When the new Grand Theft Auto IV comes out next month, it will pack an innovative feature: digitally distributed music delivered through the game.
Music has always played a big role in GTA titles. In Vice City, some gamers booted up just to surf through the selection of stations inside the cars. In GTA IV, players take this a step further. When they hear a song they like, they dial a number on their in-game cell phone. They then get a text telling them the name of the artist and song, as well as an email with a link to Amazon - where the song can be downloaded for good.
It sounds like a lot of work for one song, of course. And it is. Rock Band and Guitar Hero have already pursued letting gamers download game-versions of songs, but not MP3s. The really big leap will be getting MP3s in-world. And with GTA on board, it's only a matter of time.
