According to various reports, music-driven videogames are dropping in sales, something that most parents of game-addicted children probably see as good thing.
Despite big-name releases this past year with The Beatles: Rock Band, DJ Hero and new versions of Guitar Hero and Rock Band, sales from music-related videogames have dropped to half of 2008's all-time high of $1.4 billion, Billboard reports. Even after the holiday rush, music videogames are only expected to gross $700 million this year.
The Beatles: Rock Band was expected to crush sales in the music videogame market but only ended up selling 80,000 copies instead of the estimated one million in sales projected in its first month of release alone. The high cost of the game, which ran upwards of $500 (including limited-edition instruments and microphones) was said to be a factor in the disappointing sales.
Even more of a dud was DJ Hero, featuring Eminem and Jay-Z, which is only projected to sell 600,000 after it was estimated to sell 1.6 million units. The game sold a measly 123,000 copies in its first sales push.
While some blame the game prices for low sales, others say the market is oversaturated. A veritable cornucopia of videogames was released this year, including The Beatles: Rock Band, DJ Hero, Band Hero, Guitar Hero 5, Guitar Hero: Metallica, Lego Bock Band, Guitar Hero on Tour: Modern Hits, Rock Band Unplugged, Guitar Hero: Smash Hits and Guitar Hero: Van Halen, which just hit stores in time for Christmas.
Meanwhile, Green Day: Rock Band is due in 2010 and there have even been rumours of a Rock Band edition from the Who. And something tells us Rock Band: The Who isn't really gonna turn around this whole music videogames sales plummet.
Despite big-name releases this past year with The Beatles: Rock Band, DJ Hero and new versions of Guitar Hero and Rock Band, sales from music-related videogames have dropped to half of 2008's all-time high of $1.4 billion, Billboard reports. Even after the holiday rush, music videogames are only expected to gross $700 million this year.
The Beatles: Rock Band was expected to crush sales in the music videogame market but only ended up selling 80,000 copies instead of the estimated one million in sales projected in its first month of release alone. The high cost of the game, which ran upwards of $500 (including limited-edition instruments and microphones) was said to be a factor in the disappointing sales.
Even more of a dud was DJ Hero, featuring Eminem and Jay-Z, which is only projected to sell 600,000 after it was estimated to sell 1.6 million units. The game sold a measly 123,000 copies in its first sales push.
While some blame the game prices for low sales, others say the market is oversaturated. A veritable cornucopia of videogames was released this year, including The Beatles: Rock Band, DJ Hero, Band Hero, Guitar Hero 5, Guitar Hero: Metallica, Lego Bock Band, Guitar Hero on Tour: Modern Hits, Rock Band Unplugged, Guitar Hero: Smash Hits and Guitar Hero: Van Halen, which just hit stores in time for Christmas.
Meanwhile, Green Day: Rock Band is due in 2010 and there have even been rumours of a Rock Band edition from the Who. And something tells us Rock Band: The Who isn't really gonna turn around this whole music videogames sales plummet.
