🔗 Share this article

Marking 20 years since Guitar Hero first launched across the Atlantic, offering everyday gamers the tools to feel like rock legends. Figuratively speaking, but try convincing anyone who's mastered the epic four-minute instrumental break before an enthusiastic living-room audience.

Developed by the developers, the game provided users with a plastic guitar peripheral to follow coloured notes moving along the screen synchronized to the music. Every sequence mimicked specific notes, producing the sensation of an authentic performance.

The studio had already experimented in the music genre prior to teaming up with RedOctane, which was acquired by the gaming giant in 2006. Together, they established the groundwork for an unlikely billion-dollar franchise which made a significant impact for many musicians included, showcasing decades-old groups to millions of gaming enthusiasts.

Michael Dornbrook, ex-chief operating officer from the developer, recalls the initial budgetary hurdles of licensing the recordings – even though the first two games primarily featured cover versions.

“We rerecorded every song since the dollar figure prohibitive,” he explains. “Despite having the necessary permissions alone, it proved extremely difficult. We failed to secure bands like the Who – RedOctane had virtually no money, and our team was pretty convinced the project would flop. But once Guitar Hero became a hit, and record sales and radio play were going up, everyone wanted to participate.”

He adds: “Among the remarkable aspects was how many parents reached out and thanked us for introducing their children to the songs they adored. It became a multigenerational phenomenon.”

Classic Rock Finds a New Audience

Irish blues-rock band one featured act included Never Too Late in the 2008 release Guitar Hero World Tour. Guitarist the artist recalls the way the game revived older hits to the forefront: “Guitar Hero offered a bigger, younger audience. Generally this had been considered outdated material, however once it got included in the game young people were finding it, suddenly it became trendy. That legitimised it, eliminating the outdated label. It gave all our music renewed popularity.”

At that time, the Answer’s debut album was still not available in the US, so Guitar Hero was a key medium of discovery for the group as they went on a North American tour supporting AC/DC. “The roadies were playing the song during travel, and some of them recognized us from Guitar Hero,” Mahon says.

Major Band Titles and Lasting Impact

Rock’s biggest acts soon took advantage of the series’ popularity, with Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen featuring in dedicated game editions centered around their music collections and associated stories, visuals and legendary status. For example, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, it was said earned the group greater revenue compared to their records. It moved well over half a million units in its first week, and sales of Aerosmith’s music saw an increase significantly during an era as the industry was already collapsing.

Guitar Hero still motivates quick-handed fanaticism within the community. Recently, a streamer achieved a remarkable feat featuring Through the Fire and Flames – a notoriously difficult power-metal song popularized through Guitar Hero – using a fan-made version, a freeware game with almost identical gameplay but an array of customisation options. This track is difficult enough on the hardest setting, let alone played at increased tempo while hitting a single one of its near 4,000 notes. The streamer claimed it took nine months to accomplish.

“The game offers a, fantasy thing. If you play other games, that doesn’t mean you ought to pick up actual weapons and go to war,” notes DragonForce guitarist Herman Li.

The band previously completed a profitable run before Through the Fire and Flames appeared on Guitar Hero III, but Li says it made them a household name. “I recall the record label calling to tell me that our records were moving rapidly,” he shares. “Popularity surged when we next toured, and we performed just before the headliners on the Mayhem festival.”

In fact, DragonForce’s exposure from Guitar Hero proved so vast that it risked overshadow all other the band has done. Recently, the track featured in a trailer for a major film. “Previously I felt otherwise, but I’ve made peace with it,” he admits. “Should you just listen to a single track, that's fine – everyone’s got their own path in music and I'm pleased we’ve been part of people’s lives”.

Enduring Legacy of a Iconic Controller

The best promotion, be it for automobiles, clothes or video games, goes further mere transactions – it inspires 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 in the spotlight. Since the beginning, the co-founders felt that there’s an instinctive urge to make music, and they wanted to leverage innovation to allow people to participate”.

Most installments came out in just a half-decade between 2005 and 2010, including spin-offs such as DJ Hero, including a spinning deck, and Band Hero. Subsequently, corporate focus on peripherals waned, aside from a short-lived revival several years later.

Games such as Clone Hero and newer releases have maintained the scene alive, and there’s set to be something from the original publisher in development. A new studio has begun work on their first music game. Original co-founders are participating in advisory roles. Is the world prepared to welcome another game in the spirit of the classic?

“Our team believed such titles could be like Madden allowing annual update every year,” he remarks. “There’s so much fresh tracks it could remain perennially popular, thus I remain hopeful. There’s no reason why it can’t persist for future fans.”