"Mainstream" Music in Video Games

Looking back, we've come a long way since the sounds of bleeps and bloops of video games 20 years ago. 5.1 Dolby Digital sound, immersive environments and creative music now fill our ears when we now play our video games.

But now there is something else out there, something that has come quite subtle... music by "real" musicians. It's been around for quite a while now. Remember the arcade shooter Revolution X? They used Aerosmith to help sell the game by including their faces and tracks.

Not so anymore. There now several games out there that incorporate soundtracks in order to enhance the game. The Gran Turismo series, Project Gotham Racing and many of the EA Sports series all have soundtracks that include both established and upcoming artists.

No longer is the case where the artist drives the game. It is the game that exposes the user to new music. I do remember in Madden 2003 in which a little band called Good Charlotte had a song called "The Anthem" well before it became famous on MTV and radio.


Good Charlotte's "The Anthem" was a
recognizable tune on Madden 2003 long
before MTV.

This is another reason why video games are now the big time - it can increase exposure of a certain musical artist and lead to fame, fortune, etc. just like it did for Good Charlotte. I'm willing to bet a dollar that the record companies are taking note of this. It may not be as upfront as ITunes and MTV, but it does reach a large audience, and can impress itself upon a gamer many, many times; leading to future sales.