Guitar Hero Celebrates 20 Years – The Plastic Guitar That Connected the Gap Between Rock Generations

It has been two decades since the legendary game debuted across the Atlantic, providing players everywhere the opportunity to feel like a rock star. Figuratively speaking, but try convincing anyone who has mastered Free Bird’s lengthy instrumental break before a packed crowd of friends.

Created by Harmonix, Guitar Hero provided users with a plastic guitar peripheral to follow coloured notes scrolling down the display synchronized to a song. Every sequence mimicked specific notes, creating the feel of a genuine performance.

The studio previously tried its hand in the music genre before partnering with the publisher, which was purchased by Activision in 2006. Together, they laid the groundwork for an unlikely billion-dollar series which made a significant influence on numerous musicians featured, showcasing decades-old groups to millions of gaming enthusiasts.

A former executive, former COO from the developer, remembers the initial budgetary hurdles in securing the recordings – even though the first two games primarily featured rerecorded tracks.

“We rerecorded all the music because the dollar figure was so high,” he says. “Despite having the publishing rights alone, it proved nearly impossible. We failed to secure acts such as legendary groups – RedOctane had virtually no money, and we were pretty convinced the project would flop. However, when the game became a hit, and record sales and radio play increased, all artists desired to participate.”

He continues: “Among the amazing things was how many mothers and fathers reached out and thanked us for exposing their kids to the music they loved. It evolved into an intergenerational phenomenon.”

Classic Rock Finds a New Audience

Irish blues-rock band the Answer included Never Too Late on the 2008 game Guitar Hero World Tour. Lead musician the artist recalls the way the game revived classic rock to the forefront: “Guitar Hero provided a bigger, younger audience. Generally such music was seen as music that was past it, but then when it was included in the title and teenagers were finding it, abruptly it became trendy. This validated it, and got rid of the ‘dad rock’ label. It provided all our music a new life.”

At that time, the Answer’s debut album was still unreleased in the US, meaning the game was a key medium of discovery for the group during their a North American tour opening for AC/DC. “Their crew were playing the song on the tour bus, and some of them recognized us from Guitar Hero,” Mahon says.

Rock’s Heavyweight Spin-offs Enduring Impact

Music's heavyweight names soon took advantage of the game's success, with Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen featuring in dedicated game editions that focused on each band’s catalogue and related lore, visuals and legendary status. For example, the Aerosmith edition, reportedly to have made the band more money than any of their studio albums. It sold well over 500,000 units upon release, and demand for Aerosmith’s music rose of up to 40% during an era when the music business was already collapsing.

The series still motivates nimble-fingered dedication among its fans. Recently, an online personality completed an impressive attempt featuring the challenging track – an infamously tough anthem made popular by the game – on Clone Hero, a freeware game with similar mechanics but an array of customisation options. The song is difficult even in expert mode, let alone played at increased tempo and without missing every one of the thousands of cues. The streamer claimed it took months of practice to accomplish.

“Guitar Hero offers a, fantasy thing. If you play other games, it doesn't imply you should use actual weapons and enlist,” says musician the artist.

DragonForce had already wrapped up a profitable run when Through the Fire and Flames appeared on Guitar Hero III, but Li says it turned them into a household name. “I recall our distributors informing us that we were selling albums rapidly,” he says. “It exploded on the subsequent tour, and we performed right ahead of top acts at the event.”

Indeed, DragonForce’s exposure via the game was so immense that it risked overshadow all other the band has done. Last year, the track featured in a trailer for a major film. “In the past I felt otherwise, but now I accept it,” he admits. “If you only listen to a single track, it’s totally cool – everyone’s got a unique musical journey and I’m glad we played a role of people’s lives”.

The Lasting Legacy from the Plastic Guitar

The best promotion, whether it’s for automobiles, clothes or games, extends beyond than selling something – it evokes a desire. Was the game able to harness this? “That’s exactly what our team trying to create,” Dornbrook says. “The excitement of being a rock star in the spotlight. From day one, the co-founders believed humans have a natural urge to create songs, and they wanted to leverage innovation to allow people to participate”.

Most installments were released in just a five-year period between 2005 and 2010, featuring spin-offs like the DJ version, complete with a turntable controller, and Band Hero. After that, corporate focus on peripherals waned, aside from a brief comeback in 2015.

Titles such as Clone Hero and Fortnite Festival have kept the scene active, with set to be something from the original publisher in development. Recently formed developers has begun work on its debut music game. Original co-founders are both involved as special advisers. Are gamers prepared to welcome another game following Guitar Hero?

“Our team believed such titles might become like Madden where you can update every year,” he remarks. “With abundant new music it could remain perennially popular, so I’ve always been hopeful. It's entirely possible for it to persist with new generations.”