Slightly before the release of the original Guitar Hero in 2005, I stumbled upon the official website, which told me that I could play tracks from bands such as Queens of the Stone Age, Boston, Queen, David Bowie, and Pantera. Apparently, “playing” these songs was made possible by the guitar peripheral bundled with the game.

I was intrigued, but the game had to be reviewed, so I was cautious about taking the $90 plunge. A few days later, I got a call from my friend who proclaimed that “GUITAR HERO IS F***ING AWESOME!!”. I was sold ever since (with a testimony like that, how could you not be?), and I guess a few others were as well, because Guitar Hero was nowhere to be found as the 2005 holiday season was about to kick into high gear.

4 games, 2 publishers, and 26 months later, Guitar Hero has become one of the best selling franchises in history. As the series’ first title to hit all major platforms, Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock easily became the number 1 selling title of 2007, and even more impressive, the best selling video game of all time within a single calendar year. And for those of you keeping track at home, the game came out at the end of October!

Let’s just hope that Activision finds a way to keep the series fresh with this year’s version. Check out the full press release after the break.

Calendar Year North American Retail Sales for Guitar Hero(R) III: Legends of Rock(TM) Set New Industry Record

SANTA MONICA, Calif., Jan 21, 2008 (BUSINESS WIRE) — Activision, Inc. (Nasdaq:ATVI) today announced that the Guitar Hero(R) franchise has set an industry record, surpassing $1 billion in North American retail sales in just 26 months, according to The NPD Group.

Additionally, Guitar Hero(R) III: Legends of Rock(TM) was the #1 title in units and dollars for calendar year 2007, making it the #1 best-selling video game of all time in a single calendar year.

Since its initial release in fall 2005, the Guitar Hero franchise has sold in excess of 14 million units in North America alone, according to The NPD Group. In 10 weeks since the game’s launch, consumers have already downloaded more than five million songs.

“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. “Guitar Hero’s popularity with broad audiences is a confirmation that video games have become a true mass medium.”

Headquartered in Santa Monica, California, Activision, Inc. is a leading worldwide developer, publisher and distributor of interactive entertainment and leisure products. Founded in 1979, Activision posted net revenues of $1.5 billion for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2007.

Activision maintains operations in the U.S., Canada, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Sweden, Spain, the Netherlands, Australia, Japan and South Korea. More information about Activision and its products can be found on the company’s World Wide Web site, which is located at www.activision.com.

SOURCE: Activision, Inc.

Activision, Inc.
Maryanne Lataif, VP, Corporate Communications
310-255-2704
mlataif@activision.com
Copyright Business Wire 2008

Activision