Activision: ‘Guitar Hero as respected as Harley Davidson’

Super-publisher Activision has called its Hero franchise as respected as Harley Davidson and the iPhone.

In an exclusive interview with MCV, the firm discusses how Guitar Hero has become bigger than just a video game – with long-term planning key to its success.

"Things like Guitar Hero has forced us to have that new approach – because we are selling a brand that’s as respected as the likes of the iPhone or Harley Davidson," said Activision UK MD Andrew Brown.

"If you watch TV now, you’ll see Guitar Hero in the sitcoms and the advertisements. That’s the level of the brand awareness, and you can’t do anything with a brand like that unless you manage it properly over a long period of time. So the long-term view is something we’ve developed. There’s still lots to do, and you can’t change the industry, but that’s our objective."

In the first of our three part interview, Activision also talk about why games should have difference prices, their merger with Blizzard and the importance of special edition sets.