Activision: NPD ranks DJ Hero "Highest Grossing New IP in US AND Europe"

Activision is using NPD data to inform the world that "DJ Hero Ranks as Highest Grossing New IP in the U.S. and Europe for Calendar 2009". If this is the case, no wonder we're looking at DJ Hero 2.

Here's the quote, "Activision Blizzard, Inc. (Nasdaq: ATVI) announced today that DJ Hero(TM) was the #1 new intellectual property by revenue in the U.S. and Europe for calendar 2009, according to The NPD Group."

Without actually bothering to produce any direct stats or quotes from the NPD Group, and using information such as "The game has garnered critical acclaim, securing more than 15 (unnamed) Best Music Game Awards in the US alone..." the official release uses this quote:

"DJ Hero has transformed music gaming by marrying an innovative turntable controller and exhilarating gameplay with the biggest artists and incredible music from around the world.

"Consumers and critics agree that DJ Hero is one of the best music games ever created and further establishes Guitar Hero as the premier franchise of its kind."

And who says so? Robert Kotick, CEO, Activision Blizzard, that's who. However, without any data from NPD; and also working on the fact that NPD does not cover European data. And working on the fact that 'New IP' also appears to mean that DJ Hero, "establishes Guitar Hero as the premier franchise of its kind", we're going to have to take Mr Kotick's word for it.

Read the release here and see if you can get the claim to stand up.