I recently celebrated a proud anniversary of sorts: Not counting teenage bands I'd played in or the vinyl stores I'd single-handedly kept in business during the late '70s/early '80s, I've been in the music business for over 25 years. More importantly, I survived 20 years at various record labels and emerged battered-but-wiser to join the music industry. Perhaps the most important lesson I'd learned in that first 20 years is that the "Record Business" and the "Music Industry" are two distinctly different entities. And the most essential fact I know is that these last seven years at EA have been the most creatively rewarding of my entire career.

Where the magic happens...

When I was a teenager, "interactive music" meant using the inside gatefold of my Led Zeppelin II album to clean my weed. But the teens of today are the first generation to have fully grown up with digital technology. That means they've never known a world without computers, Internet, or cell phones. Digital technology has radically affected their identities, their social interaction, and their total navigation of day-to-day life. Today, we can't conceive of our lives without radio or television, much less portable music or PCs. The Digital Generation is now 88 million strong and growing. And they can't imagine their lives without video games.

Music video first appeared in 1981, and since then an entire generation has been raised with an expectation of visuals attached to audio. When I was working at MTV during its first few years, I remember attending a focus group in which a 15-year-old was asked about videos compared to songs on the radio. His comment back was, "A song only becomes real to me when I see it." I still think about the implications of that kid's statement. You should, too. We are now continuing a trend already in motion for 20+ years, a trend already indelibly ingrained in future generations. These are generations raised on video games as a major entertainment source in their lives. These are generations who will be raised on discovering music through these games. For these generations, the song may only become real to them when they "play it."

This is a remarkable period in the relationship between games and the music industry. What used to be a purely buy-sell licensing relationship is now an ongoing series of groundbreaking co-marketing partnerships. Today, labels are launching artists' entire careers around their inclusion in a top-selling title like Madden or Need For Speed. Radio is adding songs based on a band's inclusion in these games. Video channels are creating their playlists based not on radio airplay, but on video game soundtracks. Even sports leagues – the NFL, NBA, NHL, NASCAR, FIFA and more – are using our music selections to guide their future marketing. Thirty-five years after the first electronic blips of Pong, video games – and the music we can deliver within them – are fast becoming the most essential new cultural force of our time.

As consumers increasingly demand that their favorite music become portable, EA has insured that our music will have a life of its own outside the games themselves. In the past six months alone, our EA Trax page on iTunes has sold over 100,000 songs and ringtones directly to EA gamers. And our new publishing company Artwerk – a groundbreaking joint venture with our friends at Nettwerk – will directly sign bands to deals that create distinctive marketing opportunities that go far beyond gaming. This is more than merely another way to maximize the power of our unique real estate; we consider this to be the next major step in evolving – and enhancing – an unprecedented new world of global music discovery.

We feel the same way about the coming trend of customizable soundtracks. Clearly, gamers want the control of full customization. But right now, the experience of laying your own music on top of gameplay is both rudimentary and ineffective. We are currently developing product capable of fully integrating music into existing audio – sound effects, commentary, etc. – while offering a continuous flow of customized tracks for every gaming platform. Why has EA aggressively taken on this challenge? The answer is simple: It is our responsibility to always meet – and exceed – the growing expectations of the consumer.

Everyone agrees that the next generation of home systems and PDAs will absolutely re-set the bar for both entertainment and technology in our lifetimes. But what will iPhone 2, Blackberry 10K, PlayStation 4 and the Xbox 5000 bring? All these future devices will be complete home and mobile entertainment supercomputers that represent digital technology beyond anything we have ever experienced. Within the next five years, our ability to expose and discover new music of every genre will be beyond anything the industry or the consumer has ever known before.

The bad news is that the traditional record business is dead. The good news is that the traditional record business is DEAD. The best news of all is that the music industry is about to enter the most creatively exciting and financially rewarding era in its entire history. Thanks to the new digital age, music is now less a "product" and more of a direct relationship between artist and consumer. And video games are already an indispensable component of this exciting new world.

What we've accomplished at EA is nothing short of revolutionary: We've not only changed the gaming culture forever, but moved the needle musically for millions of people around the globe. I'm enormously proud to be a part of it. And for all of us – executives, developers, musicians and gamers alike – every day is a new opportunity to re-write the rules. Media has always evolved via the synchronicity of technology and creativity, and anyone who gets involved can make a change. Pick up a guitar, a game controller, a mixer or a mouse. Keep it vital. Keep it honest. And above all else, keep playing!