Access to Universal Music is "big benefit" for Guitar Hero, says Kotick

Speaking in this Seeking Alpha interview, Activision boss Bobby Kotick has pointed out that the merger between the Guitar Hero publisher and Vivendi gives access to the Universal Music catalogue, and that artists are starting to wake up to the fact that the game brings their work to an entirely new audience.

"One of the big benefits we'll get from our Vivendi transaction is access to Universal Music," he said.

"Guitar Hero takes you as an artist to a whole different place in the popular culture right now. Your relevance and importance to 17-year-olds is going to change in a way that you could never get any other way. And, you know, my five-year-old is walking around singing Smoke on the Water. And so, and I think (artists are) starting to recognize that. It's changed their touring opportunities. It's changed the downloads. It's changed their album sales."

He added: "The age appeal is something we've never seen before - seven-year-olds who have no idea who Aerosmith is are playing the band's music on Guitar Hero."

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