The First Video Game to Make $1bn Is...

[Hermiod]

...Guitar Hero III.

Guitar Hero as a series was the first series to cross the $1bn mark, but now Guitar Hero III has crossed the line for a single title.

I imagine Activision-Blizzard's World of Warcraft has probably made more than $1bn by now, but that is not from direct sales.

 

[dragunzng]

WoW has indeed made far more than a billion. I seem to remember reading something like that it made something close to 200 million each quarter or something.

They're counting Guitar Hero III as the first single game to bring in $1bn.

 

[CaptJimboJones]

I found this tidbit interesting:

Guitar Hero: Aerosmith had sold three times as many copies as the band's last album during their respective first weeks

 

[OdoWanKenobi]

Considering the game mostly came in bundles with a guitar it's not surprising, as it was almost twice the price of a regular game.

 

[SlyCardie]

WoW has indeed made far more than a billion. I seem to remember reading something like that it made something close to 200 million each quarter or something.

They're counting Guitar Hero III as the first single game to bring in $1bn.

Yes that's true. Although doesn't GH3 include the DLC as well in the sales numbers?

 

[LutherSloan]

WoW probably didn't make $1 billion just by selling software.

 

[dragunzng]

WoW probably didn't make $1 billion just by selling software.

Probably not WoW classic, but I don't doubt that software sales alone from Classic and the two expansions have easily topped 1bn by now.

They're counting Guitar Hero III as the first single game to bring in $1bn.

Yes that's true. Although doesn't GH3 include the DLC as well in the sales numbers?[/quote]

Good point.

 

[Trekker4747]

I guess to be "fair" it needs to be pointed out that, unlike many popular games, Guitar Hero is cross-platform and it also -due to the guitar controller- costs 50% more than most other games too.

 

[Hermiod]

WoW has indeed made far more than a billion. I seem to remember reading something like that it made something close to 200 million each quarter or something.

They're counting Guitar Hero III as the first single game to bring in $1bn.

Yes that's true. Although doesn't GH3 include the DLC as well in the sales numbers?

No, my understanding is that it has made $1bn from sales of the game itself. Of course, it helps that many of copies sold include a guitar and thus cost more.

 

[CorporalClegg]

Don Henley once wrote, "Packaging is all heaven really is."

This proves it.