Guitar Hero Breaks $1 bln

Activision said Monday the Guitar Hero franchise has generated sales of $1 billion at North American retail—and that doesn’t include song download revenue.

Activision said Monday the Guitar Hero franchise has generated sales of $1 billion at North American retail—and that doesn’t include song download revenue.

The franchise has sold over 14 million units in North America, Activision said, citing NPD Group data.

The latest franchise installment, October’s Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock, grabbed the top spot in North American videogame software unit and dollar sales for 2007.

Since Guitar Hero III’s launch, gamers have downloaded 5 million songs, which cost $6.25 for a three-song pack or $2.50 for individual songs.

The Guitar Hero franchise originally launched in November 2005 for PlayStation 2 and was published by RedOctane. Activision acquired RedOctane for $100 million in 2006.