Who would have thought a simple guitar could break video game records? Activision Inc., makers of the popular video game Guitar Hero series announced it has set an industry first, surpassing $1 billion in retail sales.
Digital Journal — It was one of the most-sought after video games of 2007, and now the numbers back up the hype: According to NPD Group, the Guitar Hero video game franchise has sold more than $1 billion in North American retail sales.
Guitar Hero is a video game available for the Xbox and PlayStation platforms that allows a gamer to physically hold a toy guitar and strum along with moving notes on the screen.
The game has been celebrated for unshackling people from a controller and introducing simple, yet exciting innovation in video games.
In just 26 months, the Guitar Hero franchise has set an industry record by surpassing the $1 billion mark. Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock, the latest installment in the series was the No. 1 title in units and dollars for 2007 according to a press release on Activision’s website. The company says that makes it the best-selling video game of all time in a single calendar year.
“Guitar Hero is one of the biggest brands and one of the most powerful distribution platforms in all of entertainment today,” said Michael Griffith, President and Chief Executive Officer, Activision Publishing, Inc., in a written statement. “Guitar Hero’s popularity with broad audiences is a confirmation that video games have become a true mass medium.”
As NPD reports, since being released in 2005, the Guitar Hero franchise sold more than 14 million units in North America. Activision also says more than five million songs have been downloaded in the first 10 weeks since Guitar Hero III‘s launch.
