When video games first beeped onto the scene, rockers of the time may have been self-conscious or disdainful of this new era’s computerized bleeps, blurts, and bloops, but they had no idea how much their music would influence video games as they progressively became a permanent fixture of the entertainment scene. As gaming shifted from arcade to home, the music changed as well.
Journey
Although there was little mutual respect between video game makers and rock artists in the 1980s, that didn’t stop the music industry from trying to cash in on the latest trend. The first rock ‘n’ roll video game was released in 1982, and it featured Journey, an extremely popular band.
Players would help Journey members escape “hordes of love-crazed groupies, cunning photographers, and shifty-eyed promoters,” according to the game’s instructions. Apart from an electronic recreation of “Don’t Stop Believin'” that played as an introduction, the game did not bear much resemblance to the rocking band, Journey. This was not the only game they featured in.
Motörhead
In 1992, hard rock legends, Motörhead, became video game action heroes who destroyed other types of music, bashing country cowboys with guitars, or destroying goth kids with their terrible breath. The “prize” after the game was a digital performance by the band performing.
David Bowie
One of the greatest rock stars to have a close involvement with a video game was David Bowie. He not only counselled on the script, composed new music, and donned a motion-capture suit to play two different characters within the game but he also allowed most of the music in the sci-fi game, Omikron, to be taken from his album Hours. Of course, where he led, others followed, and Trent Reznor, Slash, and others all jumped onto the proverbial bandwagon.
A significant step forward was the introduction of games relying largely on licensed music to depict the setting. Games like Guitar Hero and Rock Band had many others clambering to get on board.
Multiple other collaborations followed, including Ozzy Osbourne, Queen, Kiss, and Iron Maiden. There is a slew of retro games featuring hard rock and metal references as artists embraced more advanced computing technologies to get involved in the video game industry.
Imagine Dragons, Florence + The Machine, and Chvrches
As time marched on, various rock stars of all genres including indie/alternative have since featured in video games. Imagine Dragons are well known for the track Warriors which has been featured not only on League of Legends but also used for various other series and soundtracks.
As games have headed more and more into mainstream media, more big names in the rock world have been approached to collaborate. Final Fantasy XV features three tracks by Florence + The Machine. Chvrches track, Death Stranding, for the game of the same name, was a much-anticipated release in both gaming and the music industries.
Even casinos have jumped on the bandwagon and there are slots games based on rock music. You can compare free casino games Canada and search for your favourite games.
Rock collaborations are a win-win situation for all parties, as it allows the band’s followers to participate in the game, and vice versa. When it comes to games, there is a lot to consider, but it is recognised that if the game has a good soundtrack, it will be remembered for it.