Ozzy Osbourne hardly requires an introduction. The leading vocal of Black Sabbath, who has sadly passed away recently, was a legend of heavy metal music – but his influence extends well beyond the stage.
The “Prince of Darkness” left a unique imprint on the mainstream culture, from music to movies and even video games. In the gaming realm, Ozzy appears in a variety of forms – not only as a playable character or a voiced persona, but also through the use of his music.
Here’s an overview of Ozzy Osbourne appearances and tributes in the gaming industry.
The Rockstar in Guitar Hero and Rock Band
The most obvious example of Ozzy’s influence on games is the music and rhythm games such as Guitar Hero and Rock Band franchises. Ozzy’s music is featured prominently across both franchises, starting with a few legendary hits:
- “Bark at the Moon” (as a cover) which appeared in Guitar Hero
- “War Pigs” in Guitar Hero II, and
- “Paranoid” in Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock
But that’s not all. In Guitar Hero: World Tour (2008), he was introduced as a playable avatar, complete with motion-capture performance, singing “Crazy Train” and “Mr. Crowley”. Later titles such as Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock featured a live version of “Paranoid,” performed by Ozzy alongside Metallica.
The Guardian of Metal in Brütal Legend
Besides Guitar Hero, the Madman of Rock also appears as The Guardian of Metal in Brütal Legend. The 2009 game sees Ozzy as the character whose role revolves around selling armour and keeping secrets. He voiced the character, while the appearance and style of the character was based on Osbourne’s own personality.
Besides Ozzy, the game features the likes of Jack Osbourne, Ozzy’s son, who plays the main character called Eddie Riggs. Lita Ford, Rob Halford, and many other metal legends appear in the game as well.
The action-adventure real-time strategy game honoured Ozzy after his passing by announcing that the game was offered for free on Itch.io for 666 minutes – which is a fitting homage to the larger-than-life vocalist.
World of Warcraft
World of Warcraft saw a huge growth in popularity during the late 2000s. However, in 2008, the studio behind the game had a new expansion on the horizon, and they enlisted the help of none other than Ozzy Osbourne to help them promote the game.
The result of the collaboration was a couple of quite memorable commercials for World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King. In the ads, Ozzy faced off against the Lich King, which was quite fitting his Prince of Darkness persona.
Osbourne’s star power was incredible, as John Romero, the co-creator of DOOM, commented on his impact on the game. He once noted how the game would not be the same without Ozzy and Black Sabbath.
Video Slot Game Tribute
Ozzy’s popularity blended into other branches of gaming, including video slot games. A couple of years ago, a Swedish game-making company called NetEnt developed a video slot machine that quickly became a raging success among the players.
The game features both Ozzy as the elusive main character appearing both in the background and in gameplay. The soundtrack for the game is also quite recognizable for fans of the Madman of Rock. The game is still hugely successful and is very likely available at most UK-friendly online casinos listed on CasinosOnline: https://www.casinosonline.com/uk-online-casinos/.
Soundtrack Staples Across Genres
Besides appearances from Osbourne himself, many games also featured his or Black Sabbath songs as soundtracks in their releases.
Here are some of the most famous examples:
- Rock Band 4 (“Miracle Man”)
- Madden NFL 13 and 11 (“Crazy Train,” “Let Me Hear You Scream”)
- Brutal Legend (“Believer”, “Mr. Crowley”, “Diary of a Madman”)
- GTA: Vice City (“Bark at the Moon”)
- GTA: San Andreas (“Hellraiser”)
Of course, several songs were also used in Guitar Hero and other Rock Band instalments.
Conclusion
Ozzy Osbourne’s presence in gaming was multifaceted. From playful representation as playable characters, to some of the most iconic voice roles to branding, almost every branch of the gaming industry has been inspired by the Dark Prince – even Ozzy Osbourne-themed slot machines! And even though the legend is no longer with us, his metal spirit resonates throughout the world, proving even after his passing, his influence will forever live on.
