14 DAY TRIAL // Publisher Activision Blizzard has announced that it plans to continue to focus on Guitar Hero and DJ Hero to dominate the music simulation genre. The company is aiming for a broader audience and releasing a smaller number of versions of its titles in order to make a profit. Ten music game SKUs are set to arrive in 2010, less than half the number outed in 2009. The joint venture must be thinking that offering a smaller number of high quality videogames will limit confusion amongst possible customers and attract more sales.
Mike Griffith, who is the Chief Executive Officer of the Activision Publishing division, said in an analyst conference that “This year, fewer SKUs will service a broader audience.” He also repeated the claim the DJ Hero had the highest grossing new intellectual property for 2009, mainly as a direct result of the high retail price it commanded because of the included turntable peripheral.
Activision revealed that no more Guitar Hero titles would be launched for the PlayStation 2 platform, as it had not managed to generate significant sales last year and that Band Hero was also on an indefinite hiatus.
Releases of both Guitar Hero and DJ Hero are slated to arrive in the second half of the year, probably one month or more apart. Activision has not offered clear details on the content offered but no new peripherals will probably be included, as they tend to drive up prices and slow down sales.
It's not clear whether then fresh version of Guitar Hero will be dedicated to just one band, as the series did with Van Halen and Metallica, or whether it will feature a more eclectic line up. Harmonix and MTV Games have confirmed that they plan to launch Green Day Rock Band in 2010 while also working on the Rock Band 3 project.