🔗 Share this article

It has been two decades since Guitar Hero hit the market across the Atlantic, giving players everywhere the means to become a rock star. Not literally, but try convincing anyone who's mastered Free Bird’s lengthy instrumental break in front of a packed crowd of friends.

Created by the developers, Guitar Hero gave players a plastic guitar peripheral to match on-screen cues moving along the display in time with the music. Every sequence corresponded to particular chords, creating the sensation of a genuine performance.

The studio previously tried its hand in the music genre prior to teaming up with RedOctane, later acquired by the gaming giant during the mid-2000s. Collaboratively, they established the foundations for a surprising billion-dollar series that had a significant influence for many of the artists featured, showcasing classic groups to a new generation of gaming enthusiasts.

Michael Dornbrook, former COO from the developer, remembers the early budgetary hurdles of licensing the songs – despite the fact initial releases primarily featured cover versions.

“We rerecorded every song since the dollar figure prohibitive,” he explains. “Even with the necessary permissions by themselves, it proved extremely difficult. We couldn’t get bands like the Who – RedOctane was operating on a shoestring budget, and our team was pretty convinced it would fail. However, when the game took off, and record sales airtime were going up, all artists desired to participate.”

He continues: “One of the amazing things was how many parents got in touch and thanked us for exposing their kids to the music they adored. It became an intergenerational phenomenon.”

Timeless Music Finds a New Audience

Irish group one featured act had Never Too Late in the 2008 release Guitar Hero World Tour. Guitarist the artist recalls the way the game brought classic rock to the forefront: “The game offered a bigger, younger audience. Typically such music was considered outdated material, but then once it got featured on the title and teenagers were finding it, suddenly it was cool. That legitimised it, and got rid of the outdated tag. It gave all our music renewed popularity.”

At that time, the Answer’s debut album was still unreleased stateside, meaning the game served as a primary platform of discovery for the group during their a North American tour opening for the rock giants. “The roadies had on the song on the tour bus, and some of them recognized us from Guitar Hero,” he notes.

Major Band Titles and Lasting Impact

Music's heavyweight names soon took advantage of the game's success, with Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen featuring in specialized game editions centered around each band’s catalogue and associated stories, imagery and legendary status. In the case of, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, it was said earned the group greater revenue than any of their records. It sold well over half a million copies upon release, and demand for Aerosmith’s music saw an increase of up to 40% during an era as the industry was already collapsing.

The series continues to inspire quick-handed dedication among its fans. Recently, an online personality completed an impressive attempt featuring Through the Fire and Flames – an infamously tough power-metal song made popular by the game – on Clone Hero, a no-cost alternative with almost identical mechanics and extensive customisation options. The song is challenging enough on the hardest setting, let alone performed at increased tempo and without missing a single one of its near 4,000 notes. The streamer stated requiring months of practice of practice.

“The game is a fun, imaginary experience. If you play Call of Duty, it doesn't imply you ought to pick up actual weapons and go to war,” says DragonForce guitarist the artist.

The band had already completed a profitable run when their hit was featured on Guitar Hero III, but Li says it made them widely recognized. “I remember the record label calling to tell me that we were records were moving rapidly,” he shares. “Popularity surged on the subsequent tour, and we performed just before the headliners on the Mayhem festival.”

Indeed, the band's visibility via the game was so immense that it has threatened to overshadow all other the band has done. Last year, the song was used in a trailer for a major film. “Previously I thought otherwise, but now I accept it,” Li says. “Should you just listen to one DragonForce song, that's fine – everyone’s got a unique path in music and I’m glad we’ve been part in fans' experiences”.

Enduring Impact from the Iconic Controller

The best marketing, be it for automobiles, apparel or video games, extends beyond mere transactions – it inspires a longing. Did Guitar Hero 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 use technology to allow people to participate”.

The majority installments came out over a mere five-year period between 2005 and 2010, including derivative titles such as DJ Hero, including a spinning deck, and Band Hero. Subsequently, corporate focus on peripherals waned, except for a brief comeback in 2015.

Titles like the fan project and newer releases have maintained the scene active, with expectations of something from the original publisher on the way. A new studio has entered work on their first rhythm-based title. Original co-founders are participating in advisory roles. Are gamers prepared to welcome another game in the spirit of the classic?

“We thought those games might become similar to sports games where you can update every year,” Dornbrook says. “There’s so much new music it could remain perennially popular, thus I remain optimistic. It's entirely possible for it to persist for future fans.”