Activision: Skylanders is "certainly not another Guitar Hero"

The Skylanders franchise is "certainly not another Guitar Hero," according to Activision's United Kingdom managing director Roy Stackhouse. Speaking with MCV, Stackhouse said the target markets for both franchises are not the same.

"It is certainly not another Guitar Hero. The two franchises are completely different target markets and market position," he said. "Let's not lose focus, Guitar Hero was a phenomenal success, absolutely huge, like Skylanders is now. But I struggle to see the comparison."

After reaching retail sales of over $2 billion across various games, Activision disbanded the Guitar Hero business unit in February 2011. Activision has since said that the franchise is not dead, but rather taking time to reinvent itself before returning.

Skylanders will remain a top-seller at retail so long as Activision can continue to innovate within the series, Stackhouse said. Asked how much growth potential the Skylanders series has, he described the franchise as a "creative goldmine" with limitless opportunities.

"As long as the innovation continues to be as great as it is, then I don't see it having a limited shelf life. The reason I say that is because if you think about the possibilities in this category, what has been achieved with Swap Force and its innovation, and the endless possibilities in terms of the Skylanders universe," Stackhouse said. "This must be a creative goldmine to work on because a child's imagination is one of the most fertile in the world, and if you can tap into that then there is endless opportunity for innovation."

The Skylanders series has spanned three main console titles thus far: Skylanders: Spyro's Adventures (2011), Skylanders Giants (2012), and Skylanders: Swap Force (2013). A 2014 game has not been announced.