GH World Tour full band kit outsells guitar bundle, standalone game
by Richard Mitchell 
{ Mar 9th 2009 at 7:30PM }
The full band package accounts for 41% of overall sales, with 35% going to the guitar bundle, leaving 24% for the standalone game. Taking the price of each bundle into account -- the guitar bundle is $90 and the game $60 -- Gamasutra points out that the full band bundle accounts for a full 61% of the revenue generated by Guitar Hero World Tour.
As Gamasutra notes, the numbers seem a bit surprising given the number of compatible instruments already in gamers' hands when World Tour released, especially those of the original Rock Band, which released a year earlier. Impressive as the numbers may be, it's hard to believe Activision will be able to push as many full kits with future iterations of the franchise. That's what new instruments and accessories are for.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
The Baron @ Mar 9th 2009 7:33PM
It's weird how this came out with virtually no fanfare or news reporting, and yet it's one of the biggest sellers of last year. Maybe we just expected it?
BxGT @ Mar 9th 2009 7:34PM
Are you serious?
Dude the guitar hero's have built up a revenue stream in the billions.
PR0F3TA @ Mar 9th 2009 8:22PM
no fanfare? have you been living under a rock bro?
Guitar Hero is one of the most recognized game series ever... why do you think they milk the franchise more then Tony Hawk. If they released a game called:
GUITAR HERO: Songs You Could Have Bought For DLC
it would still sell good because of the name
The Baron @ Mar 9th 2009 8:40PM
Yeah, but when it came out there were no news articles of "IT HAS COME!", and nobody seemed to be like "I NEED THIS NEW GAME!".
And yet it's still sold like hot cakes.
VaultICEE @ Mar 9th 2009 9:13PM
That's because, I believe its safe to say, the majority of the people buying Guitar Hero nowadays are kids and the uninformed. Kind of the same demographic that buys most Wii games.
This is my just impression of it, but the only people I ever see buying the game at Best Buy are either A) parents with small children or B) the middle-aged, who are probably buying it for their kid. This isn't to say that there are others that buy it (like Wii games... because I would have to count myself with that one), its just what I have seen.
AwesomeTown @ Mar 10th 2009 7:42AM
Wait, you didn't get to see this amazing commercial where you are? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=30DewN99MIQ
Consider yourself lucky.
sony boy @ Mar 9th 2009 7:37PM
People these days are rich even with the shitty economy.
Tiptup300 @ Mar 10th 2009 12:19AM
Says the sony guy.
I don't know about you, but I'm feeding on the terrible economy I just got a 50" for dirt cheap because of store closings.
^_^
Scooter @ Mar 9th 2009 7:43PM
People just wanted the drums it seems.
tmmoore_nc @ Mar 9th 2009 7:46PM
I know the Guitar Hero name is strong, but the full bundle outselling the rest? That's shocking.
Jordan @ Mar 9th 2009 7:50PM
I find it strange that there is only 99% of sales represented here... what the hell is the other 1%?!?!
Richard Mitchell @ Mar 9th 2009 9:05PM
Ugh, long day. Fixed.
arrness @ Mar 9th 2009 7:52PM
Hm, I think most people buying are not aware that Rock Band drums work with GH. Simply kids wanting more things and not doing their research.
VPhoenix @ Mar 9th 2009 8:04PM
Yes, they work, but the gameplay is simplified since the Rock Band kit is "missing" a pad. Plus a lot of reviews have said the Guitar Hero kit is just better overall.
I bought GH:WT largely for the drum kit, having already bought both Rock Band games, and I imagine a lot of other people did too.
MowDownJoe @ Mar 9th 2009 8:10PM
How does star power work with the RB drums? IIRC, in GHWT, you have to hit both cymbals to activate it... something the RB drums lack.
PR0F3TA @ Mar 9th 2009 8:27PM
the way "Starpower" (called Overdive in Rock Band) works is through drum fills that you play.
the RB drums may lack plastic cymbals but the way you execute the Overdrive is 100 times better then GH's method of hitting both cymbal pads
xandeR- @ Mar 9th 2009 8:33PM
The Guitar Hero kit is SUCH trash compared to the Rock Band one.
The cymbals have a breakage rate of maybe 60-70% and the star power method is completely insane and doesn't work at all in the speed of the game.
The drums themselves have a breakage rate of like 40-50% and I'm baffled that the pedal doesn't snap if you put a feather on it. It's the flimsiest piece of plastic I've ever seen.
These numbers are based on people I've helped at my job. I can't explain to you how many people come in complaining that their cymbals don't work. The number is literally staggering.
The Baron @ Mar 9th 2009 8:41PM
@Mow Down Joe
You hit the middle two pads to activate it, which means you have to switch hands - kind of a pain in the ass.
Mitch @ Mar 9th 2009 8:17PM
For god's sake can you stop using that picture. It looks like there is a giant penis in the background.
VaultICEE @ Mar 9th 2009 9:14PM
Not a post with this picture goes by without a penis reference
And for good reason, Joystiq.
Matisyahu Serious @ Mar 9th 2009 9:16PM
penis? yes
giant? maybe to you
Tiptup300 @ Mar 10th 2009 12:22AM
I never got to the penis level, was it secret?
c4jones2 @ Mar 9th 2009 9:27PM
I bought it for the drums. They are much higher quality than the shit Rock Band ships. I also bought Rock Band 2, just the game because of it's compatibility and I'm sure a lot of of other people who bought the full band kit did too.
@ xandeR: You're numbers don't reflect any experience myself or anyone I know has had. The GH instruments and drums have not failed any of us, unlike the RB drums which most of my friends have duct taped together in some fashion.
Phil @ Mar 9th 2009 9:56PM
That pic disturbs me.
Does anyone else see the phallus?
Crimson_Ryan @ Mar 10th 2009 1:29AM
I see a one eye'd penis monster with a hat, a unibrow, and really sharp teeth.
Gearbox @ Mar 10th 2009 5:23AM
Do you know why the full game sells the best?
Because nobody wants to buy half a friggin' game
Phizzy @ Mar 10th 2009 9:55AM
With the image in the corner of my eye, I thought this was a post about Braid...
Bird59 @ Mar 10th 2009 2:39PM
Just imagine all the people from Europe, where the Rock Band kit is hard to find, or not even sold in some countries ... thats why Ibought GHWT full kit... you simply cant buy Rock Band instruments fox Xbox in central Europe and noone will ship such a big package... GHWT is the only way to get the drum here ... :-(
Raven @ Apr 16th 2009 4:06PM
I thought I would buy the new drum kit last week (March 2009) since the drums just came out with their own separate box for $109. I wanted to avoid all the hardware troubles that came with the bundle when it came out. Alas, 5 or 6 months after release and I still get a horrible yellow symbol that only registers half the notes.
First they release mono sound in GH3 and I get a faulty Guitar controller with broken buttons, then GHWT has HORRIBLE sound mixing / poor music quality, along with impossibly small text and smaller note charts (resolution problem?), they continue to sell faulty drum controller hardware.
Sometimes I forget why I still buy video games.
ataxic @ Mar 10th 2009 11:32AM
Not surprising at all.....there were no compatible drums in the market.....the game is all about up to FOUR people playing. You need the drums to get to 4 players...