Rock Video Games Compete for Top Acts

Aerosmith didn’t release an album in July, but still had their best sales week ever thanks to Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, which bowed to a cool $25 million. Video games have become music’s hottest market, Rolling Stone reports: Rock Band and Guitar Hero are battling for top acts, and musicians are eager to toss in their tunes.

Competition is fierce, because few bands have the breadth and popularity to power a standalone game. But Metallica, Guns n’ Roses, and the Jimi Hendrix estates have all cut deals recently. And with artists making more on game tracks than iTunes downloads, more are sure to follow. “Pretty soon,” says the CEO of Mötley Crûe’s management firm, “this is going to be the way you sell music.” (More video games stories.)