As if we didn’t know about Activision’s world-dominating power, they were nice enough to send us a press release letting us know that their famous Guitar Hero franchise has passed the billion-dollar mark in North America. Even more impressive is the fact that it’s only been a little over two years, 26 months to be exact, since the series first launched. This astounding figure is also an industry record.

The press release, as follows:

Activision, Inc. (Nasdaq:ATVI) today announced that the Guitar Hero(R) franchise has set an industry record, surpassing $1 billion in North American retail sales in just 26 months, according to The NPD Group.

Additionally, Guitar Hero(R) III: Legends of Rock(TM) was the #1 title in units and dollars for calendar year 2007, making it the #1 best-selling video game of all time in a single calendar year.

Since its initial release in fall 2005, the Guitar Hero franchise has sold in excess of 14 million units in North America alone, according to The NPD Group. In 10 weeks since the game's launch, consumers have already downloaded more than five million songs.

"Guitar Hero is one of the biggest brands and one of the most powerful distribution platforms in all of entertainment today," said Michael Griffith, President and Chief Executive Officer, Activision Publishing, Inc. "Guitar Hero's popularity with broad audiences is a confirmation that video games have become a true mass medium."

As a Guitar Hero junkie who fully knows the addictive power of the games, this doesn’t entirely surprise me, but it’s still ridiculously impressive. Keep on rocking, guys. But lose the boss battles for Guitar Hero IV. That’s all I’m saying.