GTA IV and music sales

My God this is cool. In game advertising done right, with consumer input and using the consumer's (gamer's) own interest to drive sales. THIS IS ONLINE SALES done right. Rockstar is a real trendsetter, as always. Hopefully the internet connectivity won't let this down.

From EvilAvatar.com:
Yahoo! is reporting that Rockstar and Amazon are teaming up to offer ZiT, a music download service specifically created for Grand Theft Auto IV.

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In a partnership bound to shake, rattle and roll both the music biz and interactive entertainment, Rockstar Games and Amazon have teamed up to create an ambitious new model for digital music distribution. Built exclusively for the upcoming video game blockbuster Grand Theft Auto IV, it allows players to buy real-world MP3s of tracks heard over the game's numerous radio stations in a very seamless manner. (Initially, this service will only be available in the U.S.)

Advertised throughout Liberty City, the cheekily-named "ZiT" technology is built into the game's mobile phone interface system. As players cruise around the world listening to the in-game radio, they can at any point 'mark' a song by opening their phone and dialing the number ZIT-555-0100. Gamers will then receive a text message with the song and artist names, and if they're registered at the forthcoming Rockstar Games Social Club community site, they'll find an e-mail waiting in their inbox with a direct link to a custom playlist on Amazon.com. All songs tagged "ZiT" will be stored here, available for preview and purchase at Amazon's going rate of $.89-$.99 per track. Best of all, those MP3s are free of the Digital Rights Management (DRM) limitations imposed on files downloaded through Apple's iTunes store and thus can be imported into any computer or digital device with no constraints.

Next-Gen's fantastic review of Feb NPD numbers

Was bored out of my gourd today in a meeting one part in which I had no part and took the time to read through this fine piece of business analysis at Next-Gen concerning current and future sales trends in the console business. I was enraptured and completely fascinated. As a old gamer and an admitted dork over the gaming industry (see my Gygax post for proof) it was great to read some real business numbers and analysis on how the big three are planning their year and what challenges they will face.

I own a Wii but covet a 360, perhaps a PS3. With Grand Theft Auto IV coming out end of April I'll be watching closely to see if Sony or MS will come out with a new console SKU to promote themselves before this important release. I will end up buying one, but there are pros and cons of both - PS3 in potential and the blu-ray drive, 360 in current ability (game base), DLC for GTAIV, and the ability to be mp3 streaming from my home server.

I'd better start saving now...Sarah won't be happy...and not to mention that Mario Kart Wii is coming out the same week - I don't know how I'll manage it all with my personal accountant :)

Gamers untie!

(yes I meant to misspell that)

A little something from the news that appears more and more as older gamers seek out stories like this to hug to their breast while muttering "I'm not alone, I'm not alone!"

From Geek to Chic: Record Sales Signal Video Games' Arrival
Sales of More Than $13 Billion a Sign That Gaming Has Arrived
Jan. 25, 2007

http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/GameOn/story?id=2819621&page=1Publish

• key point
  "There are things we used to talk about that seemed like pie-in-the-sky talk, like the mainstreaming of games, but now I think it's happened," said Jeff Green, editor in chief of Games for Windows: The Official Magazine. "In general, what used to be called 'geeky' is just mainstream nowadays."