🔗 Share this article

It has been 20 years since the legendary game hit the market in North America, providing everyday gamers the means to become rock legends. Not in reality, though you'd be hard-pressed convincing someone who's mastered Free Bird’s four-minute instrumental break in front of an enthusiastic living-room audience.

Created by Harmonix, the game provided users with a plastic guitar peripheral to match on-screen cues moving along the display synchronized to a song. Each riff corresponded to particular chords, creating the feel of a genuine performance.

Harmonix previously experimented with rhythm games prior to teaming up with the publisher, later purchased by the gaming giant in 2006. Together, they laid the foundations for an unlikely massively profitable franchise that had a remarkable influence on numerous of the artists featured, introducing classic groups to a new generation of younger players.

Michael Dornbrook, ex-chief operating officer from the developer, remembers the early financial challenges in securing the recordings – even though initial releases mostly used rerecorded tracks.

“We rerecorded all the music because the dollar figure was so high,” he says. “Even with the necessary permissions by themselves, it proved nearly impossible. We failed to secure acts such as the Who – RedOctane was operating on a shoestring budget, and our team was fairly certain the project would flop. But once the game took off, album purchases and radio play increased, all artists desired to be in.”

He continues: “Among the amazing things was the number of parents reached out expressing gratitude for introducing their kids to the music they loved. It became an intergenerational thing.”

Timeless Music Finds Younger Fans

Irish group one featured act included Never Too Late on the 2008 game the popular installment. Guitarist the artist recalls the way the game brought older hits back into vogue: “Guitar Hero offered a bigger, new demographic. Generally such music was considered outdated material, however when it was featured on the title young people discovered it, suddenly it was cool. This validated the genre, eliminating the ‘dad rock’ tag. It gave all our music a new life.”

In 2008, the band's debut album was still unreleased stateside, so the game served as a primary platform for exposure for the group as they went on a North American tour supporting the rock giants. “The roadies were playing Never Too Late on the tour bus, and several knew us thanks to the game,” he notes.

Major Band Titles Enduring Impact

Rock’s biggest acts soon took advantage of the series’ popularity, with Aerosmith, Metallica and others starring in specialized game editions that focused on their music collections and related lore, visuals and legendary status. For example, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, it was said earned the band greater revenue compared to their records. It moved well over 500,000 units in its first week, and demand for their songs saw an increase of up to 40% during an era when the music business was already collapsing.

The series still motivates quick-handed fanaticism within the community. Recently, an online personality achieved a remarkable feat of DragonForce’s the challenging track – an infamously tough anthem made popular by Guitar Hero – using a fan-made version, a no-cost alternative with almost identical mechanics but an array of customisation options. The song is difficult enough on expert mode, let alone performed at increased tempo while hitting every one of the thousands of cues. The streamer stated it took nine months to accomplish.

“The game offers a, imaginary experience. Just as with Call of Duty, that doesn’t mean you should use a real gun and enlist,” says DragonForce guitarist Herman Li.

The band had already completed a profitable run when their hit was featured in the third game, yet he explains it made them a household name. “I remember our distributors calling to tell me that we were records were moving like crazy,” he says. “Popularity surged on the subsequent tour, and we were playing right ahead of top acts on the Mayhem festival.”

Indeed, the band's visibility from Guitar Hero was so immense that it risked eclipsing everything else accomplishments. Recently, the song was used in promotional material for Despicable Me 4. “Previously I thought differently, but now I accept it,” he admits. “If you only listen to one DragonForce song, it’s totally cool – everyone’s got their own path in music and I’m glad we’ve been part of people’s lives”.

Enduring Legacy of a Plastic Guitar

Top-tier promotion, 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. “The excitement of performing as a music icon on the stage. From day one, the creators believed humans have a natural urge to create songs, and their goal was to leverage innovation to allow people to do it”.

The majority installments came out in just a five-year period between 2005 and 2010, featuring derivative titles such as DJ Hero, including a turntable controller, and the band-focused game. Subsequently, the publisher’s interest in plastic instruments died down, aside from a short-lived revival in 2015.

Games such as the fan project and newer releases have maintained the scene active, with expectations of something from the original publisher in development. Recently formed developers has begun work on their first rhythm-based title. Original co-founders are participating as special advisers. Is the world ready to embrace another game following the classic?

“Our team believed those games could be like Madden where you can releases,” Dornbrook says. “There’s so much fresh tracks it could remain perennially popular, so I’ve always been hopeful. It's entirely possible for it to persist with new generations.”