http://www.reuters.com/article/marketsNews/idINWEN736120080807?rpc=44
Warner Music says music video games must pay more
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Warner Music Group Corp, the world's third-largest music company, said on Thursday that video game makers will need to pay more to license songs for music-based video games like "Guitar Hero" and "Rock Band."
Warner Music Chief Executive Edgar Bronfman drew comparisons between MTV's launch 25 years ago or Apple Inc's iPod launch five years ago, and today's video game companies like Activision Blizzard Inc and Harmonix, a unit of Viacom Inc.
"The amount being paid to the music industry, even though their games are entirely dependent on the content we own and control, is far too small"
Fucking cockmongers. I hope these worthless slug middlemen lose all their jobs and commit suicide to burn in hell for the rest of their days!
Ok, not really. But they should realize that this is a very very symbiotic relationship and that should not try to squeeze too hard lest they squeeze themselves out. People want hits, true; but if you push hard enough the game companies are going to turn to the other record companies for music instead. If you talk your distinguished mentally-challenged RIAA buddies into all doing this, then the game companies will start to court indies labels and the myspace artists. Just watch what you wish for, Warner.
Is it just me, or does this stink to anyone else of the music industry's desparate attempts to regain the halcyon days before digital distribution? Seems like now that the climate is changing, they think that by pretending they still have several tons of weight to throw around, people will just buckle. All bluster, no muster, folks.
Coincidentally, that last line of the blurb is quite telling. If it said that
ARTISTS weren't getting enough money, then you know what? I might agree. But this is just about a bunch of music industry suits wanting to keep their 6 figure paychecks. Greedy bastards.
