Music charts to include videogame downloads?

Guitar Hero, Rock Band and SingStar songs

10 July 2009 13:55 GMT / By Duncan Geere

The Official Charts Company has announced that it's considering the possibility of including sales of tracks in Guitar Hero, Rock Band and other music-based video games in the singles charts.

That would mean that anytime someone buys a track in one of the games, from the download store, it would help the artist in question move up a few places in the chart. Given how popular certain songs have proved in video ames, it could raise some classic acts back up the charts considerably.

Omar Maskatiya, chart director at the Official Chart Company, says: "We have been in discussion with record labels and the various games companies that host games which allow users to download master recording versions of artist tracks".

"In theory they could be eligible to be combined with downloads of the same tracks that take place from the wide range of digital retailing services that currently make up our chart panel".

A deal with the games publishers and console manufacturers would still have to be worked out but in principle, the intention seems there. It looks like it's just a matter of time.

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