GiantBomb’s industry spies have turned up an internal memo from Activision HQ, explaining why the publisher expects Call of Duty to remain a strong franchise where Guitar Hero bombed.

“There are several key differences between the two franchises worth considering. 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,” writes CEO Eric Hirschberg.

In March this year, the company confirmed that Call of Duty: Black Ops had become the biggest ever title in the States, selling just under 14 million copies on the continent alone.

“Guitar Hero was a new genre which had incredible appeal, but which had not stood the test of time. 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.”

And Hirschberg doesn’t see that changing in the foreseeable future. 

“If you really step back and dispassionately look at any measurement – sales, player engagement, hours of online play, performance of DLC – you can absolutely conclude that the potential for this franchise has never been greater.

“In order to achieve this potential, 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.

“Entertainment franchises with staying power are rare. But Call of Duty shows all of the signs of being able to be one of them. It’s up to us.”

A new Call of Duty title should be launching around November, although Activision hasn’t made any official announcement about it yet.