The late David Bowie was in a videogame by the makers of Heavy Rain

At just sixty-nine years old, pioneering art rocker David Bowie passed away too soon. Although fondly considered to be one of the most influential musicians of his time, Bowie was also a pioneer in many other fields.

He seized upon the allure of the Internet to create his own internet service provider —back in the days when you still used dial-up modems to go online—and he put up the royalty rights to his extraordinary back catalogue of music to create asset-backed securities known as Bowie Bonds.

In 1999, Bowie created music and provided his likeness for Omikron: The Nomad Soul. In it, he starred as a pivotal character named Boz, a revolutionary who has escaped authorities in cyberspace. He also appeared as another character, the unnamed lead singer of The Dreamers, performing tracks like 'Something in the Air' and 'The Pretty Things are Going to Hell.' All of the tracks Bowie produced alongside long-time collaborator Reeves Gabrels were later collected into his twenty-first studio album, 'Hours...'

While many people who know me know of how much personal significance David Bowie holds for me, Omikron: The Nomad Soul was one of my first encounters with his music. That being said, the game was a clunky mess: full of ambition and a high concept that blended action adventure combat and first-person shooting. The game also featured a fourth-wall breaking narrative that addressed the player as an alien presence within the city of Omikron.

Ultimately, Omikron: The Nomad Soul lacked coherence as a gameplay experience or coherence as a story. However, the game is worth noting as being the first game produced by Paris-based developer Quantic Dream and its creative director, self-styled video game auteur David Cage. Both Cage and Quantic Dream are now famous for unique games like Heavy Rain and Beyond: Two Souls.

This marks Bowie's only appearance in a videogame—outside of his music being featured in rhythm and music-based games like Amplitude and Rock Band. But in any case, here's to David Bowie, forever a nomad soul, released from his mortal shell to wander the stars. — TJD, GMA News