 The original Guitar Hero was released on the PlayStation 2 in November 2005 . Guitar Hero is notable because it comes packaged with a controller peripheral modeled after a black Gibson SG guitar . Rather than a typical gamepad , this guitar controller is the primary input for the game . Playing the game with the guitar controller simulates playing an actual guitar , except it uses five colored " fret buttons " and a " strum bar " instead of frets and strings . The development of Guitar Hero was inspired by Konami 's Guitar Freaks video game , which at the time , had not seen much exposure in the North American market ; RedOctane , already selling guitar @-@ shaped controllers for imported copies of GuitarFreaks , approached Harmonix about creating a game to use an entirely new Guitar controller . The concept was to have the gameplay of Amplitude with the visuals of Karaoke Revolution , both of which had been developed by Harmonix . The game was met with critical acclaim and received numerous awards for its innovative guitar peripheral and its soundtrack , which comprised 47 playable rock songs ( most of which were cover versions of popular songs from artists and bands from the 1960s through modern rock ) . Guitar Hero has sold nearly 1 @.@ 5 million copies to date . 
 The original Guitar Hero was released on the PlayStation 2 in November 2005 . Guitar Hero <a href='drop_aux' title='1'><mark>is</mark></a>notable because it <a href='uninflect' title='2'><mark>comes</mark></a> packaged with a controller peripheral modeled after a black Gibson SG guitar . Rather than a typical gamepad , this guitar controller <a href='drop_aux' title='3'><mark>is</mark></a>the primary input for the game . Playing the game with the guitar controller <a href='uninflect' title='4'><mark>simulates</mark></a> playing an actual guitar , except it <a href='uninflect' title='5'><mark>uses</mark></a> five colored " fret buttons " and a " strum bar " instead of frets and strings . The development of Guitar Hero was inspired by Konami <a href='null_genetive' title='6'><mark>'s</mark></a>Guitar Freaks video game , which at <a href='None' title='7'><mark>the</mark></a><a href='negative_concord' title='8'><mark>time</mark></a> , <a href='been_done' title='9'><mark>had</mark></a> not seen much exposure in the North American market ; RedOctane , already selling guitar @-@ shaped controllers for imported copies of GuitarFreaks , approached Harmonix about creating a game to use an entirely new Guitar controller . The concept was to have the gameplay of Amplitude with the visuals of Karaoke Revolution , both of which <a href='been_done' title='10'><mark>had</mark></a> been developed by Harmonix . The game was met with critical acclaim and received numerous awards for its innovative guitar peripheral and its soundtrack , which comprised 47 playable rock songs ( most of which <a href='uninflect' title='11'><mark>were</mark></a> cover versions of popular songs from artists and bands from the 1960s through modern rock ) . Guitar Hero <a href='been_done' title='12'><mark>has</mark></a> sold nearly 1 @.@ 5 million copies to date . 
The original Guitar Hero was released on da PlayStation 2 in November 2005 . Guitar Hero notable b/c it cum packaged wit a controller peripheral modeled after a black Gibson SG guitar . Rather den a typical gamepad , this guitar controller the primary input for the game . playin the game with tdaguitar controller simulate pplayinan actual guitar , except it use five colored " fret buttons " and a " strum bar " instead of frets and strings . The development of Guitar Hero was inspired by Konami  Guitar Freaks video game , which at no time , done not seen much exposure in the North American market ; RedOctane , already sellin guitar @-@ shaped controllers fir imported copies of GuitarFreaks , approached Harmonix about creating a game to use an entirely new Guitar controller . Thdaoncept was to have the gameplay of Amplitude wwidthe visuals of Karaoke Revolution , both of which done been developed by Harmonix . The game was met with critical acclaim and received numerous awards fir its innovative guitar peripheral and its soundtrack , which comprised 47 playable rock songs ( most of which was cover versions of popular songs from artists and bands from theda60s thru modern rock ) . Guitar Hero done sold nearly 1 @.@ 5 million copies to date .