In 1994, the neo-punk band Green Day broke onto the popular music scene with their album Dookie, several songs from which enjoyed quite a bit of airtime on radio stations nationwide. Since then, the band has not enjoyed simliar commecial success until last year’s run-away success, American Idiot. That success could very well be due in no small part to their decision to debut the title track on Electronic Arts’ franchise video game, Madden NFL 2005.
EA has sold more than 43 million units of the video game worldwide, 6 million of which were the 2005 version. No wonder, then, that the game’s popularity, especially among 18-to-34-year-old males, has become a high-profile platform from which to introduce new music and new bands.
Madden NFL 06 is no exception. this year’s version includes established acts such as the Foo Fighters and Godsmack as well as serveral songs that are exclusive releases for the game. See the full soundtrack at Madden06.com.
According to an NFL Network show, The Making of Madden (watch part 1 and part 2, Steve Schnur, EA’s Vice President of Music, says that approximately 2,500 to 3,000 bands are considered for Electronic Arts titles and that the bands are coming to them from all over the world, lobbying to be included in their games. "At the end of the day, I hear band after band after band from years past say they go to show after show and kids come up to them and say, ‘Dude, the first time I heard you was in Madden,’" Schnur continued. David Draiman of the band Distrubed, says "Every band out there needs to start considering what video games and the whole format can do for them."
The fact that video games are played over and over again, make them the ideal substitute for the radio airplay they displace.
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