@RoommateDave, Sorry, I didn't see that you'd already thrown a comment in here about the separate controllers. My other comments still stand, though.
As for it being an expansion, I think that expansion and encore are probably synonymous in this case. The encore adds to the original game, but there's nothing really radically different about it (from my friends reviews).
@Starless, Not necessarily, but mostly yes. There's places that sell just a guitar, but I would think most people would buy GH2 if they didn't already have it (and were interested in playing 80's). That's why I think when GH2 comes unpackaged, without the guitar, it will see an increase in sales. I didn't say it was conclusive proof, I said it kind of backs me up. : ) I'm confident I'll be borne out when GH3 comes out. I've already loaded up on GH2, so I'm just waiting, now.
@Laoldar, Something that kind of backs up my "GH3 will boost GH2 sales" theory:
GH2 for PS2 was holding steady at about 35-38k sold per week (according to VGC), and bumped up a bit with the release of Rocks the 80's to 43k. Not a huge rise, but I think it's the beginning of a trend. I think GH2 is going to explode when GH3 onboards more people to the franchise.
@Laoldar, The only real evidence I have is anecdotal: everyone I know who bought Guitar Hero 2 before Guitar Hero went out to buy the original game. I'm talking a time span of a few WEEKS, not six months. I think you're underestimating the appeal of more, different, recognizable songs to people new to the franchise. Someone new to the franchise would look back on older games and go, "Oh man, I'd LOVE to play Freebird!". I know that's what happened with everyone I've talked to; they see a song or 3 they want on a previous version and pick it up. It's not the most irrefutable logic, granted.
There's also a few other things to consider. 1) If GH3 totally sucks, which it shouldn't, people might see online how much people love GH2 and pick it up. 2) There was a price break for GH, I can't imagine there won't be one at some point for GH2. 3) Places like amazon.com will throw out the old "buy this with Guitar Hero 2 and save $1.37!", people will buy it that way.
Like I said, I don't have any solid, numbers based reasoning as to why I'm taking the position I am, I just think it will, based on the aforementioned reasons. I'd be really really surprised if this game doesn't crack 2 million at some point.
Do you have anything to support this? Guitar Hero 1 and 2 were a year apart on the PS2 and I can't find sales data that shows what you're claiming. Besides, that was for a year difference in the release dates...not 6 months.
I can't see people running out to buy another full price game so quickly just for more songs, especially when GH3 promises dozens of songs to play.
New GH games don't cannibalize the sales of old games. They enhance them. People coming into the franchise for the first time will want more songs, and the easiest way to get them is to buy an older game.
Gamestop has GH2 (game only) listed to be coming out the same day as GH3. The fact that people can come back a week later and pick up a whole new batch of songs without buying a new guitar as well will be huge. It happened for Guitar Hero 1, there's no reason to believe it won't happen for Guitar Hero 2.
Keep in mind that Guitar Hero 3 is coming out this fall and that should cannibalize much of GH2's sales.
Though I'd estimate that its current sales are around 1.15 million right now. If it holds strong through the summer, it could come in slightly higher than its price.
This stock could be undervalued as the fact that the game has already sold somewhere around 1 million and has continued to sell strong and steadily in the U.S. and other areas. The lifetime sells currently predicted for this game is easily within in reach and even possibly passable.
2
Sorry, I didn't see that you'd already thrown a comment in here about the separate controllers. My other comments still stand, though.
As for it being an expansion, I think that expansion and encore are probably synonymous in this case. The encore adds to the original game, but there's nothing really radically different about it (from my friends reviews).