Guns N' Roses Single to Appear in "Rock Band 2"

More musicians are discovering the potential of video games to promote their works, tapping into the wide-ranging gamer audience with the intent to increase their exposure and profits.

According to Reuters.com, Motley Crue used this approach in April when it made its single, "Saints of Los Angeles," available for download via the Xbox 360 game, Rock Band, before the actual album of the same name was available in stores.

This resulted in the track being downloaded 47,000 times, in comparison to only 10,000 times through other digital downloading services like Amazon and iTunes.

Guns N' Roses is hoping for similar success, as their new song, "Shackler's Revenge," from their album, Chinese Democracy, will be available in the Rock Band sequel, aptly titled Rock Band 2. The game is expected to see release in September.

According to Reuters.com, this news adds to speculation that the complete album will see release by the end of this year via their label Interscope. Nine tracks from the album were leaked online during the summer.

Rock Band 2 is developed by MTV and Harmonix and promises full compatibility with downloaded tracks from both it and its predecessor, along with full support for the original game's instrument controllers. However, Rock Band 2 will also introduce new controllers and more than 100 master recordings.

If this approach taken by Guns N' Roses proves successful, it will serve as a cue for other musicians to tap into the gamer market, one that is growing rapidly by the day.