Sound of Doom published on MP3.com

As some of you may know, Doom 3 came out this week, and it got me thinking. You hear a lot of talk these days about the fragmentation of the media consumer's time and attention, and a lot of people are blaming some of the record industry's slump on new entertainment forms like video gaming.... but hey, let's think about this for a minute. Any kind of media with sound is a potential opportunity for the music industry, right? Video gaming companies are taking this seriously, and not only have they abandoned the traditional "bleep-blip brrrr" carnival music, but they are seeking out popular music that fits with their concept. Just the other night, I was watching Six Feet Under, and Claire (the angsty art student) is in her room with her friends (doing drugs, of course), not only do you hear a Deathcab for Cutie song, but the actors all start singing it. Consumers may have their attention divided, but they are also demanding and appreciating better integration of the music they like into other mediums... so, the audience hasn't gone anywhere, its just that the business needs to adapt.