Guitar Hero

A series of music rhythm games where players use a guitar-shaped controller to simulate playing rock music.

Action

Simulation

52

Games

2000–2015

Years

10

Platforms

$22.34

Ø CIB

+25.9%

24M change

About

Guitar Hero is a popular music rhythm game franchise originally developed by Harmonix and published by RedOctane and Activision. Players use a guitar-shaped peripheral to match scrolling notes on-screen to perform famous rock songs. The series later expanded to include full band instruments such as drums and vocals.

The franchise debuted on the PlayStation 2, quickly becoming a cultural phenomenon that drove billions of dollars in retail sales. Following the acquisition of RedOctane by Activision and Harmonix by MTV Games, development duties shifted to Neversoft, which created Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock in 2007. This entry became the first single video game to surpass one billion dollars in sales.

The franchise's extensive catalog includes various editions and promotional items, such as Guitar Hero (2005), Guitar Hero Guitar Bundle] (2005), [Guitar Hero (game only) (2005), and Guitar Hero II (2000), alongside specialized releases like Guitar Hero II Promo Not For Resale] (2000) and [Guitar Hero II [BradyGames] (1993).

The series significantly impacted the music industry, boosting digital music downloads and introducing classic rock to younger audiences. Although the rhythm game market experienced a sharp decline around 2010, leading to a prolonged hiatus for the brand, the franchise remains a landmark of 2000s gaming culture.