Guitar Hero III boosts US record sales

There are early indications that Guitar Hero III has had a significant impact on record sales for bands featured in the game.

The game, subtitled Legends of Rock, was released in the US at the end of October. It will launch in Europe on 23 November.

Hard rock label Roadrunner Records said that sales of DragonForce's album "Inhuman Rampage" increased 126% week-on-week in the wake of Guitar Hero III's release. DragonForce's song "Through the Fire and Flames" is featured as an unlockable bonus track in Guitar Hero III.

Slipknot, another Roadrunner artist featured in the game, also saw its album sales increase.

The news follows comments made by EA's Steve Schnur at Games Convention Asia in September. Schnur asserted that games were now more relevant than radio when it comes to promoting new music.

US sales figures for Guitar Hero III are not yet available, but Activision is expecting the music title to be one of its top sellers this year. Its extensive marketing campaign for the game has included sponsorship of the Sex Pistols' reunion concerts in London last week.