The Player

Music gaming has bolstered the music industry, but how will new technologies change the games, asks JOE GRIFFIN

IT'S WELL documented that downloads have hurt the music industry, perhaps irrevocably. But the gaming industry has helped music labels enormously. Karaoke games such as Singstarand Lipshave been popular, while the numbers for Guitar Heroand Rock Bandare staggering.

First launched in 2007, Rock Bandwas the No 1- selling title for 2008 and (according to the game's official site) by the following year it had generated more than $1 billion in North America alone.

The rising tide of Rock Bandhas lifted numerous boats, not least the hundreds of musicians whose tracks feature on the game. While obvious choices ( The Beatles, Green Day) have been given their own games, less likely bands are getting similar treatment, including music packs of Nickelback and Creedence Clearwater Revival.

What effect will the new generation of controllers have on Guitar Heroand Rock Band? As shown in E3 this year, music will play a part in Kinect games on the Xbox. Dance Masters, for example, will have a gaming avatar aping your dance moves.

While rock and rap have been well served by music games, I predict that pop will be the biggest beneficiary of the new controlling systems. Rock Star 3has a keyboard, and pop music already has a big presence in Lipsand Singstar.But dance games are even more ideal for pop music. Beyoncé and Lady Gaga are realistic candidates for their own games, as boy bands get bogged down in ballads. (What would you use to play a Westlife game – interactive stools to sit on?)

I also can't help but think that classical music games are an untapped potential. Am I the only gamer who wants to play Conductor Star? It could be compatible with a Wii stick or, if you're playing with Kinect, your own baton.

Many have rightly complained that music games bear little resemblance to playing a real instrument, and that they give budding musicians bad habits. But Rock Band 3will have a feature that shows you how to actually play (gasp!) the real instruments. In addition, karaoke games encourage controlled singing and emerging dance-simulations are the most accurate of all.

Whether this translates into a generation of Mozarts (or Beyoncés) remains to be seen, but new technologies seem to be bringing gamers closer to musicians, not further away.