Music games have become career enhancers, and big income earners for top draw acts. Aerosmith has reportedly earned more from Guitar Hero : Aerosmith than from any single album in the band’s history, according to Activision CEO Bobby Kotick.
“[Their] version of ‘Guitar Hero’ generated far more in revenues than any Aerosmith album ever has,†said Kotick at a recent analyst day. “Merchandising, concert sales, their ability to sign a new contract [have] all been unbelievably influenced by their participation in Guitar Hero.” The band and their management have so far declined to comment on Kotick’s statement.
The game format suggests a striking opportunity to re-merchandise catalogue to Gen Y. Why not an interactive Guess Who game, or tour game with BTO and or Loverboy? How many more plastic donuts can be punched out profitably before the market is glutted in a wasteland of budget-driven ‘best of’ re-packages. Offering the same on iTunes is just another way of pushing less down a pipe than was previously available when the fans had the jacket art, liner notes and something tangible in hand.
Just a thought, or two, from the cheap seats.
David Farrell
The labels ought to push for more such titles and integrate them into their promotional strategies. They might not maximize profit on the licensing, but who cares? With more entries to come in the play-along genre, and networked hardware to play them on, the games themselves could even become an online music retail channel to rival iTunes
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