🔗 Share this article

It has been two decades since the legendary game debuted in North America, giving players everywhere the opportunity to become a rock star. Not in reality, though you'd be hard-pressed telling that anyone who has nailed Free Bird’s lengthy guitar solo in front of an enthusiastic crowd of friends.

Developed by the developers, Guitar Hero provided users with a plastic guitar peripheral to match coloured notes scrolling down the screen synchronized to the music. Every sequence corresponded to specific notes, producing the feel of a genuine performance.

The studio had already tried its hand with rhythm games prior to teaming up with the publisher, which was purchased by Activision during the mid-2000s. Collaboratively, they laid the groundwork for a surprising billion-dollar franchise that had a significant impact for many musicians featured, showcasing classic groups to a new generation of gaming enthusiasts.

A former executive, former COO from the developer, recalls the early financial challenges in securing the songs – despite the fact initial releases mostly used cover versions.

“We rerecorded all the music because the dollar figure prohibitive,” he explains. “Even with the publishing rights by themselves, it proved nearly impossible. We failed to secure bands like legendary groups – RedOctane had virtually no money, and our team was fairly certain it would fail. However, when Guitar Hero became a hit, album purchases and radio play increased, everyone wanted to be in.”

He adds: “One of the amazing things was how many parents reached out and thanked us for introducing their kids to the songs they loved. It became a multigenerational thing.”

Timeless Music Finds Younger Fans

Northern Irish group the Answer had their track on the 2008 game the popular installment. Guitarist Paul Mahon remembers how the series brought classic rock back into vogue: “Guitar Hero provided a bigger, new demographic. Generally this had been considered music that was past it, but then when it was featured on the title young people discovered it, suddenly it was cool. This validated it, and got rid of the outdated label. It gave all our music renewed popularity.”

In 2008, the band's first record remained unreleased in the US, meaning the game served as a primary platform of discovery for the band during their US tour supporting the rock giants. “Their crew had on Never Too Late during travel, and some of them recognized us from Guitar Hero,” he notes.

Major Band Spin-offs and Lasting Impact

Rock’s heavyweight names soon took advantage of the game's success, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen featuring in dedicated game editions centered around their music collections and associated lore, visuals and legendary status. In the case of, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, reportedly to have made the group more money than any of their studio albums. It sold more than half a million units in its first week, and demand for Aerosmith’s music rose of up to 40% at a time when the music business faced decline.

The series continues to inspire quick-handed dedication among its fans. Earlier this year, an online personality completed a remarkable feat of DragonForce’s Through the Fire and Flames – a notoriously difficult anthem popularized through the game – using a fan-made version, a freeware game with almost identical mechanics but an array of customisation options. This track is difficult even in the hardest setting, let alone performed at increased tempo while hitting every one of the thousands of cues. They stated requiring months of practice to accomplish.

“Guitar Hero offers a, imaginary experience. If you play other games, that doesn’t mean you ought to use a real gun and enlist,” says DragonForce guitarist the artist.

DragonForce previously completed a successful tour when their hit was featured on Guitar Hero III, but Li says it turned them into widely recognized. “I remember the record label 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 on the Mayhem festival.”

In fact, DragonForce’s exposure via the game proved so vast that it threatened to eclipsing everything else the band has done. Recently, the track featured in promotional material for a major film. “Previously I thought differently, but now I accept it,” Li says. “Should you just listen to one DragonForce song, it’s totally cool – each person has a unique path in music and I'm pleased we played a role of people’s lives”.

The Lasting Legacy from the Plastic Guitar

Top-tier promotion, whether it’s for cars, clothes or video games, extends beyond than selling something – it inspires a desire. Did Guitar Hero tap into that? “Precisely what our team aiming to achieve,” he confirms. “That thrill of performing as a music icon on the stage. Since the beginning, the co-founders felt that there’s an instinctive urge to create songs, and their goal was to leverage innovation to enable everyone to do it”.

The majority of Guitar Hero games came out over a mere five-year period between 2005 and 2010, including derivative titles such as DJ Hero, including a turntable controller, and Band Hero. Subsequently, the publisher’s interest on peripherals waned, aside from a brief comeback in 2015.

Titles like the fan project and newer releases have kept the community alive, with expectations of something from the founders on the way. Recently formed developers has begun work on their first music game. Original co-founders are both involved as special advisers. Are gamers ready to embrace another game in the spirit of Guitar Hero?

“We thought those games might become similar to sports games allowing annual update every year,” Dornbrook says. “There’s so much fresh tracks that it could be evergreen, thus I remain hopeful. It's entirely possible for it to continue for future fans.”