The gaming press has lavished no shortage of love upon Harmonix’s Rock Band. When the acclaimed 4-instrument rhythm game debuted in Guitar Hero’s wake, it was lauded in the media, at PAX, and on message boards as something truly special.

However, recent reports from Kotaku make it look like Activision’s Guitar Hero is in a crushing 6:1 lead. The source is Activision’s Bobby Kotick, so perhaps a grain of salt would be prudent. Kotaku’s report makes no mention of net profits or the expected ratio given that Rock Band supports twice as many players as Guitar Hero.

Kotick attributes Guitar Hero’s lead to Activision’s music access through Universal, though it seems equally plausible that the triply expensive Rock Band might be a bit forbidding to casual buyers. There’s also the issue of the peripheral kiss of death, where consumers are loathe to fill 30 cubic feet of living room space with a drum set, 2 guitars, and stands for everything.

This lead has nothing to do with Rock Band’s profitability–there are still enough gamers playing it to merit a sequel. However, it does comment on the larger scope of consumer buying behavior. People seem willing to accept a pared-down experience in exchanged for reduced price and less wasted space.

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Tags:   Activision · Guitar Hero · Harmonix · Rock Band1 Comment

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