Guitar Hero Celebrates 20 Years – How a Plastic Axe Connected the Gap Among Rock Fans

It has been two decades after the legendary game first launched in North America, providing everyday gamers the means to feel like a rock star. Not in reality, but try telling that someone who's mastered the epic lengthy instrumental break before a packed crowd of friends.

Created by the developers, Guitar Hero provided users with a plastic guitar peripheral to match on-screen cues scrolling down the display synchronized to the music. Every sequence mimicked particular chords, creating the sensation of an authentic live show.

Harmonix had already experimented with rhythm games before partnering with RedOctane, later acquired by Activision during the mid-2000s. Collaboratively, they laid the foundations for a surprising billion-dollar series that had a significant influence on numerous musicians included, showcasing classic groups to a new generation of younger players.

Michael Dornbrook, former COO from the developer, remembers the early financial challenges of licensing the songs – despite the fact the first two games mostly used rerecorded tracks.

“We reproduced all the music because the dollar figure prohibitive,” he explains. “Even with the publishing rights by themselves, it proved extremely difficult. We failed to secure acts such as the Who – the publisher had virtually no money, and we were fairly certain the project would flop. But once Guitar Hero took off, and record sales and radio play increased, all artists desired to be in.”

He continues: “One of the remarkable aspects was the number of parents got in touch and thanked us for introducing their kids to the songs they adored. It became a multigenerational thing.”

Timeless Music Finds a New Audience

Northern Irish group the Answer had Never Too Late on the 2008 game Guitar Hero World Tour. Lead musician Paul Mahon remembers the way the game revived classic rock to the forefront: “Guitar Hero offered a bigger, younger audience. Typically this had been considered music that was past it, however when it was featured on the game and teenagers were finding it, abruptly it became trendy. This validated the genre, eliminating the outdated label. It gave our catalog renewed popularity.”

At that time, the Answer’s first record was still not available in the US, meaning Guitar Hero was a key medium of discovery for the group during their US tour opening for the rock giants. “The roadies were playing the song during travel, and some of them recognized us thanks to the game,” Mahon says.

Rock’s Heavyweight Spin-offs and Lasting Influence

Music's biggest acts quickly took advantage of the series’ popularity, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and others featuring in dedicated game editions that focused on their music collections and related lore, imagery and legendary status. For example, the Aerosmith edition, reportedly earned the band greater revenue compared to their records. It sold well over half a million copies upon release, and demand for their songs rose significantly during an era when the music business faced decline.

Guitar Hero continues to inspire nimble-fingered fanaticism among its fans. Recently, an online personality achieved an impressive attempt of DragonForce’s the challenging track – a notoriously difficult anthem made popular by the game – using a fan-made version, a no-cost alternative with almost identical mechanics and extensive personalization features. The song is challenging enough on expert mode, not to mention played at double speed and without missing a single one of its near 4,000 notes. They stated it took months of practice of practice.

“Guitar Hero offers a, imaginary experience. Just as with other games, that doesn’t mean you should pick up actual weapons and enlist,” says DragonForce guitarist the artist.

The band had already wrapped up a successful tour before Through the Fire and Flames was featured in the third game, but Li says it turned them into widely recognized. “I recall the record label informing us that we were records were moving rapidly,” he says. “Popularity surged on the subsequent tour, and we were playing right ahead of the headliners at the event.”

Indeed, DragonForce’s exposure from Guitar Hero was so immense that it has threatened to eclipsing everything else accomplishments. Last year, the track was used in a trailer for Despicable Me 4. “Previously I felt otherwise, but now I accept it,” Li says. “Should you just listen to a single track, that's fine – everyone’s got their own path in music and I'm pleased we played a role in fans' experiences”.

Enduring Legacy of a Iconic Controller

The best marketing, be it for cars, clothes or games, goes further mere transactions – it inspires a longing. Did Guitar Hero harness this? “That’s exactly what we were aiming to achieve,” Dornbrook says. “The excitement of being a rock star on the stage. Since the beginning, the creators felt that humans have a natural urge to make music, and they wanted to leverage innovation to allow people to do it”.

The majority of Guitar Hero games came out in just a five-year period between 2005 and 2010, featuring spin-offs such as DJ Hero, including a spinning deck, and the band-focused game. Subsequently, the publisher’s interest in plastic instruments waned, except for a short-lived revival in 2015.

Titles like Clone Hero and newer releases have kept the scene alive, and there’s expectations of a new product from the founders on the way. Recently formed developers has begun production on its debut rhythm-based title. The initial creators are participating as special advisers. Are gamers ready to embrace another game following the classic?

“Our team believed those games could be like Madden allowing annual update every year,” Dornbrook says. “With abundant fresh tracks it could remain perennially popular, so I’ve always been optimistic. There’s no reason for it to persist for future fans.”