Rock bands have to make an effort to stay relevant these days, and there’s no shame in that. Genre popularity waxes and wanes, and with the heyday of rock ’n’ roll now decades behind us, it makes perfect sense that even the groups that define the category have to make a little bit of extra effort to maintain (or grow) audiences.
Over the years, one creative way that rock groups and artists (and their managers and publicists) have managed to stay relevant is through attachment to gaming. Through online arcade experiences with real rock soundtracks, casino slot games that use rock bands for thematic content, or even games like ‘Rock Band’ and ‘Guitar Hero’, there is actually a fairly rich history at this point of rockers connecting with the gaming public.
As much as this may be the case though, it’s also pretty apparent that big-time rock bands could still be doing more in gaming. It may not be an absolute necessity, but it’s certainly one productive way to stay in front of fans and maybe reach some new eyes and ears. And the following ideas are sitting on a platter for rock groups that want to do some innovative game industry marketing:
Original Mobile Games
There are literally hundreds of thousands of mobile gaming apps available in Android and iOS app stores. Naturally, they concern all manner of different subjects and styles, such that most every kind of game imaginable has been tried. So while it might initially seem like a strange idea, why wouldn’t a rock band looking to generate more modern relevance have its own mobile game created?
This is actually an idea we’ve touched on in the past, with regard to ‘Judas Priest: Road To Valhalla’ a few years ago. This was a mobile game launched by Judas Priest that basically challenged players to finish constructing incomplete versions of popular songs in order to progress from one level to the next. It’s only one version of how a game like this could go, but it sets an interesting example more rock groups should follow. That could mean an old school, beat-‘em-up platform game featuring the members of Metallica; it might mean a lifestyle and strategy game about a roadie on tour with the Rolling Stones; it might mean a completely random adventure game starring Bono as a generic protagonist. The point is, there’s limitless creativity in mobile gaming, and that makes for a lot of opportunity for rock groups.
Bingo & Slingo
We mentioned casino slot games above, and it’s actually become common to see rock themes in this genre. From generic games like “Monsters Of Rock” to games that revolve around specific artists (from Ozzy Osbourne to Guns N’ Roses), rock has carved out an active niche in the online slot world. More groups could stand to get in on the trend, essentially lending their names, music, and general aesthetic to slot development companies. But rock groups could also make progress by getting in on the up-and-coming slot alternatives like digital bingo and Slingo.
Bingo is something we’re seeing more of at a range of casino platforms, and with a growing number of audio and visual themes. Slingo is not quite as common, but it is quickly gaining steam in the online casino community and may ultimately be more amenable to slot-like rock themes. The Slingo selection on Gala Spins shows how much this bingo-slot hybrid gaming style has already branched out, with titles invoking lost treasures, Roman soldiers, the board game Monopoly, and multiple popular game shows. This is what online slot selections looked like too before more themes made their way in. A few early rock-infused Slingo games would stand out nicely in a growing category.
VR Concert Simulations
The most exciting potential for rock groups in gaming likely lies in virtual reality, where there is essentially a chance that we’ll start to see improved versions of the ‘Rock Band’ and ‘Guitar Hero’ concept. Already, VentureBeat has highlighted “Riff” as a version of “Rock Band” without the need for a plastic guitar or drums. And there have been other early versions of this concept as well.
Right now, VR is still coming into its own, and a signature music simulation game has yet to emerge. It feels like a matter of “when” rather than “if” though, and when the time comes this will be the best opportunity of all for famous rock groups to get in front of modern audiences through gaming.
