Guitar Hero Celebrates 20 Years – How a Plastic Axe United the Gap Between Rock Fans

Marking two decades after Guitar Hero debuted in North America, providing everyday gamers the tools to become rock legends. Not in reality, but try convincing someone who has mastered the epic lengthy guitar solo before a packed living-room audience.

Developed by the developers, the game provided users with a guitar-shaped controller to follow coloured notes moving along the display synchronized to a song. Each riff mimicked specific notes, creating the sensation of an authentic performance.

The studio had already tried its hand in the music genre before partnering with the publisher, later acquired by the gaming giant in 2006. Collaboratively, they laid the groundwork for an unlikely billion-dollar franchise which made a remarkable influence on numerous musicians included, introducing classic groups to millions of gaming enthusiasts.

Michael Dornbrook, former COO from the developer, recalls the initial financial challenges of licensing the recordings – despite the fact the first two games primarily featured rerecorded tracks.

“We rerecorded all the music since the dollar figure prohibitive,” he says. “Even with the publishing rights by themselves, it proved nearly impossible. We couldn’t get bands like legendary groups – RedOctane was operating on a shoestring budget, and our team was fairly certain the project would flop. But once Guitar Hero took off, and record sales airtime increased, all artists desired to be in.”

He continues: “Among the amazing things was the number of parents reached out and thanked us for exposing their kids to the music they adored. It evolved into a multigenerational thing.”

Timeless Music Gains a New Audience

Northern Irish group the Answer had Never Too Late on the 2008 game the popular installment. Guitarist the artist remembers how the series brought older hits 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 Generally this had been considered outdated material, but then when it was included in the game and teenagers discovered it, abruptly it was cool. That legitimised the genre, and got rid of the outdated tag. It gave all our music renewed popularity.”

At that time, the band's first record remained unreleased stateside, so Guitar Hero served as a primary platform for exposure for the group as they went on US tour supporting the rock giants. “Their crew were playing the song on the tour bus, and some of them recognized us from Guitar Hero,” he notes.

Rock’s Heavyweight Spin-offs Enduring Influence

Rock’s biggest acts soon took advantage of the game's success, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen starring in specialized game editions centered around their music collections and associated lore, visuals and legendary status. For example, the Aerosmith edition, it was said earned the band greater revenue compared to their studio albums. It moved well over half a million copies upon release, and sales of Aerosmith’s music saw an increase significantly at a time when the music business faced decline.

Guitar Hero continues to inspire quick-handed fanaticism within the community. Earlier this year, an online personality completed an impressive attempt of DragonForce’s Through the Fire and Flames – an infamously tough power-metal song made popular by the game – using a fan-made version, a freeware game with almost identical mechanics but an array of personalization features. The song is difficult even in the hardest setting, not to mention played at double speed while hitting a single one of the thousands of cues. They stated requiring months of practice to accomplish.

“The game is a fun, fantasy thing. If you play Call of Duty, it doesn't imply you should pick up a real gun and enlist,” says musician the artist.

DragonForce had already wrapped up a successful tour before Through the Fire and Flames was featured in the third game, but Li says it turned them into a household name. “I remember the record label informing us that our records were moving rapidly,” he says. “Popularity surged on the subsequent tour, and we performed right ahead of top acts at the event.”

Indeed, DragonForce’s exposure from Guitar Hero was so immense that it has risked overshadow everything else accomplishments. Recently, the song was used in promotional material for Despicable Me 4. “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 played a role in fans' experiences”.

The Lasting Impact from the Iconic Controller

The best promotion, be it for cars, clothes or video games, extends beyond than selling something – it evokes a desire. Did Guitar Hero tap into that? “Precisely what our team trying to create,” Dornbrook says. “The excitement of being a music icon on the stage. Since the beginning, the creators believed humans have a natural urge to create songs, and their goal was to leverage innovation to enable everyone to participate”.

Most of Guitar Hero games came out over a mere half-decade between 2005 and 2010, featuring derivative titles such as DJ Hero, including a spinning deck, and the band-focused game. After that, corporate focus on peripherals waned, except for a short-lived revival several years later.

Titles like Clone Hero and newer releases have maintained the scene active, and there’s set to be a new product from the founders in development. Recently formed developers has begun work on their first rhythm-based title. Original co-founders are both involved as special advisers. Is the world ready to embrace a new entry following the classic?

“Our team believed such titles might become similar to sports games allowing annual update every year,” he remarks. “There’s so much fresh tracks that it could be perennially popular, so I’ve always been optimistic. There’s no reason why it can’t persist with new generations.”