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Have 'Guitar Hero' And 'Rock Band' Peaked?

December 18, 2008

The Pulse of Radio reports: Despite claims that popular music-based video games such as Guitar Hero and Rock Band could point the way out of the music industry's current decline, a new report by Marketwatch.com indicates that the market for both titles may have reached its own peak. Sales for all Guitar Hero games in November were down 19 percent from the same month in 2007, although Rock Band sales were up 65 percent from that same period because of limited supplies last year.

Nevertheless, analysts speculate that a constant barrage of new titles, along with the general economic slowdown around the world, could hurt sales of both franchises. The latest Guitar Hero installment, Guitar Hero: World Tour, is the sixth edition to be released since 2005, with a new METALLICA-centered version coming out next year. Analyst Jesse Dinvich said, "With Guitar Hero, there's been so many releases. Every couple of months there's something new on this thing, and after a point consumers start to wonder what's going on here."

Overall, sales of Guitar Hero are up 16 percent from last year, with a total of 22 million units sold.

Rock Band has sold more than five million games, with a BEATLES edition announced for next year.

Rumors of Guitar Hero games based around JIMI HENDRIX and VAN HALEN also continue to sustain interest.

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