Aardman creates addictive "Music Inc" game app

You'd think we changed business over the weekend as you'd hear things like this around here;

"C'mon, c'mon, I need another hit to pay all those legal fees!"
"I nurture ALL of my artists. You have to. You gotta invest in them or they don't produce hits. I can take a talented unknown and make them a star."
"Another hotel room brawl and arrest? Girl, I don't have time for you when your contract is up I'm dropping you."
"Release as download as well to limit piracy, if you release it on physical discs only piracy goes up."
"No no, you have to not do streaming - I cracked the code by discs and download only. Listen, trust me, one of us has a ten million pound business here, and you're still struggling with only three artists."

What happened to us? We found the iPhone App and Android App game Music Inc and wasted away our entire weekend being Music Moguls in our apps. Aardman have created something cute, fun and playable in collaboration with UK Music and the Intellectual Property Office.
This is the first time Government and the music industry have collaborated to create a game that focuses on business strategy in the entertainment industry. In the game you make decisions and see the consequences of those decisions. The game has been designed to give young music fans an insight into the modern music industry and to educate them on the specific challenges of being an emerging artist in the digital age.

So, apart from being a fun game to play, it's also a tool to show a generation weened on piracy what piracy does to the bottom line, and what that does to the nurturing of new acts. We're all the poorer for it. Very clever way to show how piracy may indeed increase the fanbase, but how that can topple a struggling music company investing in new artists.

Minister for Intellectual Property, Lord Younger commented:
"The UK has a world leading music industry with globally recognised artists, something we should be proud of. But getting the protection of their work, and its value right, is vital for a vibrant and successful future.
Young people have an important role to play in this success. We must make sure they understand and respect copyright. Music Inc is an exciting and engaging collaboration with UK Music and Aardman Animations that will help capture their imagination and encourage them to think about copyright and its importance to the creative industries."

Dan Efergan, Creative Director at Aardman Animations added: “Protecting the value of creativity is hugely important, you have to help people understand the effort and love that go into music production and you have to get them excited about its creation. That way people have more respect and make different choices, hopefully some of them even joining the industry themselves.”

“Having experienced both sides of the business, as an artist and manager, I believe it’s important to educate budding creatives about what it takes to build a career in the music industry. I'm currently in the process of building my own entertainment company armed with the knowledge and experiences I've obtained over the years.
It’s great to see UK Music collaborating with the Intellectual Property Office and Aardman Animations to create this new app, Music Inc, as not only does it carry you through the highs and lows of working in the music industry, it also highlights some of the challenges we now face because of the digital market for music. Not only is the app educational but it’s also great fun. I would have loved a game like this when I was growing up and certainly will be playing it now!” said JLS member Oritse Williams.