The Iconic Game Turns 20 – The Plastic Guitar That Connected Generations Among Music Generations

Marking two decades since the legendary game debuted across the Atlantic, offering players everywhere the means to feel like a rock star. Not in reality, though you'd be hard-pressed convincing anyone who has nailed Free Bird’s four-minute instrumental break before an enthusiastic crowd of friends.

Created by Harmonix, the game gave players a guitar-shaped controller to follow coloured notes moving along the screen synchronized to a song. Every sequence corresponded to specific notes, producing the feel of a genuine performance.

The studio had already experimented with rhythm games before partnering with the publisher, later acquired by the gaming giant in 2006. Together, they established the foundations for a surprising massively profitable franchise that had a remarkable influence for many musicians included, introducing decades-old groups to a new generation of gaming enthusiasts.

Michael Dornbrook, ex-chief operating officer of Harmonix, remembers the early financial challenges in securing the recordings – despite the fact the first two games mostly used cover versions.

“We reproduced every song since the dollar figure was so high,” he explains. “Even with the necessary permissions by themselves, it was extremely difficult. We couldn’t get acts such as the Who – RedOctane was operating on a shoestring budget, and we were fairly certain it would fail. However, when the game became a hit, and record sales airtime increased, everyone wanted to be in.”

He adds: “Among the remarkable aspects was how many mothers and fathers got in touch expressing gratitude for exposing their children to the songs they loved. It evolved into an intergenerational phenomenon.”

Classic Rock Finds a New Audience

Irish blues-rock band one featured act included Never Too Late in the 2008 release the popular installment. Lead musician Paul Mahon remembers the way the game revived classic rock back into vogue: “Guitar Hero offered a bigger, younger audience. Generally this had been considered outdated material, but then when it was included in the game and teenagers discovered it, abruptly it was cool. This validated the genre, eliminating the outdated tag. It provided all our music renewed popularity.”

At that time, the band's debut album remained not available stateside, meaning the game served as a primary platform for exposure for the band as they went on a North American tour supporting AC/DC. “Their crew were playing the song on the tour bus, and several knew us from Guitar Hero,” he notes.

Major Band Spin-offs Enduring Impact

Rock’s biggest acts quickly capitalised on the game's success, with Aerosmith, Metallica and others starring in specialized game editions that focused on their music collections and related stories, visuals and rock’n’roll mythology. For example, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, it was said to have made the group greater revenue compared to their records. It sold well over 500,000 units in its first week, while sales of Aerosmith’s music rose of up to 40% at a time as the industry was already collapsing.

Guitar Hero still motivates quick-handed dedication among its fans. Recently, an online personality achieved an impressive attempt of DragonForce’s the challenging track – an infamously tough power-metal song popularized through the game – on Clone Hero, a no-cost alternative with almost identical gameplay but an array of customisation options. The song is challenging even in expert mode, let alone performed at increased tempo and without missing every one of its near 4,000 notes. The streamer stated it took nine months to accomplish.

“Guitar Hero is a fun, fantasy thing. Just as with Call of Duty, that doesn’t mean you ought to use actual weapons and go to war,” notes musician the artist.

DragonForce had already wrapped up a successful tour before Through the Fire and Flames was featured on Guitar Hero III, yet he explains it made them a household name. “I remember our distributors informing us that our records were moving rapidly,” he shares. “Popularity surged on the subsequent tour, and we were playing right ahead of top acts at the event.”

In fact, the band's visibility from Guitar Hero was so immense that it threatened to overshadow all other accomplishments. Last year, the song was used in a trailer for a major film. “In the past I felt differently, but now I accept it,” Li says. “If you only listen to one DragonForce song, that's fine – everyone’s got their own musical journey and I’m glad we’ve been part of people’s lives”.

Enduring Impact from the Iconic Controller

The best promotion, be it for cars, clothes or video games, goes further than selling something – it inspires a desire. Did Guitar Hero tap into that? “Precisely what our team trying to create,” Dornbrook says. “That thrill of performing as a music icon 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 of Guitar Hero games came out over a mere half-decade from 2005 to 2010, including derivative titles such as DJ Hero, including a turntable controller, and Band Hero. Subsequently, the publisher’s interest on peripherals waned, except for a brief comeback in 2015.

Games like the fan project and newer releases have maintained the community active, and there’s set to be a new product from the founders in development. A new studio has begun work on its debut music game. Original co-founders are both involved as special advisers. Is the world ready to embrace another game following Guitar Hero?

“We thought such titles might become similar to sports games allowing annual releases,” he remarks. “With abundant fresh tracks it could remain evergreen, thus I remain hopeful. It's entirely possible for it to persist with new generations.”