acdc sells album, game and soul to walmart

MTV's Columbia Records and Wal-Mart have made a deal to release a new AC/DC album and accompanying Rock Band video game exclusively in Wal-Mart and Sam's Club stores, conveniently right before Christmas, of course.

Despite the game's designation as a Track Pack, the Wal-Mart Web site indicates that it is a "stand-alone" effort, not requiring ownership of either "Rock Band" or "Rock Band 2" (it requires instruments, of course).
Until now, AC/DC's music has rarely been featured in today's music games, appearing only once in "Rock Band 2" and not at all in "Guitar Hero." AC/DC's "Rock Band" treatment balances the move last summer by Activision that made Aerosmith the first band to get its own version of "Guitar Hero."

I guess all aging rock bands reach a point where they realize it's time to tap into the market of selling yourself out to The Man. That's what the Columbia Records guy says, anyway:

“If you want to be a physical band, you better make an alliance with a strong physical retailer,” said Steve Barnett, chairman of Columbia Records. “It’s a great way to sell the new album, the catalog, the game, merchandise and DVDs.” MTV and Wal-Mart are exploring the idea of setting up temporary shops to sell the game and the album in Manhattan and Los Angeles, where the retailer has no stores.

At the same time, I'm sure the music industry is desperately hoping for new and better ways to attach themselves to the thriving game industry as fewer and fewer people want to purchase music on its own. I would guess that more kids under 15 have heard AC/DC and Aerosmith coming out of their Xboxes and Wiis than from a real album.

AC/DC 'Rock Band' Video Game Coming in November
Wal-Mart Signs a Deal with MTV on 'Rock Band' Video Game