If you are a video game nut, you have no doubt heard about Guitar Hero craze that has engulfed the video game scene over the last three years. Millions and millions of gamers have played the Guitar Hero video games and it has common one of the most successful series of video games in history.

The Guitar Hero video game series is best known for the guitar-shaped controller that you use to play the game. The guitar-shaped controller has mutli-colored buttons on it and the basic point of the game is press the buttons to correspond correctly with what is seen on the screen. As the buttons are pushed, the players simulate playing rock music on an actual guitar.

With practice, concentration and hand-eye coordination, players of the Guitar Hero video game can become better at playing their virtual guitar. The better the players become, they can advance through stages of the game and have success in mastering different songs. Gamers have routinely claimed that Guitar Hero is one of the most addicting games on the market. If you haven’t seen the game in action, you should definitely check it out!

The Guitar Hero video game series is currently published by RedOctane and Activision. Founded in 1999, RedOctane was originally a video game rental service. The company later became active in building interactive video game accessories. Activision is a much older company – founded in 1979. Originally, Activision became popular for its releases on the Atari video game system. The company grew in success over time and recently Activision announced that they were the top video game publisher in the United States for 2007.

To date, the Guitar Hero video game series has sold more than 14 million copies around the world. The sales of the Guitar Hero video games have brought in more than one billion dollars for the companies involved. There’s no doubt that what started as a unique innovation in the video game world has expanded into a world wide phenomenon.

One reason why the Guitar Hero video game is so addicting is the multiple options of game play. You can play in single player mode and try to master the game like you would any other video game. However, the multiplayer options are where this game really shines. In two player mode, you can play against each other or you can play with each other. Due to the multiplayer aspect, Guitar Hero has become a game popular at social activities, which has also helped the game explode in popularity over a relatively short period of time.

Guitar Hero relies heavily on rock music. If you are a fan of rock music, chances are you will enjoy the music selection available within the game. With a mix of licensed rock music and independent rock music, each game enjoys a varied selection. The songs used date all the way back to the 1960’s, so multiple generations of rock music are represented.

In total, there have been five Guitar Hero releases since its debut in 2005. Four of the releases are on video game consoles, while the fifth was made specifically for mobile devices. Here is a look at each game within the Guitar Hero video game series:

Guitar Hero

The original Guitar Hero video game was developed by Harmonix Music Systems. Harmonix Music Systems is a company that was established in 1995. After seeing many music based video game ideas throughout the years, Harmonix Music Systems came up with the concept that powers the Guitar Hero video game series. Harmonix Music Systems credits Japanese video game makers for their influence on their work.

RedOctane was the publisher of the original Guitar Hero and the game was published on Sony Playstation 2. Playstation 2, a video game console, was originally released in 2000 but it was still wildly popular in 2005. The release date for the original Guitar Hero was Nov. 8, 2005 in the United States. The game had 30 recognizable rock songs, from classic songs from the 1960’s to current hits.

When the game was released, there wasn’t too much fan fare. However, gamers quickly got hooked and praised the game as the best of its kind. Guitar Hero also won multiple awards and was hailed by critics as one of the best releases of the year. As word spread, the Guitar Hero phenomenon quickly took off.

To date, there have been nearly two million copies of this game sold. Although this game didn’t sell the number of copies of the later Guitar Hero releases, it definitely set the framework for this success series of video games.

Guitar Hero II

The sequel to Guitar Hero was also developed by Harmonix Music Systems and published by RedOctane. However, while the first Guitar Hero game was only available for the Playstation 2, this game was released for both the Playstation 2 and the Xbox 360. The release for the Playstation 2 version was in November of 2006, while the Xbox 360 version was released in April of 2007.

While the original Guitar Hero game had 30 songs, Guitar Hero II came with 40 rock songs. The game play for Guitar Hero II was very similar to the original Guitar Hero, with many improvements made along the way. The result was another highly rated game that had critics and fans alike celebrating this new release. With over three million units sold, there’s little down that the Guitar Hero video game series was on its way to legendary status.

Guitar Hero Encore: Rocks the 80s

The third edition of the Guitar Hero video game series took on a different name than the others. Trying to attract a specific market, the makers of the game decided to release a game virtually identical to Guitar Hero II that concentrated on rock music from the 1980’s. Due to the lack of any improvements in the game, this release was disparaged by fans and critics. Predictably, this edition of the series didn’t sell as well as the others.

Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock

The latest release in the Guitar Hero series is called Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock. Published by Activision and RedOctane, this edition of the game was made available on the following video game consoles: Playstation 2, Playstation 3, Xbox 360 and Wii. The game was developed by Neversoft, a company made famous by their work on the Tony Hawk video game series. The game was also made available for the PC and Mac, with these versions of the game developed by Aspyr Media.

Although this game wasn’t as highly rated as the first two Guitar Hero releases, it’s by far the best selling Guitar Hero game ever. Most gamers enjoy the improved game play and features available in this edition of Guitar Hero. A unique feature in this game is the addition of rock legends Tom Morello and Slash as characters in the game.

Guitar Hero III Mobile

Available for play on mobile devices, Guitar Hero III Mobile has been a relatively successful release for a small yet growing market. Released in December of 2007, this game was developed by MWNW and published by Hands-On Mobile. This game comes with 15 songs, however new songs are released every month.

One of the most popular science fiction video games series of all time, Halo stars John, Master Chief Petty officer SPARTAN-117 (often called simply “Master Chief”), a human super-soldier in possession of some pretty fantastic battle armor that’s been technologically enhanced. John is assisted by Cortana, a smart artificial intelligence, constructed by Dr. Catherine Elizabeth Halsey.

It’s the year 2552 and together, Master Chief and Cortana fight a futuristic battle against an alien civilization called the Covenant. The Covenant is comprised of many different alien species, but they are all warlike and see themselves as superior to the human race. In their eyes, humanity is a form of heresy against their religion, which centers around the Great Journey.

The Great Journey begins when a series of ring-like weapons, called Halos, are fired off into space. Though the Halos have long since been abandoned by their ancient creators, the Forerunners, the Covenant was infuriated that humans found and destroyed one of the worlds on which a Halo landed. Master Chief, along with a small force of soldiers, is on a mission to destroy all Halo installations in the universe.

Halo: Combat Evolved was the first game in the Halo series, released on November 15, 2001 exclusively for Xbox. Players of Halo: Combat Evolved found themselves at the helm of the “Pillar of Autumn,” a lone starship to survive the Covenant’s attack on humans. As Master Chief, players travel with Cortana and discover Halo, promptly landing on the planet’s surface to fight the Covenant. In the process, players discover important Halo secrets, vital to the understanding the game and continuing in gameplay. Halo: Combat Evolved was heaped with critical acclaim, ranking fourteenth best game ever by IGN. In 2003, both a PC and Mac-compatible version were released.

Halo 2 the sequel to Halo: Combat Evolved was release on November 9, 2004, again exclusively for Xbox. The sequel story introduces new characters, technology, and AI into the story, enhanced by more advanced graphics than in the original. Halo 2 generated $125 million of revenue on its first day, securing it the title of fastest selling U.S. media product in history.

Today, on September 25, 2007, the world is introduced to Halo 3, the third and final installment in the Halo franchise. Master Chief returns to finish the fight against the Covenant, the Flood, and what’s left of the human race. The game will be released for Xbox 360 and sales are expected to be even greater than those of the record-breaking Halo 2. At more than 4,000,000 preorders — more than double the 1.5m for Halo 2 — Halo 3 will be played by millions on its premiere day. Will you be one of them?

(photo credit xbox)

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