Both titles have been confirmed from statements made by the newly minted Activision-Blizzard. The real question here is less about if these franchises would continue but when and how they will continue. This being that Call of Duty 4 is fresh out the gate as well as Guitar Hero 3 being fresh to publication. Most people thought that both developers would be making DLC not new games.
Therefore, any new titles created, at least from the Call of Duty camp would seem to be coming from someone else other than Infinity Ward. But most analysts now believe that since Call of Duty 4 did so well that Infinity Ward would be doing 5. But Call of Duty 2 was the most successful one in the history of the series and yet Call of Duty 3 was done by a different developer to a luke-warm response.
As far as Guitar Hero 4, perhaps this is a response to Rock Band's continuing content and the seeming lack of innovation from Guitar Hero 2 to Guitar Hero 3. This is possibly the Guitar Hero 3 that should have been. But banking on people having bought Guitar Hero 2 and 3 by making new and even harder tracks for GH4 seems a little insane. If they go back to the proverbial drawing board and come up with something completely new it might alienate those people who just bought GH2 and GH3.
Hopefully the statements that these games are in development only means that there are plans for them and that we won/t see either title for at least a year. Coming out sooner, would be jumping the gun on both titles and not allowing the franchises to properly mature. Activision is doing really well right now, but these are certainly the exceptions not the rule. Hopefully Activision will use it's experiences as a publisher to lead them into the future and not unnecessarily rush these two premier. franchises.
