Guitar Hero III tops charts for game titles
Rock on: Ex-Guns N' Roses guitarist Slash will be making his appearance in Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock and will even provide an original track for the game. The game will also feature the GNR hit 'Welcome to the Jungle' in addition to tracks by other well known "legends" like The Rolling Stones, Beastie Boys, Muse and Pearl Jam. This has made the game a top-seller, but it's popularity is challenged by new games like Rock Band. Pictures: Activision, Harmonix
Thursday, January 24, 2008
THE hit video-game franchise Guitar Hero has racked up US$1 billion ($1.44 billion) in sales in North America, its maker, Activision, said on Tuesday, quoting figures from the NDP Group, a global research firm.
The game requires players to press a sequenced series of buttons to replicate great guitar solos from popular rock and pop songs.
The software achieved the impressive sales figure by selling more than 14 million copies in a little over two years since it was launched.
The game's latest instalment, Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock, is now the best-selling single-year video game title of all time, measured in both units and total dollar revenue.
Since Guitar Hero III's launch in October, gamers have also downloaded five million songs, which cost US$6.25 for a three-song pack or US$2.50 for individual songs.
"Guitar Hero is one of the biggest brands and one of the most powerful distribution platforms in all of entertainment today," said Activision chief executive Michael Griffith. "Guitar Hero's popularity with broad audiences is a confirmation that video games have become a true mass medium."
The franchise is now seeing some competition from titles like Rock Band, which lets players take on the roles of drummers, singers and bassists in addition to the now-traditional iconic rock guitar god. DPA
The game requires players to press a sequenced series of buttons to replicate great guitar solos from popular rock and pop songs.
The software achieved the impressive sales figure by selling more than 14 million copies in a little over two years since it was launched.
The game's latest instalment, Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock, is now the best-selling single-year video game title of all time, measured in both units and total dollar revenue.
Since Guitar Hero III's launch in October, gamers have also downloaded five million songs, which cost US$6.25 for a three-song pack or US$2.50 for individual songs.
"Guitar Hero is one of the biggest brands and one of the most powerful distribution platforms in all of entertainment today," said Activision chief executive Michael Griffith. "Guitar Hero's popularity with broad audiences is a confirmation that video games have become a true mass medium."
The franchise is now seeing some competition from titles like Rock Band, which lets players take on the roles of drummers, singers and bassists in addition to the now-traditional iconic rock guitar god. DPA
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