R.I.P. GUITAR HERO, 2005 – 2011

Guitar Hero, age six, passed away yesterday, February 9, 2011.

The cause of death was “continued declines in the music genre,” according to a statement by its publisher, Activision.

The once-popular rhythm game had been a huge earner for the company; in 2005, the original game sold 1.4 million copies, and just two years later, the sequel to its sequel sold 3.4 million copies. And, according to Billboard‘s senior analyst and director of charts, Geoff Mayfield, the game could be a direct cause for an increase in sales amongst bands on its soundtrack. The Guitar Center music store chain even claimed that Guitar Hero had increased interest in actual guitars.

But the most recent release in the franchise, Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock, had been a sales disappointment, moving just 86,000 units in its first week release, down from a series high of 1.5 million units.

“Oh yeah, I remember that game,” said some dude on the street whose reaction we randomly gauged. “My friends and I used to play it all the time. Then we got bored with it. I might still have the toy guitar thinger in my closet somewhere…”

Guitar Hero‘s estranged cousin and longtime rival, Rock Band, could not be reached for comment.

-AR

[via CNN]

Thanks: Hetal Bhatt