Guitar Hero III Boosts Record Sales

[Young Avenger]

http://www.gamesindustry.biz/content_page.php?aid=30540

There are early indications that Guitar Hero III has had a significant impact on record sales for bands featured in the game.

The game, subtitled Legends of Rock, was released in the US at the end of October. It will launch in Europe on 23 November.

Hard rock label Roadrunner Records said that sales of DragonForce's album "Inhuman Rampage" increased 126% week-on-week in the wake of Guitar Hero III's release. DragonForce's song "Through the Fire and Flames" is featured as an unlockable bonus track in Guitar Hero III.

Slipknot, another Roadrunner artist featured in the game, also saw its album sales increase.

The news follows comments made by EA's Steve Schnur at Games Convention Asia in September. Schnur asserted that games were now more relevant than radio when it comes to promoting new music.

US sales figures for Guitar Hero III are not yet available, but Activision is expecting the music title to be one of its top sellers this year. Its extensive marketing campaign for the game has included sponsorship of the Sex Pistols' reunion concerts in London last week.

Guitar Hero has become this influential in music? Damn!

[Chiasm]

http://www.gamesindustry.biz/content_page.php?aid=30540



Guitar Hero has become this influential in music? Damn!

Its really not surprising. The game forces you to listen to the songs many times and if you like one you not only play it more but go out and buy it.

For me it was Black Magic Woman by Santana. I knew Santana had been around in the 70's and knew he did some music but my only knowledge of him was his more recent collaboration stuff with Michelle Branch and Rob Thomas.

And it happened on GHII for me as well. I'd never heard Beast and Harlot by Avenged Sevenfold before and loved it even though it was by some lame cover band.

Thats one thing that GHIII has going for it well over its predecessors in that most songs are by the original artist instead of some cover artist.

[rick]

Most anything that helps sales at this point can't be bad.

[EZMOHR]

I got to think South Park made Kansas some damn good money this week.

[Chiasm]

I got to think South Park made Kansas some damn good money this week.

The look on the kids faces when the dad start singing and playing it was hilarious.

[PanzerMega]

I believe it.

I heard The Sword for the first time in GH2, and then went and saw them in concert because of it (coincidentally with two GH3 bands, In Flames and Lacuna Coil).

Same with All That Remains, Heart, and a few other bands. Guitar Hero's great for getting into new music.

[Valmore]

Guitar Hero is great - it keeps lazy people from actually getting off their asses and learning how to play a real guitar and starting crappy rock bands.

[ghostrider666]

Thanx for posting that. Very interesting.

To me, its amazing how things with the music biz have changed over the yrs. Video games have become the principal marketing tool for other entertainment mediums; movies, music, etc. Just incredible.

Alot of bands will have GH to thank for record sales & keeping their memories alive. Th egame series has done a great job in the bands that theyve picked to feature. Some real obscure ones that wouldnt have been heard by many of the players otherwise. And properly, the bands are now reveiving royalties on units of games sold. Everyone wins.

[PanzerMega]

Thanx for posting that. Very interesting.

To me, its amazing how things with the music biz have changed over the yrs. Video games have become the principal marketing tool for other entertainment mediums; movies, music, etc. Just incredible.

Alot of bands will have GH to thank for record sales & keeping their memories alive. Th egame series has done a great job in the bands that theyve picked to feature. Some real obscure ones that wouldnt have been heard by many of the players otherwise. And properly, the bands are now reveiving royalties on units of games sold. Everyone wins.

I may be wrong, but I heard only Metallica receives royalties from GH3. But at least the bands are getting paid in the first place, and exposure.

Also, GH3 has really turned me onto Muse. I heard Knights of Cydonia and then grabbed all of their CDs afterwards.

[mattx110]

let's hope these kids are getting some Allman Brothers along with their sloppy metal.

[mgs]

http://www.usatoday.com/life/music/2007-11-22-romanticssue_N.htm

I don't get it. You can pay to make a cover, but not one that sounds like the original? Someone call the licensing lawyers!

[Slappy san]

http://www.usatoday.com/life/music/2007-11-22-romanticssue_N.htm

I don't get it. You can pay to make a cover, but not one that sounds like the original? Someone call the licensing lawyers!

That' friggin' ridiculous. The Romantics are out for a money grab.

[Buried Alien]

That' friggin' ridiculous. The Romantics are out for a money grab.

They got screwed in the late 1980s when "What I Like About You" was licensed every which way but loose by their managers, without their permission and for profits the band never saw. This is probably a (over)reaction to that.

Buried Alien (The Fastest Post Alive!)

[Slappy san]

They got screwed in the late 1980s when "What I Like About You" was licensed every which way but loose by their managers, without their permission and for profits the band never saw. This is probably a (over)reaction to that.

Buried Alien (The Fastest Post Alive!)

The sound like idiots in that story. Suing because it sounds too much like you. :rolleyes:

[Buried Alien]

The sound like idiots in that story. Suing because it sounds too much like you. :rolleyes:

It sounds like something the band's lawyers put them up to, preying upon the band's fears after its late 1980s/early 1990s experiences. I think it's a bad PR move on the Romantics' part. Remember Metallica and Napster? Metallica probably lost a whole generation of potential new fans with that move. It wasn't worth it.

Buried Alien (The Fastest Post Alive!)