Bands find video games a ticket to fame

By Dominique Vidalon

PARIS (Reuters) - Singer-guitarist Walter de Castro couldn't believe his luck when he found out his band's song "The Core" would be featured on "FIFA 2008," the Electronic Arts (ERTS.O) popular soccer game.

"It's super! It's what a lot of people crave -- a way to reach a large audience very quickly," said Castro, who plays in the French electro pop rock act Babamars.

"We are not a traditional rock band, so it's going be a long and tough road to make a name for ourselves on the live circuit. If you are in a video game, your name will go around fast," he said. "It will snowball."

At a time when the music industry is dealing with falling sales, video games provide an unprecedented way for people to discover new music and for aspiring artists to reach a wide audience.

"This may be the best time in the history of the industry for little-known bands to get mainstream exposure via video games," said Steve Schnur, the worldwide executive of music at EA, which is the world's largest video games company.

Schnur's staff scour the globe for new music talent.

"The truth is that consumers now spend more time playing video games than listening to the radio or watching TV," he said.

Aspiring hitmakers should take note: EA sports games have been credited with helping to launch the careers of bands such as Good Charlotte, Avril Lavigne, Franz Ferdinand and Scissor Sisters.