The 2008 NPD software sales numbers have arrived, and with them come an official music game victor. Guitar Hero World Tour crushed Rock Band 2 at retail. While the highly praised Rock Band 2 managed to push a respectable 1.7 million units across the PS2, PS3, Wii, and Xbox 360, Guitar Hero ultimately won out. World Tour sold a whopping 3.4 million during 2008.
There are two primary factors that explain this disparity. While Rock Band 2 rolled out gradually across the four platforms (360, September 14; PS3, October 19; Wii and PS2, December 18), Guitar Hero World Tour launched simultaneously on all four on October 26. The main reason for World Tour’s victory, however, is purely brand name. Even though Neversoft, not Harmonix, developed World Tour, the Guitar Hero name has become synonymous with music games, and part of mainstream culture. Average Joe doesn’t know that Harmonix created Guitar Hero 1 in 2 — in fact, Average Joe doesn’t know who Harmonix is at all.