Activision Touts $1 Billion In Guitar Hero Sales

Just after touting NPD numbers that showed that the Guitar Hero franchise was the top-selling franchise in 2007, Activision announced that the franchise as a whole has surpassed $1 billion in North American retail sales in 26 months, according to the NPD Group. Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock was the top-selling title across all platforms in 2007, selling over $820 million at U.S. retail, according to the NPD's Anita Frazier, who adds it is a record for any single franchise in any one year. The NPD Group data shows that the Guitar Hero franchise has sold more than 14 million units in North America since its debut in Fall 2005. Additionally, since the launch of Guitar Hero III in October 2007, Activision says consumers have downloaded more than five million songs. Activision president and CEO Michael Griffith commented, “Guitar Hero is one of the biggest brands and one of the most powerful distribution platforms in all of entertainment today. Guitar Hero’s popularity with broad audiences is a confirmation that video games have become a true mass medium.”