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GH III: $115 million dollar behemoth

by: Dan - posted: 11/6/2007 8:26:00 AM
More On: Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock
Activision announced today that Guitar Hero III has sold over $115 million dollars worth of games and bundled packs in the first seven days. The game is the largest product launch in the companies history and will be followed this week (today) by Call of Duty IV. Activision stock is probably on the rise....
Activision Sells More Than $115 Million of Guitar Hero(R) III: Legends of Rock(TM) in First Seven Days
Largest Single Product Launch in the Company's History


SANTA MONICA, Calif., Nov 06, 2007 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Activision, Inc. (NASDAQ:ATVI) announced today that consumer sell through for Guitar Hero(R) III: Legends of Rock(TM) exceeded $115 million within seven days of the game's North American release, making it the largest single product launch in the company's history. The game was released on October 28, 2007, and will launch in Europe on November 23, 2007.

The Guitar Hero franchise has remained the #1 best-selling franchise in the U.S. through September, according to the NPD Group. The franchise has sold more than six million units worldwide to date, according to The NPD Group, Charttrack and Gfk.

Guitar Hero has expanded well beyond video games and is one of the biggest entertainment franchises in the marketplace today. The release of Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock marks the franchise's debut on PLAYSTATION(R)3 computer entertainment system and Wii(TM) home video game system from Nintendo, making it the only music based game on all console platforms.

Competitively, Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock is set to significantly widen its lead in the market with strong early consumer response well in advance of the holiday season, an unprecedented global supply of product, record retail support with more than 30,000 in-store kiosks, an unparalleled number of music tracks, a highly competitive price point and the only game in its genre available worldwide.

"Guitar Hero III is the game that everyone is talking about. It is the only video game to make the Toys "R" Us Hot Toy list for 2007 and Toy Wishes' Hot Dozen 2007, which forecast the most popular holiday gifts of the season. Despite having significantly increased our production capabilities for the holiday, there is still a high likelihood that we will not be able to meet demand for this game on every platform," stated Robert Kotick, Chairman and CEO, Activision, Inc.

Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock will offer a robust slate of new downloadable online content. The title's first video game song pack, The Interscope Soundtrack Pack, was released at launch exclusively for the Xbox 360(TM) video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and includes songs from Marilyn Manson, AFI and Flyleaf. In November, Activision will release three new downloadable video game song packs for the Xbox 360 and PLAYSTATION(R)3 computer entertainment system. Each downloadable pack contains three individual songs.

Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock includes explosive new content and features including a multiplayer action-inspired battle mode, grueling boss battles, a host of exclusive unlockable content and visually stunning rock venues. Expanded online multiplayer game modes allow consumers worldwide to compete head-to-head for true legendary rock status. For the first time ever, Guitar Hero fans are also able to thrash and burn with new wireless guitar controllers available for each platform. The game features a star-studded soundtrack including master tracks by such legendary artists as Aerosmith, Guns N' Roses, The Rolling Stones, Beastie Boys and Pearl Jam as well as original songs by guitar icons Slash and Tom Morello. The sequel also offers downloadable content from some of the most popular European bands.

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.