The Iconic Game at 20 – The Plastic Guitar That Connected Generations Between Music Fans

It has been 20 years after Guitar Hero first launched across the Atlantic, providing everyday gamers the opportunity to become rock legends. Not literally, but try convincing someone who has mastered Free Bird’s lengthy instrumental break in front of a packed crowd of friends.

Developed by the developers, Guitar Hero gave players a guitar-shaped controller to follow coloured notes moving along the display synchronized to a song. Every sequence mimicked particular chords, creating the sensation of an authentic performance.

The studio had already experimented in the music genre before partnering with the publisher, later acquired by the gaming giant in 2006. Together, they established the foundations for an unlikely billion-dollar franchise which made a significant impact for many of the artists included, introducing decades-old bands to millions of gaming enthusiasts.

A former executive, ex-chief operating officer from the developer, recalls the initial financial challenges of licensing the songs – despite the fact initial releases mostly used cover versions.

“We reproduced all the music since the dollar figure was so high,” he says. “Despite having the necessary permissions alone, it was extremely difficult. We couldn’t get bands like the Who – RedOctane was operating on a shoestring budget, and our team was fairly certain it would fail. But once the game took off, and record sales and radio play increased, everyone wanted to be in.”

He continues: “One of the remarkable aspects was how many parents reached out expressing gratitude for introducing their kids to the songs they adored. It became an intergenerational phenomenon.”

Classic Rock Gains a New Audience

Northern Irish group the Answer had Never Too Late in the 2008 release Guitar Hero World Tour. Lead musician Paul Mahon recalls how the series brought older hits back into vogue: “Guitar Hero provided a bigger, new demographic. Typically this had been considered music that was past it, but then once it got included in the title and teenagers were finding it, abruptly it was cool. This validated it, eliminating the ‘dad rock’ tag. It provided our catalog renewed popularity.”

In 2008, the band's first record remained unreleased stateside, meaning the game was a key medium of discovery for the band during their US tour opening for the rock giants. “The roadies were playing Never Too Late during travel, and several knew us thanks to the game,” Mahon says.

Rock’s Heavyweight Spin-offs Enduring Influence

Music's biggest acts quickly took advantage of the series’ popularity, with Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen featuring in specialized game editions centered around their music collections and related lore, imagery and rock’n’roll mythology. In the case of, the Aerosmith edition, reportedly to have made the group greater revenue than any of their records. It moved more than 500,000 copies upon release, and demand for Aerosmith’s music rose significantly at a time as the industry faced decline.

The series continues to inspire quick-handed fanaticism within the community. Recently, a streamer completed an impressive attempt featuring the challenging track – an infamously tough power-metal song made popular by the game – on Clone Hero, a no-cost alternative with similar mechanics and extensive customisation options. This track is challenging enough on expert mode, not to mention performed at increased tempo while hitting a single one of its near 4,000 notes. The streamer claimed it took months of practice to accomplish.

“The game is a fun, fantasy thing. Just as with other games, that doesn’t mean you should use actual weapons and go to war,” notes DragonForce guitarist Herman Li.

DragonForce previously wrapped up a successful tour before Through the Fire and Flames was featured in the third game, yet he explains it made them a household name. “I remember the record label informing us that our selling albums like crazy,” he shares. “Popularity surged when we next toured, and we performed right ahead of top acts on the Mayhem festival.”

In fact, DragonForce’s exposure via the game was so immense that it has threatened to overshadow everything else accomplishments. Recently, the song was used in a trailer for a major film. “Previously I thought otherwise, but I’ve made peace with it,” he admits. “If you only hear a single track, that's fine – everyone’s got a unique path in music and I’m glad we’ve been part of people’s lives”.

Enduring Impact from the Iconic Controller

The best marketing, be it for automobiles, clothes or video games, goes further mere transactions – it inspires a longing. Was the game able to tap into that? “Precisely what our team aiming to achieve,” he confirms. “That thrill of performing as a rock star on the stage. Since the beginning, the creators felt that there’s an instinctive human desire to make music, and they wanted to use technology to enable everyone to participate”.

The majority installments came out over a mere half-decade from 2005 to 2010, including derivative titles like the DJ version, including a spinning deck, and Band Hero. After that, the publisher’s interest on peripherals died down, aside from a short-lived revival several years later.

Titles like the fan project and Fortnite Festival have kept the scene active, and there’s set to be something from the original publisher in development. A new studio has begun work on its debut music game. The initial creators are both involved in advisory roles. Are gamers prepared to welcome a new entry following Guitar Hero?

“Our team believed those games might become like Madden allowing annual update every year,” Dornbrook says. “With abundant new music it could remain evergreen, so I’ve always been hopeful. There’s no reason for it to persist with new generations.”