🔗 Share this article

It has been 20 years after the legendary game debuted across the Atlantic, providing players everywhere the opportunity to feel like rock legends. Not literally, though you'd be hard-pressed convincing someone who's mastered Free Bird’s lengthy guitar solo in front of an enthusiastic crowd of friends.

Developed by Harmonix, Guitar Hero gave players a plastic guitar peripheral to match coloured notes scrolling down the display synchronized to a song. Every sequence mimicked specific notes, creating the sensation of a genuine performance.

The studio had already tried its hand with rhythm games prior to teaming up with RedOctane, which was purchased by the gaming giant in 2006. Together, they laid the foundations for a surprising massively profitable franchise that had a significant influence for many musicians included, introducing classic bands to millions of younger players.

A former executive, former COO of Harmonix, recalls the initial financial challenges of licensing the songs – despite the fact the first two games mostly used cover versions.

“We rerecorded all the music since the cost prohibitive,” he explains. “Despite having the publishing rights alone, it proved extremely difficult. We couldn’t get bands like the Who – RedOctane had virtually no money, and our team was fairly certain the project would flop. But once the game took off, album purchases airtime were going up, everyone wanted to participate.”

He adds: “One of the amazing things was the number of parents reached out expressing gratitude for exposing their kids to the music they adored. It evolved into a multigenerational phenomenon.”

Timeless Music Gains Younger Fans

Irish group one featured act had Never Too Late in the 2008 release the popular installment. Guitarist the artist remembers the way the game brought older hits back into vogue: “The game offered a larger, new demographic. Generally such music was seen as music that was past it, but then once it got included in the title young people were finding it, suddenly it was cool. That legitimised the genre, eliminating the ‘dad rock’ label. It provided all our music renewed popularity.”

At that time, the Answer’s first record remained not available stateside, meaning the game served as a primary platform for exposure for the group as they went on US tour opening for the rock giants. “The roadies had on Never Too Late during travel, and some of them recognized us from Guitar Hero,” he notes.

Major Band Titles Enduring Influence

Music's heavyweight names soon took advantage of the game's success, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen featuring in specialized game editions centered around their music collections and associated lore, imagery and legendary status. In the case of, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, it was said earned the group more money than any of their records. It moved well over half a million copies upon release, while sales of Aerosmith’s music saw an increase of up to 40% at a time as the industry was already collapsing.

Guitar Hero still motivates quick-handed fanaticism within the community. Earlier this year, an online personality completed an impressive attempt of DragonForce’s Through the Fire and Flames – a notoriously difficult anthem made popular by Guitar Hero – on Clone Hero, a freeware game with almost identical gameplay but an array of customisation options. This track is challenging even in the hardest setting, not to mention performed at increased tempo while hitting every one of the thousands of cues. They stated requiring nine months to accomplish.

“Guitar Hero is a fun, imaginary experience. Just as with Call of Duty, that doesn’t mean you should pick up a real gun and go to war,” notes DragonForce guitarist the artist.

The band previously completed a successful tour when Through the Fire and Flames was featured on Guitar Hero III, but Li says it made them a household name. “I remember the record label calling to tell me that we were records were moving rapidly,” he says. “Popularity surged when we next toured, and we were playing right ahead of the headliners at the event.”

In fact, DragonForce’s exposure via the game was so immense that it has threatened to overshadow all other accomplishments. Recently, the track featured in a trailer for Despicable Me 4. “Previously I thought otherwise, but now I accept it,” he admits. “Should you just hear one DragonForce song, that's fine – everyone’s got a unique musical journey and I'm pleased we’ve been part in fans' experiences”.

The Lasting Impact of a Plastic Guitar

The best marketing, whether it’s for cars, clothes or games, extends beyond than selling something – it inspires a longing. Was the game able to tap into that? “That’s exactly what our team trying to create,” Dornbrook says. “That thrill of performing as a rock star in the spotlight. From day one, the creators felt that humans have a natural human desire to make music, and their goal was to use technology to allow people to participate”.

The majority of Guitar Hero games came out in just a five-year period between 2005 and 2010, including spin-offs like the DJ version, including a turntable controller, and the band-focused game. After that, the publisher’s interest on peripherals died down, except for a brief comeback several years later.

Titles such as Clone Hero and newer releases have maintained the scene active, and there’s set to be something from the original publisher in development. A new studio has begun work on their first rhythm-based title. Original co-founders are participating as special advisers. Is the world ready to embrace a new entry following Guitar Hero?

“Our team believed those games might become like Madden where you can releases,” he remarks. “There’s so much fresh tracks it could remain perennially popular, so I’ve always been optimistic. There’s no reason for it to persist for future fans.”