Activision: Guitar Hero 5 launch 'probably' franchise's best, DLC sales getting 'interesting' [update 2]

by David Hinkle { Oct 14th 2009 at 4:45PM }

If you want to know anything about Guitar Hero, you talk to Dan Rosensweig, CEO of Activision's Guitar Hero division. (Yeah, it has its own division.) Speaking to GI.biz, Rosensweig offered -- rather candidly, we might add -- some insight into the performance of Activision's latest, Guitar Hero 5, and its DLC.

While one might assume that a series' strength starts to wane once it gets around to having the number "5" in its title, that's apparently not the case for Guitar Hero. Rosensweig claims that "the public report suggests that we've outsold 2/2.5/3-to-1 over Rock Band ... and we've probably sold more copies of Guitar Hero 5 than any other Guitar Hero game at launch." Sure, that's a pretty big probably, but Guitar Hero 5 is "fun as hell," after all -- and advertising the game with Playboy Bunnies probably didn't hurt sales either.

As for DLC, Rosensweig suggests that it's generating a ton of revenue for the franchise -- funny how that happens when you start to stick to a regular release schedule -- as users appear eager to expand their playable music libraries. While Activision doesn't release actual figures, Rosensweig touts that "each month [in DLC sales] is a record versus the previous month, and it's getting to the point of being interesting." Heck, what'll be really interesting is seeing how much of this financial success makes its way into Kotick's bonus for 2009 ...

Update 2: Activision has clarified Rosenweig's statements, saying he was, "Speaking only about Europe. The specific public report he is referring to is the September Charttrack data. For the month of September, GH5 outsold The Beatles: Rock Band by nearly 2-to-1 in the U.K."

Update: Dan Rosensweig's "2/2.5/3-to-1" sales comparison between Guitar Hero and Rock Band was a bit ambiguous (Europe? North America? Worldwide?), so we've contacted Activision for clarification.

Tags: activision, dan-rosensweig, guitar-hero, guitar-hero-5, music, neversoft, rhythm

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)

dark_inchworm (stronger than never, ever before) @ Oct 14th 2009 4:46PM

Kotick's bonus should be a meteor shower heading straight for his house

Neuromancer @ Oct 14th 2009 4:49PM

That or just the icy grip of the Grim Reaper.

Dr. Bradwart [100% Reagan Conservative!] @ Oct 14th 2009 4:56PM

Kotick ain't that bad...

Giroro @ Oct 14th 2009 4:59PM

...compared to Hitler?

Dr. Bradwart [100% Reagan Conservative!] @ Oct 14th 2009 5:04PM

Actually, I was going to say Fascist Delano Roosevelt, but whatever floats your boat.

Alton Brown [ XBL: LordToastington] @ Oct 14th 2009 5:20PM

We get it. You're conservative. This is a gaming blog. Shut the fuck up.

Brysonial the Bison @ Oct 14th 2009 5:59PM

ok well lets look at how many songs are possible to have in guitar hero 5
85+152+35=272
Well now looks at the songs available for rock band 2
84+723+53=860
Rock band is WAAAAAYYYY better.

Ben @ Oct 14th 2009 8:44PM

I'm going to reply to the first comment with a comment that has nothing to do with it just so everyone can read my opinion!

KeenCommander @ Oct 14th 2009 8:54PM

Not to mention that the gameplay and graphics in Rock Band are, you know, actually good. That helps too. The only thing GH has going for it is that I honestly prefer their drumset, but the fact that the game itself isn't actually fun more than negates that benefit.

Fane [A-MF Brigade] @ Oct 15th 2009 5:56AM

@ bradwart I don't think you understand the meaning of the word "fascist": (from the OED) "any person with right-wing authoritarian views".

Mitchell @ Oct 15th 2009 2:59AM

Win.

TriviumSuffocationTheBlackDahliaMurderLambOfGod @ Oct 14th 2009 4:50PM

After the mindblowing success of this and MW2, I'm prepared to see many more quotes from Kotick in the next year. More bragging about how he hates fun games and he scares his employees with the economy. All in all, a happy place Activision has become.

VaultBoy @ Oct 14th 2009 8:34PM

He doesn't have to scare them. He just lays off half of QA across the board ever so often. Got friends that can attest to it.

Alfredo @ Oct 14th 2009 4:51PM

yeah but also they gave away Guitar Hero Van Halen with the purchase of 5, so that probably helped in sales.(Gettin a 'free' game for the holidays)

Chris D.(PSN: Aggie_CEO | XBL:The Aggie CEO | Steam: Aggie_CEO @ Oct 14th 2009 4:52PM

ummmm yea.....

the Guitar Hero franchise outselling the RockBand franchise is a no brainer...

