Matsuura: Guitar Hero, Rock Band need user-generated content

Following incredible success for music gaming fuelled by breakout hits such as Guitar Hero and Rock Band, Nana-On Sha president Masaya Matsuura has told GamesIndustry.biz the next step for continued evolution of the genre is to include user-generated content.

EA and Activision have relied on their publisher muscle to secure licensed titles for Rock Band and Guitar Hero, respectively, but Matsuura believes that if they can monetise user-generated content they'll open up further business models as well as broadening user appeal.

"The current success of music-based gaming in the West is based upon licensed music," said Matsuura in an exclusive interview published today.

"The [companies] already have music resources. So they can use a lawyer to get the license and they can make the product of the game.

"In the future I think maybe they should open the format of the audio to the public so that everybody can make their own tracks for Rock Band or Guitar Heroes — publishing in some way using the internet, exchanging their own game code, including songs, with each other," he said.

"If they can sell that kind of data, some people will be on the money."

Matsuura also see opportunities for record companies hoping to take advantage of the popularity of music games, allowing users to sample free tracks in a game in return for advertising a bigger musical portfolio.

"If one record label has a catalogue of 30 titles this month, and if you want to play one song without paying the money, the record company allows you to play that one track but during the playback you have to watch advertisements for other titles, for example," he offered.

The full interview with Matsuura can be read here.