Activision, Inc. was the #1 U.S. console and handheld publisher for the month of October, increasing its U.S. market share to a record 28.7%, according to The NPD Group. The company’s performance was driven by the success of Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock, which was the #1 U.S. best-selling title across all platforms, despite only one week of sales during the month.

For the month of October, Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock was the #1 U.S. best-selling title for the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft; the PLAYSTATION 3 and PlayStation 2 computer entertainment systems and the Wii home video game system from Nintendo. Additionally, it was the first third-party game ever to rank #1 on the Wii platform.

“The Guitar Hero franchise has only scratched the surface of its potential since it was previously only available for the PlayStation 2 computer entertainment systems and the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft,” said Robert Kotick, Chairman and CEO of Activision. “Despite having significantly increased our production capabilities for the holiday, there is still a high likelihood that we will not be able to meet demand for this game on every platform.”

Guitar Hero has expanded well beyond video games and is one of the biggest entertainment franchises in the marketplace, having sold more than eight million units worldwide through October, according to The NPD Group, Charttrack and Gfk. Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock marks the franchise’s debut on PLAYSTATION 3 computer entertainment system and Wii home video game system from Nintendo, making it the only music based game available on all console platforms this holiday season.