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Music and video games are more closely intertwined than most people might assume, as a lot of video games have featured not just the music, but also the likenesses of many musicians over the years. Now, the collaboration between artists and game studios has been taken to new heights as more and more musicians take centre stage in virtual in-game concerts.

Music artists in the game spotlight

While many games have soundtracks by famous artists, sometimes musicians even become video game characters that let players step onto the stage as their idols. The best examples are the legendary music game series Guitar Hero and Rock Band. Equipped with plastic instruments, players get to perform as music legends as their concerts come to life on the screen. In other cases, musicians have made cameos within games. For instance, Phil Collins appeared as an NPC in Rockstar Games’ Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories, while Ozzy Osbourne lent his likeness to Double Fine’s heavy-metal video game Brütal Legend where he took on the role of a shopkeeper.

Canadian electronic music producer Joel Zimmerman, aka Deadmau5, doesn’t just love video games himself, he has appeared in quite a few of them, too. He is a playable character in DJ Hero 2 and was featured as an unlockable character in Family Guy: The Quest for Stuff in 2015. He can even be seen in the hilarious game Goat Simulator. Deadmau5, among other musicians, can also be found in the realm of casino games. Online platforms offer a large variety of slot machines on the web that have been inspired by all kinds of topics and musicians to appeal to different players. UK players can find a wide selection of real money slots on online platforms that have been tested and reviewed by experts to place their wagers. The number one best-rated casino has the Deadmau5 Online Slot on offer that shows the celebrated DJ on its reels and plays a selection of his tracks in the background. Most recently, Deadmau5 appeared in Epic Games’ Fortnite, holding a live gig as part of the Party Royale Premiere in May 2020 within the game. It was just one of many concerts within Fortnite that have been changing the gaming and music space.

Massive concerts within Fortnite and Roblox

It all started in 2019 when DJ Marshmello took centre stage and held an impressive concert within Fortnite that was attended by over 10 million players. When Epic Games introduced the Party Royale Island in 2020, it turned part of the free-to-play battle royale into a party and concert space, showing how much the company is focusing on bringing musical experiences into the game. Just ahead of the launch of Party Royale, rapper Travis Scott proved that music events had a place within the game. He held a virtual concert with spectacular visual effects that garnered more than 40 million views. Last year, Ariana Grande raised the in-game concert bar with a musical experience within Fortnite like no other. Rather than just bringing an avatar version of the singer onto a digital stage, Epic Games created a series of mini-games where players could join the pop star in an awe-inspiring colourful world and see her towering avatar perform.

It’s not just Fortnite, though, where players can attend spectacular in-game music events, as games such as Roblox and Minecraft have held their own versions of virtual concerts. One of the biggest ones was Lil Nas X taking the stage in Roblox, a concert that saw 33 million viewers across four performances. Another hit show was held live by the Brit Award-winning Brighton duo Royal Blood within Roblox. It was a more moderate, no-frills iteration of an in-game concert that resembled a real show players could dance to with their blocky characters. While it hasn’t been officially confirmed yet, rumours suggest that pop star Lady Gaga could be taking the centre stage in Fortnite next. Several hints and a leaked “collaborative emote” featuring her hit song Poker Face let people believe she will be the next big act within the battle royale.

While we can’t say yet, who will be coming to in-game town next, one thing is certain: music artists are taking on an increasingly important role within the realm of video games. From cameos and playable characters to massive in-game concerts, musicians are taking centre stage within games that has us excited to see what types of virtual events the future might hold.