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When music and gaming collide

Most of South Africa’s artists share the dream of showcasing their music to the entire world. Although streaming platforms like Spotify and a variety of interviews can gain good exposure, entering other markets with a product or two is another effective way of gaining some serious traction. Over the years, some of music’s biggest stars have done exactly that after appearing in a number of gaming titles, be it on mobile or on a console machine.

For most artists, their music will be playing in the background while a gamer is tackling a high-level boss. Games like FIFA have featured music over the years and have certainly helped specific artists from around the world reach new audiences. We’ve even seen some artists have games that are named after them, too. For fans of a particular music-maker, these types of products appeal as they play along as their favourite musician. It’s worth noting that not every single title in this somewhat niche category has necessarily hit the mark with gamers, but they’re memorable all the same. The diverse nature of these types of products is quite remarkable, too.

Certain bands have games based on them

There have certainly been some unexpected musical tie-ins throughout the history of gaming. In fact, we have been exposed to a number of products that are based around much-loved musical groups. Some games were explored in past eras, while others are more recent. Additionally, some releases were available on PlayStation and featured rappers and some of hip-hop’s finest, such as Def Jam: Fight for NY, while others were accessible via classic console machines, like the Commodore 64 and ZX Spectrum, and were based on iconic bands, like The Beatles. Certain games were forgettable also, while others were genuinely worth playing. Bands with games based on them include Journey with Journey Escape, NSYNC with NSYNC: Get To The Show, Kiss with KISS: Rock City, and BTS with BTS World.

 There is even a Jimi Hendrix casino game

Easily one of music’s biggest stars and certainly one of the most talented guitarists the music sphere has ever been exposed to, there is even a Jimi Hendrix casino game. Designed in his honour, the online slot product has a strong focus on the peace and love message Hendrix shared throughout the 1960s. Additionally, as gamers explore this 20 payline slot and aim to make use of six bonus features, this NetEnt creation features numerous nods towards the American guitarist, singer and songwriter. Hendrix isn’t alone in having a casino title bearing his name either, with world-famous bands like Guns N’ Roses and Motörhead also having a casino gaming product for fans to sample. Overall, these types of themed games appeal to millions of gamers.

 

Katy Perry released a Pokemon-themed video

When Music And Gaming Collide 2
(Image via https://twitter.com/PopCrave)

Some artists have even made reference to a number of top-tier games in their songs and music videos. In 2021, Katy Perry clearly aimed to capitalise on the popularity of innovative mobile titles like Pokemon Go and showcase her love for the Pokemon franchise in general by having a Pokemon-themed video for her new single, ‘Electric’. Perry is evidently a huge fan of the miniature creatures, although she isn’t alone in that, with many of music’s biggest personalities turning to gaming during some downtime.

 

Some artists sing about video games

Music and gaming has collided in another way in recent times, too, with a number of bands basing most of their lyrics and musical compositions on video games. For instance, Anamanaguchi’s music is inspired by arcade and console games. Likewise, Minibosses take familiar video game anthems and put their own creative spin on them.

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