The music industry often finds itself intertwined with the world of video games, and recent developments show that this relationship can be complicated. A new issue has surfaced, adding to the discussions surrounding the internal delay of Grand Theft Auto VI to mid-2026, as highlighted by a statement from a member of the band Heaven 17.
Martyn Ware, one of the founding members of the synthpop group, revealed that Rockstar reached out with an offer regarding their track, Temptation. It’s presumed that this song was intended for use in the game, potentially as part of its radio lineup or even featured in a trailer. If it was aimed at trailer use, it’s expected that the song would find its way onto the radio, following a pattern established by Grand Theft Auto V, which utilized similar music in its promotional material.
Ware, however, rejected the proposal upon discovering it included only a one-time payment of $7500. Given that Grand Theft Auto V generated $8.6 billion in revenue, Ware found the offer to be disrespectful, especially since it did not include any royalties for future use of the song. Some commenters on his post suggested that accepting the deal could have benefited the band's visibility. What are your thoughts on this situation?