Guitar Hero Celebrates 20 Years – The Plastic Guitar That United Generations Among Rock Generations

It has been two decades since Guitar Hero debuted in North America, giving everyday gamers the tools to become rock legends. Not literally, but try telling that anyone who has nailed Free Bird’s lengthy instrumental break before an enthusiastic living-room audience.

Created by the developers, Guitar Hero gave players a guitar-shaped controller to match coloured notes moving along the display in time with a song. Every sequence mimicked particular chords, creating the sensation of a genuine performance.

The studio had already experimented with rhythm games prior to teaming up with RedOctane, later purchased by the gaming giant during the mid-2000s. Collaboratively, they established the groundwork for an unlikely billion-dollar series that had a significant impact on numerous of the artists featured, showcasing decades-old groups to millions of younger players.

Michael Dornbrook, former COO of Harmonix, remembers the initial budgetary hurdles of licensing the songs – despite the fact the first two games mostly used cover versions.

“We reproduced every song since the cost was so high,” he says. “Even with the necessary permissions alone, it was extremely difficult. We failed to secure bands like the Who – the publisher had virtually no money, and our team was pretty convinced it would fail. However, when Guitar Hero became a hit, and record sales and radio play were going up, everyone wanted to be in.”

He continues: “Among the amazing things was how many parents reached out and thanked us for introducing their kids to the songs they adored. It evolved into a multigenerational thing.”

Timeless Music Finds a New Audience

Irish group one featured act had their track on the 2008 game the popular installment. Lead musician the artist remembers the way the game revived older hits back into vogue: “Guitar Hero offered a larger, new demographic. Generally such music was seen as outdated material, but then when it was featured on the title young people were finding it, abruptly it became trendy. This validated it, and got rid of the outdated tag. It provided all our music renewed popularity.”

In 2008, the band's first record remained unreleased stateside, meaning the game served as a primary platform for exposure for the group during their US tour opening for AC/DC. “The roadies were playing the song during travel, and some of them knew us thanks to the game,” Mahon says.

Rock’s Heavyweight Titles and Lasting Influence

Rock’s biggest acts soon took advantage of the series’ popularity, with Aerosmith, Metallica and others featuring in specialized game editions that focused on their music collections and related lore, imagery and legendary status. In the case of, the Aerosmith edition, reportedly to have made the band greater revenue compared to their studio albums. It moved more than half a million copies upon release, while demand for Aerosmith’s music saw an increase significantly during an era as the industry was already collapsing.

The series still motivates nimble-fingered fanaticism among its fans. Recently, a streamer achieved an impressive attempt featuring the challenging track – an infamously tough anthem popularized through Guitar Hero – on Clone Hero, a no-cost alternative with almost identical mechanics and extensive customisation options. The song is difficult enough on expert mode, let alone played at increased tempo and without missing every one of its near 4,000 notes. The streamer claimed it took nine months of practice.

“The game is a fun, fantasy thing. If you play other games, that doesn’t mean you ought to use a real gun and go to war,” notes DragonForce guitarist the artist.

The band had already completed a successful tour when their hit appeared on Guitar Hero III, but Li says it turned them into widely recognized. “I remember the record label informing us that our selling albums rapidly,” he says. “Popularity surged on the subsequent tour, and we were playing just before the headliners at the event.”

In fact, the band's visibility from Guitar Hero was so immense that it threatened to overshadow all other the band has done. Last year, the track was used in promotional material for a major film. “In the past I felt otherwise, but now I accept it,” Li says. “Should you just listen to a single track, that's fine – each person has their own musical journey and I'm pleased we’ve been part of people’s lives”.

Enduring Legacy from the Iconic Controller

Top-tier marketing, be it for cars, apparel or video games, goes further than selling something – it evokes a desire. Did Guitar Hero tap into that? “Precisely what our team aiming to achieve,” he confirms. “The excitement of performing as a rock star on the stage. From day one, the creators felt that there’s an instinctive urge to create songs, and their goal was to leverage innovation to enable everyone to participate”.

Most installments were released in just a half-decade between 2005 and 2010, including spin-offs such as the DJ version, including a spinning deck, and Band Hero. After that, the publisher’s interest on peripherals waned, except for a short-lived revival several years later.

Titles such as the fan project and newer releases have kept the scene alive, with expectations of something from the founders in development. Recently formed developers has begun work on their first music game. The initial creators are participating in advisory roles. Is the world ready to embrace another game in the spirit of the classic?

“Our team believed those games could be like Madden where you can releases,” he remarks. “With abundant fresh tracks that it could be evergreen, thus I remain hopeful. It's entirely possible why it can’t continue for future fans.”