Oh Look, It Appears Music Video Games Were A Bit Of A Fad Too

from the that-magic-bullet dept

It's been pretty sad watching the major record labels chase desperately after each new music-related fad, hoping that this time it would represent the "magic bullet" that would replace CD sales as its main revenue generator. For a while, there were ringtones, which the industry thought would save it, jacking up prices, and doing all sorts of annoying things, which eventually helped kill off that market. Then, a couple years ago, after labels realized that music video games like Guitar Hero and Rockband were doing well (and boosting interest in various acts), the labels again sought to kill the golden goose by believing that was the new moneymaker... and started demanding a bigger cut.

Guess what? Looks like that fad is on its way out as well, as there's not nearly as much interest as there used to be in those games. Many people who want such games already have them, and the "innovations" in the new versions just aren't appealing enough to pay the hefty upgrade fees. Perhaps the labels should have focused on keeping the games cheap, knowing that they actually helped drive more interest in the acts whose songs were available, helping to actually increase sales in other areas.

Of course, the music industry has already moved on to its next "fad" anyway: music apps. So how long until we start seeing that market start to fizzle as well?

Filed Under: magic bullets, music games, video games