Musicians Are Making Tracks to Video Games

Fledgling hip-hop artist Jayceon Taylor, known as the Game, is hoping to make the soundtrack of a popular video game. (Jonathan Mannion)

"Before Madden came out, not many people knew who our band was," Martin, 23, says from Philadelphia shortly after the band finished touring. There isn't a day on the bus, he says, that band members don't play a video game. "Not every person who plays sports games listens to Good Charlotte, so someone who's never heard of us before bought our album because they liked what they heard on Madden. I remember some kid in a football jersey, in a mall somewhere, saying to us, 'I know you guys. Madden, right?' "

Not long from now, a "paradigm shift" in popular music will take hold, Schnur says. In the early '80s, in the time of MTV, the hit song became real when you heard it while watching its video. In about 10 years, he says, the hit song will become real when gamers hear it on their consoles or computers.

"Most artists, particularly those who are gamers, know that their potential fans are playing video games right now," says Schnur. "Being on a video game, other than live performance, is the best way to get the ears and eyes of new fans."

From now until April, Schnur, who works out of EA's Playa Vista office, will be listening to hundreds of songs for Madden NFL 2006. He makes up a final list -- most likely more than 21 songs -- by June.

The Game, of course, wants badly to be on that soundtrack.

The latest Dr. Dre find is a son of Compton, the birthplace of the storied gangsta rap group N.W.A. The Game plays Madden NFL online, in addition to Halo 2 on his Xbox and Grand Theft Auto on his PlayStation 2. He's still figuring out which songs -- maybe "Higher," maybe "Fresh '83" -- to send to Schnur. "It'll be fight music: Put your helmet on, strap on your shoulder pads, strap on your cleats and kick some [expletive]," he says.

"I'm gonna be on that game. If not, I'm not playing it no more."

He laughs. But underneath the joking is an artist craving exposure. "It's not just a game, you know," he says.