Dude looks like a hero

Gaming walks this way

What?: Music-based gaming is getting personal, and you don’t want to miss a thing. With physical CD sales still struggling and video games sales rising – due to a wave of interest in new music-based games – it was only a matter of time before a band would go it alone on what is rapidly becoming the music format of choice.

Aerosmith (a band that has sold 66.5M albums in the US alone) are to appear in a new Guitar Hero game dedicated to them. It will feature 30 of their songs, spanning their 30-year career in the music industry. Aping a true concert package, it will also feature opening acts and some surprise guests. We can hear the sound of button thumping and calluses forming already.

So what?: Harmonix-owned RockBand is looking increasingly likely to steal the mantle from Red Octane’s Guitar Hero franchise. To put it simply, multi-device games trump single ones, and Guitar Hero needs to up its game. Embarking on stand-alone artist packages seems a smart move in a climate where gaming is the only physical music product still left standing. Could interactive gaming albums be the future, and potentially a more viable method of breaking emerging artists? Or should we ‘Dream On’?

“This partnership allows Aerosmith to use a new format to distribute their music, plus it opens up a new market and generation of fans to their catalogue, merchandise and tours along with the actual remuneration for the project; a win-win for both sides.”
Theo Gupta, Head Of FRUKT Artists

www.guitarherogame.com