The Iconic Game at 20 – The Plastic Guitar That Bridged Generations Between Music Fans

Marking 20 years since the legendary game first launched across the Atlantic, giving players everywhere the tools to feel like rock legends. Not literally, though you'd be hard-pressed convincing anyone who's mastered the epic four-minute instrumental break in front of an enthusiastic living-room audience.

Developed by Harmonix, the game gave players a guitar-shaped controller to match on-screen cues scrolling down the screen synchronized to a song. Each riff mimicked particular chords, producing the sensation of a genuine performance.

The studio previously experimented with rhythm games prior to teaming up with RedOctane, later purchased by Activision in 2006. Together, they established the groundwork for a surprising massively profitable franchise which made a remarkable influence on numerous of the artists included, introducing decades-old bands to millions of gaming enthusiasts.

A former executive, ex-chief operating officer from the developer, remembers the early budgetary hurdles of licensing the recordings – even though initial releases primarily featured cover versions.

“We reproduced all the music since the cost was so high,” he explains. “Despite having the publishing rights by themselves, it proved nearly impossible. We couldn’t get acts such as legendary groups – RedOctane was operating on a shoestring budget, and our team was pretty convinced the project would flop. However, when Guitar Hero took off, album purchases airtime increased, all artists desired to participate.”

He adds: “Among the amazing things was the number of mothers and fathers reached out and thanked us for introducing their children to the music they loved. It evolved into an intergenerational phenomenon.”

Timeless Music Finds Younger Fans

Irish blues-rock band one featured act had Never Too Late in the 2008 release the popular installment. Guitarist Paul Mahon recalls how the series revived older hits to the forefront: “Guitar Hero provided a bigger, new demographic. Generally such music was considered outdated material, but then when it was featured on the title and teenagers were finding it, suddenly it was cool. That legitimised it, and got rid of the ‘dad rock’ label. It gave our catalog a new life.”

At that time, the Answer’s first record was still unreleased stateside, so the game served as a primary platform for exposure for the band during their US tour opening for the rock giants. “Their crew were playing the song during travel, and some of them recognized us thanks to the game,” Mahon says.

Rock’s Heavyweight Spin-offs Enduring Influence

Rock’s heavyweight names soon capitalised on the game's success, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and others starring in dedicated game editions centered around each band’s catalogue and related stories, visuals and legendary status. For example, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, reportedly to have made the band greater revenue than any of their records. It sold more than 500,000 copies in its first week, while demand for Aerosmith’s music rose significantly during an era when the music business was already collapsing.

Guitar Hero continues to inspire quick-handed fanaticism within the community. Earlier this year, a streamer completed a remarkable feat of DragonForce’s the challenging track – a notoriously difficult power-metal song popularized through the game – using a fan-made version, a no-cost alternative with almost identical mechanics but an array of customisation options. The song is difficult even in the hardest setting, let alone played at double speed while hitting a single one of its near 4,000 notes. They stated requiring nine months to accomplish.

“Guitar Hero offers a, fantasy thing. Just as with Call of Duty, that doesn’t mean you should pick up a real gun and enlist,” says DragonForce guitarist Herman Li.

The band previously wrapped up a profitable run before Through the Fire and Flames was featured in the third game, but Li says it made them a household name. “I recall our distributors informing us that we were records were moving like crazy,” he says. “Popularity surged when we next toured, and we performed right ahead of the headliners on the Mayhem festival.”

Indeed, the band's visibility from Guitar Hero proved so vast that it has threatened to eclipsing all other accomplishments. Last year, the track featured in a trailer for Despicable Me 4. “In the past I felt differently, but I’ve made peace with it,” he admits. “Should you just listen to a single track, it’s totally cool – each person has a unique path in music and I’m glad we’ve been part of people’s lives”.

Enduring Impact from the Iconic Controller

Top-tier marketing, be it for automobiles, apparel or video games, goes further than selling something – it evokes a desire. Did Guitar Hero harness this? “Precisely what we were aiming to achieve,” Dornbrook says. “The excitement of being a rock star on the stage. Since the beginning, the co-founders felt that humans have a natural urge to create songs, and their goal was to use technology to allow people to participate”.

The majority installments came out over a mere five-year period between 2005 and 2010, including spin-offs such as DJ Hero, complete with a turntable controller, and Band Hero. Subsequently, corporate focus on peripherals waned, except for a brief comeback several years later.

Titles such as Clone Hero and newer releases have maintained the scene alive, and there’s expectations of something from the founders in development. Recently formed developers has begun production on its debut rhythm-based title. The initial creators are both involved as special advisers. Is the world ready to embrace a new entry in the spirit of Guitar Hero?

“Our team believed such titles could be similar to sports games where you can releases,” he remarks. “There’s so much new music that it could be evergreen, thus I remain hopeful. It's entirely possible for it to continue with new generations.”