DJ Hero 'highest grossing new IP' of 2009, claims Activision

Last year saw a number of attention-grabbing original intellectual properties, including Dragon Age: Origins, Brutal Legend, Infamous, Prototype, EA Sports Active, and GameSpot's 2009 Game of the Year, Demon's Souls. However, Activision claims that its recently released DJ Hero topped them all.

The publisher today declared DJ Hero the "highest grossing new IP in the US and Europe for calendar 2009," citing the industry-tracking NPD Group as the source of its information. One factor in the game's favor was a $120 price tag, meaning DJ Hero could match a standard $60 title's gross take by selling half as many copies.

Activision did not provide a dollar amount for the game or sales figures for the game. However, as previously reported, DJ Hero sold 298,000 copies on all platforms combined in its first two months on the US market, according to the NPD Group.

Perhaps paradoxically, Activision touts the game as an original intellectual property but also considers it part of the Guitar Hero franchise. In announcing DJ Hero's "highest grossing" designation, Activision Blizzard CEO Robert Kotick said the game "further establishes Guitar Hero as the premier franchise of its kind."

Regardless of sales figures relative to other games, DJ Hero has performed well enough for Activision to commit to another installment. In the most recent issue of Game Informer, Kotick confirmed that a second version of the game is in the works, saying, "I can't wait for you to see next year's."

A representative with the NPD Group had not responded to a request for confirmation of Activision's figures as of press time. For more on the game, check out GameSpot's review of DJ Hero.