RB=4-5 games
GH=9-11 games

if it DIDN'T sell more than RB that would be a sign its probably time to just hang it up

Frostblade10 @ Oct 14th 2009 4:52PM

I would NOT buy a game just because of the inclusion of Playboy bunnies in the commercial...

...now, if the bunnies game with the game...

I'll probably end up buying the game anyways.

Liquid man @ Oct 14th 2009 11:25PM

....now if the bunnies came* with the game........
fixed it for ya

Frostblade10 @ Oct 15th 2009 4:37AM

Thank you kindly.

Courtney @ Oct 14th 2009 4:52PM

Pardon me if I take it with a grain of salt when a company says they are outselling their competitor 3 to 1.

greg (peevmyster) @ Oct 14th 2009 4:52PM

what's sad is the setlist for GH5 is weak. Sure there are 85 songs, but most are garbage. I liked the songs on WT way better.

Hoffer @ Oct 14th 2009 5:06PM

I'm just the opposite. I hated the setlist in World Tour. I didn't even finish the career and I've finished the careers in all plastic guitar games.

Funny thing is just this morning I was comparing achievements with someone on my friends list. I noticed he had finished the career. A year ago, I only played the games on medium. I now play on hard/expert, which makes the games more fun for me. Maybe I'll enjoy the game more on a harder difficulty??

greg (peevmyster) @ Oct 14th 2009 5:26PM

@deaftly--- you already got yours? dang i wonder when mine is coming?

greg (peevmyster) @ Oct 14th 2009 4:53PM

I bought it because you got GH:VH with if for free.

deaftly (PSN,LIVE,STEAM) @ Oct 14th 2009 4:59PM

GH5 is def my fav game in the series and better than the rock bands IMO so it was worth the price. Got my Van Halen in the mail last week and I can't complain because it was free but god damn anyone that buys that garbage for $60. The Halen tracks are nice and all but the other bands just make no sense.

Hafkie @ Oct 14th 2009 5:19PM

Wolfgang picked the non-VH songs. Given that he is a 18 year old kid, it's no suprised that he picked what he picked.

I'm more upset that GH:VH is running on the Metallica engine and not the GH5 engine, but I'm really not suprised. I bet GH:VH was supposed to come out this summer, but it fell behind and they couldn't justify releasing a GHM-engine product after GH5, so they offered it as a freebie to boost GH5 sales and make up the loss.

I really don't think it will hit retail at $60, to be honest. Not after 4 months of the superior GH5 engine (which is also behind Band Hero, so an added boost there too)

Dr. Bradwart [100% Reagan Conservative!] @ Oct 14th 2009 4:55PM

Good for the shareholders. I'm mellowing on Kotick and Activision as time goes on, it seems.

Who to direct nerd rage at next?

Giroro @ Oct 14th 2009 5:03PM

Kotick, and Activision.

Dr. Bradwart [100% Reagan Conservative!] @ Oct 14th 2009 5:06PM

Actually, I'm thinking Mattrick and Microsoft...seeing as their holiday lineup sucks compared to previous years.

RKN @ Oct 14th 2009 5:17PM

I'm going to do it towards Microsoft for getting diaherra and letting it loose all over the PC in favor of the Xbox 360. : (

Dirty @ Oct 14th 2009 4:58PM

They are doing so well that the can just close studios down for the hell of it (shaba).
Wasn't someone claiming that was due to sluggish guitar hero sales?

Doug @ Oct 14th 2009 5:07PM

"Yeah, it has it's own division." (its)

"While one might assume that a series' strength starts to wain." (wane)

Doug @ Oct 15th 2009 10:22AM

Why are readers downvoting me for helping the writer fix some typos? He fixed 'em, and is free to delete this comment. ;)

Durden @ Oct 14th 2009 5:15PM

I would like to see how DLC between GH and RB compare. I bet RB blows the shit out of any GH DLC.

Hafkie @ Oct 14th 2009 5:33PM

Guitar Hero has some pretty good DLC lately, especially recently.

I think both GH and RB have the same overall percentage of songs I like compared to the entire catalog. The ratio is the same, but Rock Band wins because there is just so much more.

I think they have a similar number a songs throughout the series, but GH spread them out on discs, and RB threw them on DLC.

There's no model which is really "better", it all depends on personal taste.

Do you want to pick and choose every song you want for a higher price per song?
or
Do you want to buy plenty of new songs at a much lower price per song, but lose the selection?

I think this would be solved if games were double-released as disc versions and DLC versions, with the option of disc-import. Now don't say "Hey Hafkie, isn't that what Rock Band is doing" because I would have to answer no. They are making a critical mistake in releasing those track packs months and years after the songs on them are released. I would love the metal track pack, but I already have a good chuck of them, so the price per songs I want is MORE than what it is (or would be) on the music store.

