'Innovation is key for Call of Duty'

Activision is adamant that the Call of Duty is going to stick around for a long time to come, according to a leaked internal memo where CEO Eric Hirschberg says Call of Duty will not be the next Guitar Hero.

Despite rapid initial growth, Activision's efforts in the music game market eventually petered out. Earlier this year the publisher bought an end to the Guitar Hero and DJ Hero series.

The memo, which was leaked to Giant Bomb, begins by asking 'Isn't Call of Duty today just like Guitar Hero was a few years back?'

'There are several key differences between the two franchises worth considering,' Hirschberg responds. 'Guitar Hero quickly reached incredible heights, but then began a steady decline. Call of Duty, on the other hand, has steadily grown every single year of its seven-year existence.'

'Call of Duty exists in a genre - first person shooters - that has shown remarkable staying power and wide appeal over a period of decades. Plus, Call of Duty has inspired a massive, persistent, online community of players, making it perhaps the 'stickiest' game of all time.'

'We need to focus: on making games that constantly raise the quality bar; on staying ahead of the innovation curve; on surrounding the brand with a suite of services and an online community that makes our fans never want to leave...Activision doesn't always seem to get the credit it deserves in terms of innovation in my opinion, but there is no short supply of it, even in our narrower slate.'

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