AV zombie

It’s beginning to look like there’s a hot new audio format in town. It’s elbowing CDs and MP3s aside, principally because it commands a higher retail price than both and is effectively pirate-proof. Some might even see it as the eventual savior of the music industry.
The format in question is…Guitar Hero. Increasingly, Activision’s runaway console hit is taking on the mantle of music format rather than just plaything.

Metallica’s Lars Ulrich summed up the subtle change when he confirmed that his band’s upcoming album Death Magnetic will be coming out as a CD, download and on “the Guitar Hero 3 format, which we’re obviously super-psyched about. As I’ve born witness to in my house, it’s all about the next generation. My kids play Guitar Hero every day, and to be able to get the Metallica record the day it comes out, that’s super cool.”
Lars adds “the people at Guitar Hero and Activision are rapidly becoming our best new friends in the world.” It’s a friendship many other bands would like to emulate.

It really doesn’t seem that big a jump to imagine all major bands releasing new albums in Guitar Hero guise as standard in the near future.
And could the next-gen alternative to the single will be the Guitar Hero Track pack? Interscope Records is blazing the way with a three-song collection that on August 7 will available for download from Xbox Live. The collection includes Flyleaf’s Tina, Carcinogen Crush from AFI, and a remix of Marilyn Manson’s Putting Holes In Happiness by Nick Zinner from the Yeah Yeah Yeahs.
When tomorrow comes, you won’t just listen to new music… you’ll play it as well.