More Than Two Million Single Songs Accessed Through Xbox LIVE Marketplace® since April Highly Anticipated Sequel Guitar Hero III to Feature Master Tracks, Original Songs and Downloadable Content
Downloadable Xbox 360 video game song packs for Activision, Inc.'s (Nasdaq:ATVI) Guitar HeroTM II hit multi-platinum status with more than 650,000 downloads through Xbox LIVE Marketplace® in less than five months, as defined by the music industry's RIAA. Each downloadable pack contains three individual songs. Individual songs combined have topped the two million mark, making the Guitar Hero II packs some of the most downloaded content on Xbox LIVE Marketplace.
"Activision was the first third-party publisher to offer downloadable content via Xbox LIVE to consumers and as a result, we have tremendous insight into the types of content that consumers want," states Dusty Welch, head of publishing, RedOctane. "The Guitar Hero II downloadable video game song packs are some of the most popular content on Xbox LIVE and are quickly becoming a very lucrative revenue stream and powerful promotional vehicle for musicians and record labels today."
Tim Riley, worldwide executive of music for Activision, added, "Activision has long been a pioneer in recognizing the importance of music in games and has forged unprecedented partnerships with all of the major record labels, music publishers and bands in order to offer Guitar Hero fans unrivaled access to music catalogues."
"We have been working very closely with Activision to make our catalog available for download for the Xbox 360 version of Guitar Hero II. The results we have seen from download sales to date have been very impressive. This partnership is providing EMI Music Publishing and its songwriters with a valuable new source of revenue, and at the same time giving us the opportunity to exploit portions of our catalog that might otherwise not get such high-profile exposure," remarked Rod Kotler, Director of Music Services, EMI Music Publishing.
On August 14, 2007, Activision released a new My Chemical Romance video game song pack which included original recordings of the hit songs Teenagers, Famous Last Words, and This is How I Disappear from the band's latest album "The Black Parade." In its first week of release, over 50,000 downloads of the three-song pack were purchased through Xbox LIVE Marketplace.
Commenting on the success of the My Chemical Romance video game song pack, Brian Schechter, the band's manager, said, "Activision has always had the artists and music culture in mind for their games. Now, the band's fans will be able to enjoy their music in a new way that they truly enjoy. As long as Activision and Guitar Hero keep providing quality products to the world, I would love to have all Riot Squad artist's in business with them."
Additionally, Activision's highly anticipated sequel, Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock will feature master tracks from some of rock's most legendary bands like the Rolling Stones, Aerosmith, Pearl Jam, Beastie Boys, Red Hot Chili Peppers and Metallica, as well as original songs by such guitarist icons as Slash and Tom Morello. The sequel also will offer a vast array of downloadable content including songs from some of the most popular European bands.
"Having Warner Music Group's master recordings in Guitar Hero III is a fantastic opportunity for everyone. Both our current and catalog artists are being exposed to new audiences through this great game. By selling additional tracks, we don't have to wait for another volume of the game to be released to offer new artists and music to gamers around the world," said Mark Pinkus, SVP Synch Licensing & Strategic Marketing at Rhino Entertainment.
To date, Guitar Hero games have sold more than 5.5 million units, according to The NPD Group, Charttrack and Gfk. Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock is scheduled to launch in October on all major console platforms and is rated T for Teen by the ESRB.