blog

Music Video Games Help with Music Retail Sales

 

This article was taken from GameDaily.  Good news for Music Retailers…

Guitar Hero, Rock Band Players Showing Increased Interest in Real Instruments

We’ve heard this before from the publishers, but now a new survey from Guitar Center shows that 67% of Guitar Hero and Rock Band players want to learn an instrument.

by James Brightman on Tuesday, November 25, 2008

According to a national survey conducted by musical instrument retailer Guitar Center, MTV Games’ Rock Band and Activision’s Guitar Hero are both contributing to “dramatic increases in the gamers’ interest to own and play real instruments.” Interestingly, the games also seemed to make musicians who playGuitar Hero or Rock Band want to use their real instruments more frequently as well.

“These games are a painless and fantastically seductive entrée to playing music,” said Dr. Larry Livingston, Music Director of the Thornton School of Music at the University of Southern California. “They engage your mind, body and soul, creating a whole sense of the movement of music. Having tasted the experience, players may want to move from the simulated to the real. Therefore, it’s no surprise that these games have whetted the appetite for the real deal.”

Here are the key findings from the survey of over 7,000 respondents:

 

  • Of the Guitar Hero and Rock Band players that do not currently play a musical instrument, two-thirds (67%) indicated that they are likely to begin playing a real instrument in the next two years.
  • Nearly three out of four (72%) musicians who play games like Guitar Hero and Rock Band have spent more time playing their real instrument(s) since they began playing these games.
  • Eight out of 10 (81%) of the Guitar Hero and Rock Band players that have been inspired to play an instrument because of the games would like to receive a musical instrument as a gift this winter holiday season.
  • Sales of gear for first-timers at Guitar Center has surged along with the peak in sales for Guitar Hero and Rock Band. In the holiday selling season in the last quarter of 2007, Guitar Center saw a +20.7% jump in comparable store sales for beginner-level electric guitar & amplifiers. This surge grew even stronger through the first nine months of 2008, when Guitar Center’s cumulative comparable store sales for the category increased +26.9%.

    •  

    “This spike of interest in playing actual instruments stemming from a video game is an unprecedented phenomenon,” stated Guitar Center’s Executive Vice President / Chief Marketing Officer Norman Hajjar. “Most video games sell fantasy, but Guitar Hero and Rock Band are selling a dream that can be realized. These games plant an achievable goal in the heart of the player and that, in turn, drives our business.”

     

    »-----«

    Happy Thanksgiving From FKCo

    Well we did it, we are in our new digs.  The new office is wonderful, and we look forward to sharing it with you.  All the info is current on the web site, so please update your data base with our current information.  Everyone here at FKCo is wishing you and your loved ones a wonderful Thanksgiving Holiday!  Eat some turkey and give thanks.  We will too.

     

    »-----«

    Everyone Loves Alan…

    What can Alan say? He is a lovable guy.  Wherever he goes, he has adoring fans.  This shot was taken last week at The Connecticut Society Of CPAs career day for high school seniors.  Alan’s band “The Accounting Crows” (an all CPA band from here in Connecticut) donate their time and play these events in order to encourage more young people to consider a job in accounting.  By rocking the crowd, they are able to depict accounting as an exciting and lucrative career.  It is apparent that Alan and the band now have a following.  To which we say ROCK ON!

    »-----«

    Danny Rocks really Rocks!

    We just had to share this with you. Danny Rocks calls himself a Catalyst. His mission statement reads:

    The Company Rocks exists to help you understand and embrace change in a rapidly changing world. We are catalysts - helping you to make considered choices that accelerate change, without being consumed by change.

    If you are in business of any kind, you should consider visiting Danny’s Web Site. There is a lot of helpful information for everyone. Recently, Danny started posting tips on using Excel and Power Point. We all have to use these programs. Click here to get some amazing tips from Danny!

    Excel Tip
    Power Point Tip

    When you get there, click on the video lesson to watch.

    »-----«

    This Is Just Fun!

    We can relate to this…

    »-----«

    Malcolm Gladwell

    Watch him speak on finding success in variety.

    As a business owner, this is so worth the next 18 minutes of your life.

    »-----«

    Talking to the Future

     

     

    Talking to the Future

     

    Recently, Alan and Jen spoke to the accounting students at Central Connecticut University. This was a great opportunity for both the students and the firm to get to know each other. In a world where good accountants are harder and harder to find and a great job is difficult to find, these two entities connected with each other. Alan was able to tell the future of our industry about our accounting world and how it relates to the music industry, and the up and coming graduates were able to be inspired and informed about the different angles of the accounting word.

    »-----«

    Tom and Mike From BoomBoom Percussion Give Back

     

     

     

    Tom and Mike Nessen of BoomBoom Percussion in Atlanta, GA ran a marathon for a great cause. They recently ran the ING Marathon benefiting Leukemia. FKCO wanted to send them a high five for giving back.

    »-----«

    FKCO Sends Condolences to The Fry Family

     

    Everyone here at FKCo would like to send our condolences to the Fry Family. Paul’s pressence in the Music Products Industry will be missed. Our thoughts and prayers are with you.

    »-----«

    Paul Fry Is Awarded The Yamaha Founder’s Award

     

    »-----«