding games.

It isn't all about rock

[westlake]

Consider the video game credits of Grammy award winner Michael Giacchino (The Incredibles, Ratatouille):

The Lost World - Jurassic Park
Medal of Honor
Secret Weapons Over Normandy
Call of Duty

Michael Giacchino [wikipedia.org]