Guitar Hero Turns 20 – The Plastic Guitar That United the Gap Among Rock Generations

It has been 20 years since Guitar Hero hit the market across the Atlantic, providing everyday gamers the tools to feel like rock legends. Not in reality, though you'd be hard-pressed telling that anyone who has nailed Free Bird’s four-minute instrumental break before an enthusiastic living-room audience.

Created by Harmonix, Guitar Hero gave players a plastic guitar peripheral to follow on-screen cues scrolling down the display synchronized to the music. Every sequence corresponded to particular chords, producing the sensation of an authentic live show.

The studio had already experimented in the music genre prior to teaming up with RedOctane, later purchased by the gaming giant in 2006. Together, they established the foundations for an unlikely massively profitable franchise that had a remarkable influence for many of the artists featured, showcasing classic groups to a new generation of gaming enthusiasts.

Michael Dornbrook, ex-chief operating officer of Harmonix, remembers the initial budgetary hurdles of licensing the songs – even though initial releases primarily featured rerecorded tracks.

“We reproduced every song since the cost was so high,” he says. “Even with the publishing rights alone, it proved extremely difficult. We couldn’t get bands like the Who – RedOctane had virtually no money, and we were pretty convinced it would fail. But once the game took off, album purchases and radio play increased, everyone wanted to participate.”

He adds: “Among the amazing things was how many mothers and fathers reached out expressing gratitude for exposing their kids to the music they loved. It became a multigenerational phenomenon.”

Classic Rock Gains Younger Fans

Northern Irish group the Answer had their track in the 2008 release the popular installment. Lead musician the artist remembers how the series revived classic rock to the forefront: “The game offered a bigger, younger audience. Generally this had been considered outdated material, but then when it was included in the game young people discovered it, abruptly it was cool. That legitimised the genre, eliminating the ‘dad rock’ tag. It gave our catalog renewed popularity.”

In 2008, the band's debut album was still unreleased in the US, so the game served as a primary platform for exposure for the band during their US tour supporting AC/DC. “The roadies had on Never Too Late on the tour bus, and some of them recognized us from Guitar Hero,” Mahon says.

Rock’s Heavyweight Spin-offs Enduring Influence

Music's biggest acts quickly capitalised on the game's success, with Aerosmith, Metallica and others featuring in dedicated spin-off titles centered around their music collections and associated lore, visuals and rock’n’roll mythology. For example, the Aerosmith edition, it was said to have made the band more money compared to their records. It sold well over half a million units upon release, while demand for Aerosmith’s music rose significantly during an era as the industry faced decline.

Guitar Hero still motivates quick-handed fanaticism within the community. Earlier this year, a streamer completed an impressive attempt of DragonForce’s the challenging track – a notoriously difficult anthem popularized through Guitar Hero – using a fan-made version, a freeware game with similar mechanics but an array of customisation options. This track is difficult enough on the hardest setting, not to mention played at increased tempo and without missing every one of its near 4,000 notes. The streamer stated requiring nine months of practice.

“Guitar Hero offers a, imaginary experience. Just as with Call of Duty, it doesn't imply you ought to use actual weapons and enlist,” says DragonForce guitarist the artist.

DragonForce had already wrapped up a profitable run before their hit was featured in the third game, yet he explains it turned them into a household name. “I remember the record label informing us that we were selling albums rapidly,” he shares. “It exploded on the subsequent tour, and we were playing right ahead of top acts at the event.”

Indeed, the band's visibility from Guitar Hero was so immense that it risked eclipsing everything else the band has done. Recently, the song was used in a trailer for a major film. “In the past I felt differently, but now I accept it,” he admits. “If you only listen to one DragonForce song, it’s totally cool – each person has their own musical journey and I'm pleased we played a role in fans' experiences”.

Enduring Legacy from the Iconic Controller

Top-tier marketing, be it for cars, apparel or video games, extends beyond mere transactions – it evokes a desire. Did Guitar Hero tap into that? “That’s exactly what our team aiming to achieve,” Dornbrook says. “The excitement of performing as a rock star on the stage. Since the beginning, the co-founders believed humans have a natural human desire to create songs, and they wanted to leverage innovation to enable everyone to participate”.

Most installments were released over a mere five-year period between 2005 and 2010, including derivative titles such as DJ Hero, complete with a spinning deck, and the band-focused game. Subsequently, corporate focus on peripherals died down, except for a brief comeback several years later.

Games like the fan project and newer releases have kept the scene active, and there’s expectations of something from the founders on the way. Recently formed developers has begun production on its debut rhythm-based title. The initial creators are participating in advisory roles. Is the world prepared to welcome another game following the classic?

“Our team believed such titles could be like Madden where you can update every year,” Dornbrook says. “There’s so much fresh tracks it could remain perennially popular, thus I remain hopeful. It's entirely possible why it can’t persist with new generations.”