Activision ‘abused’ Guitar Hero

One of the key figures from the history of the Guitar Hero franchise has blamed Activision’s abuse of the brand as the reason for its downfall.

It was brilliant,” said Kelly Sumner, the former CEO of Guitar Hero’s original publisher RedOctane and the man who oversaw Activision’s acquisition of the series.

Everybody wants to be a rock star and there was nothing like this on the market at the time. Best of all it involved everybody in the room. It was a great party experience.

[But Activision] tried to get too much out of the franchise too quickly. They abused it. There’s no reason why Guitar Hero cannot continue. It’s a great product. My gut tells me there is still a significant market for Guitar Hero.

"Not every game can be a billion dollar franchise, but maybe that’s what Activision wants. I’d be surprised if they sold the brand as it’d prove to the world there is still a market for this product and show them up.

Look at how Take-Two has handled GTA. They haven’t thrown products out there. They’ve nurtured it for over ten years and it is still a strong franchise.”

To read MCV’s full analysis of Guitar Hero’s downfall, click here.