Janco expects the Guitar Hero brand to sell just as well as traditionally higher-selling Activision franchises like Tony Hawk and Call of Duty. Although Janco believes that Activision will post a record holiday season in sales, the group is concerned that EA’s upcoming Skate and MTV/Harmonix’s Rock Band could spell trouble for Activision in 2009.
On Rock Band, Janco sees “a compelling option for the music-oriented category beginning in holiday ’07, which will pressure Guitar Hero’s growth. That said, we expect Guitar Hero to follow a natural product evolution by adding additional music peripherals in FY08."
If true, then Wii owners can probably expect to shell out some extra cash for more air instruments for post-Guitar Hero 3 entries in the franchise. One can only expect specialized bass guitars, although Janco hints that the Guitar Hero franchise has the potential to compete directly with Rock Band, which implies a wider range of musical peripherals.
Quote
Guitar Hero fans may see a few new peripherals added to their favorite rhythm title some time in 2008.
