 The popularity of the series increased dramatically with the release of Guitar Hero II for the PlayStation 2 in 2006 . Featuring improved multiplayer gameplay , an improved note @-@ recognizing system , and 64 songs , it became the fifth best @-@ selling video game of 2006 . The PlayStation 2 version of the game was offered both separately and in a bundle with a cherry red Gibson SG guitar controller . Guitar Hero II was later released for the Xbox 360 in April 2007 with an exclusive Gibson Explorer guitar controller and an additional 10 songs , among other features . About 3 million units of Guitar Hero II have sold on the PlayStation 2 and Xbox 360 . 
