For Those About to Rock

The music industry salutes you


By Jake Corbin

They say rock ‘n’ roll will never die, but, boy, it seems like it’s getting old.

With cookie-cutter radio stations playing the same songs over and over and record sales dipping drastically, the music industry is in a slump. If only there was a way to get the kids excited about rock music again.

Enter “Guitar Hero.”

The riff happy, rhythm video game franchise has demolished industry records over the past two years, surpassing $1 billion in North American retail sales alone. “Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock” was No. 1 in both units and sales for 2007, making it the best-selling video game of all-time, according to TeamXbox.com.

This news is great for Activision, the game’s publisher, but why are the record labels smiling?

It turns out “Guitar Hero’s” set-list—which focuses on classic rock gems from decades past—is opening up a new world of musical taste for the game’s younger generation of players.

The music might be old, but it’s new to them.

As a result, the industry has seen and increase in sales of many of its older acts.

“When the game featuring Aerosmith ['Guitar Hero: Aerosmith'] came out, there was more than a 40 percent increase in their catalog sales,” said Geoff Mayfield, senior analyst and director of charts for Billboard magazine, on CNN.com.

Mayfield sees a direct cause-and-effect for some artists who have licensed their songs to “Guitar Hero,” something we can expect to see more of with the release of new games and new set-lists.

Aerosmith isn’t the only band that has benefited from licensing music to the guitar game. Nielsen SoundScan data for a dozen “Guitar Hero II” songs found 11 out of 12 had increased sales in 2007, according to a report from USA Today. Cheap Trick’s “Surrender” nearly tripled in digital sales from 2006 to 2007, while Kiss’ “Strutter” went from 11,000 downloads to 63,000.

Whether trying to break new songs or sustain the old, “Guitar Hero” has become a proven method for the record labels to get fans interested in their products.

“These games are something for record labels, publishers and artists to add life to songs they've already recorded or songs they're trying to launch,” said Alex Hackford, Sony Entertainment America A&R manager, to Fox News. “With radio playlists locked into 30 songs a day, it's hard to get a foot in the door. Video games are a huge way to make an impression to an important demographic.”

The times, they are a changin’

As the fourth full-length installment of “Guitar Hero”—“Guitar Hero: World Tour”—readies to hit the market this October, gamers should be ready for a major overhaul of the series.

The most obvious change is the addition of percussion and vocals to the mix, matching the game play of rival “Rock Band.”

The drum kit for “World Tour” differs from “Rock Band” in that it has two freestanding cymbals, giving the set a more realistic drumming experience. And with an 86-song track list, ranging in tunes from NOFX to Jimmy Hendrix, the vocalists in the “band” will be very happy, as well.

The most notable change in the “Guitar Hero” series, however, is the new function: World Tour Music Studio. Using the “studio,” players will actually be able to create, record and mix original songs with their “band” and use them during game play.

It’s too soon to tell if “Guitar Hero” is the savior the music industry has been looking for, but with the way technology is progressing—and the continued eclecticism of the game’s set-lists—it sure won’t hurt.