I'd actually prefer it if they released the track packs and the DLC on the track pack at the same time, so I had the option of considering the track pack. Now, most of the track packs (aside from the country one) are "Spend $30 and get 4-6 new songs with 200GS of achievements," so they aren't really worth it.

Rock Band's track packs are the going in the right direction, but I wish I didn't have more than half of the songs on them before they were ever announced.

Kizzle @ Oct 14th 2009 6:27PM

RB blows the shit out of GH DLC because RB always has DLC coming out. It's a major factor in why GH outsells RB - there are a lot more GH games available.

The difference, as usual, is prople want DLC to choose from, not a billion fucking entries in a franchise. As usual, EA/Harmonix does it right and Activision is fucking retarded.

VaultBoy @ Oct 14th 2009 8:42PM

I would have to disagree. At the end of the day the GH franchise makes more money, the problem is with the constant overexposure they are going to kill a once-great series because it NEVER GOES AWAY. The RB model is like the gift that keeps on giving.

Mingjinko @ Oct 14th 2009 5:33PM

Eh, I don't care how fun it is, I'm just tired of these kinda music games altogether. I mean, you get to the point where you'd learn how to actually play an instrument than fool around with anymore plastic peripherals...

Doug @ Oct 14th 2009 5:40PM

For anyone who wants to learn an instrument, they definitely should.

Though, you get to a point where you've played one for years, you definitely don't have the time or interest in joining a band (anymore) and you're basically like, so I can play so what? The rhythm games aren't a substitute for playing, but they are a way to listen to music and do something sort of fun at the same time.

Hafkie @ Oct 14th 2009 5:35PM

Holy crap I need to stop starting a new paragraph after every sentence....

Banana Kid @ Oct 14th 2009 5:54PM

Well, it is the best Guitar Hero game they've made yet. So it damn well better be the best-selling.

captainprotonx @ Oct 14th 2009 6:35PM

Well, that's nifty.

Shadowbender (Nelson Is Behind You) @ Oct 14th 2009 6:48PM

Are they serious? This is probably one of the most quiet Guitar Hero releases I've seen. I thought people were finally getting tired of a release every year. Or, make that ten releases.

bongoes is no longer a Black Lantern. @ Oct 14th 2009 7:10PM

"CEO of Activision's Guitar Hero division."

Guitar Hero, it's not a game. It's a business.

A MAn @ Oct 14th 2009 11:51PM

Um, GH has had regular DLC since GHWT came out. I think they've missed one week in that time with no DLC, the week before GH5 came out.

Faceman @ Oct 14th 2009 7:35PM

I'm gettin tired of these games myself since I've been playing them nonstop since Rockband 1.

OmegaVader @ Oct 14th 2009 8:10PM

preliminary sales reports indicate that The Beatles has outsold GH5 in all territories except the UK, but worldwide has the lead. GH5 sales are down considerable compared to sales of GHWT last year. The DLC selection continues to be utter crap and far behind that of Rock Band.

the Neversoft-produced GHs are finally getting their due -- solidly behind the superior RB games, made by the true rhythm game giants and progenitor of the GH series, Harmonix. The world seems a bit brighter now.

Steve @ Oct 14th 2009 9:01PM

"the public report suggests that we've outsold 2/2.5/3-to-1 over Rock Band ... "

I'd like him to pin that down a bit more. To what is he referring? GH5 is outselling Rockband Beatles 2/2.5/3-to-1? World Tour had those numbers over RB2? Or is it (as I suspect) he's combining all of the GH games and their spinoffs to all of the RB games? Anyone can throw out numbers but I'd like to know what his mean. And given all his probablies and his 2/2.5/3 it doesn't sound like he even knows what he's talking about. Not very specific, it just sounds like fluff.

Brad @ Oct 14th 2009 10:33PM

I just bought my first "guitar" music rhythm game about two weeks ago. I had read a lot about these games, and tried the RB and GH guitars in stores, and I decided that I wanted the more tactile feedback of the GH guitars. When I saw the VH GH5 special offer, I bought GH5 with the guitar, and have submitted for the free VH game.

Once I got GH5, however, I found that the available DLC content is a joke - there is very little available, even when you account for import of World Tour DLC.

Look at the available DLC for the RB series, there is absolutely no contest. There is simply so much more available for RB. So, I ended up buying the RB2 game to use with my GH5 guitar, because I can pick from so much more music.

I'm not sure why the GH5 and GHWT DLC catalogs are so small relative to RB (is it because there have been more GH games so more of the songs are already on other game discs???). But for me DLC is important so that I can pick and choose the music I like, and in this regard there is absolutely no comparison - RB/2 wins hands-down.