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It has been two decades since the legendary game first launched across the Atlantic, providing everyday gamers the opportunity to feel like a rock star. Not literally, but try convincing someone who has nailed the epic four-minute instrumental break in front of a packed crowd of friends.

Developed by the developers, Guitar Hero provided users with a plastic guitar peripheral to match on-screen cues scrolling down the display in time with a song. Each riff mimicked specific notes, creating the sensation of a genuine live show.

Harmonix had already experimented with rhythm games prior to teaming up with RedOctane, later acquired by Activision during the mid-2000s. Collaboratively, they established the foundations for an unlikely massively profitable series which made a significant impact on numerous of the artists featured, showcasing decades-old groups to millions of younger players.

A former executive, ex-chief operating officer from the developer, remembers the early financial challenges of licensing the songs – even though the first two games primarily featured cover versions.

“We rerecorded all the music because the dollar figure was so high,” he says. “Even with the necessary permissions alone, it was extremely difficult. We failed to secure bands like legendary groups – the publisher was operating on a shoestring budget, and our team was fairly certain the project would flop. However, when Guitar Hero took off, album purchases and radio play were going up, all artists desired to participate.”

He adds: “One of the remarkable aspects was the number of parents reached out expressing gratitude for introducing their kids to the music they loved. It became a multigenerational thing.”

Timeless Music Gains Younger Fans

Northern Irish group one featured act included their track on the 2008 game Guitar Hero World Tour. Guitarist Paul Mahon recalls how the series revived classic rock back into vogue: “Guitar Hero offered a larger, new demographic. Typically such music was considered music that was past it, but then when it was featured on the game young people were finding it, abruptly it became trendy. That legitimised the genre, and got rid of the outdated label. It gave our catalog a new life.”

In 2008, the Answer’s debut album remained not available stateside, meaning Guitar Hero served as a primary platform for exposure for the group as they went on a North American tour supporting the rock giants. “Their crew were playing Never Too Late on the tour bus, and some of them recognized us thanks to the game,” he notes.

Rock’s Heavyweight Spin-offs Enduring Influence

Rock’s biggest acts soon took advantage of the series’ popularity, with Aerosmith, Metallica and others starring in specialized game editions that focused on each band’s catalogue and associated stories, imagery and legendary status. For example, the Aerosmith edition, it was said earned the band greater revenue compared to their records. It moved well over 500,000 units in its first week, and sales of their songs saw an increase significantly during an era when the music business faced decline.

Guitar Hero still motivates nimble-fingered dedication among its fans. Recently, a streamer completed a remarkable feat featuring the challenging track – an infamously tough anthem made popular by Guitar Hero – on Clone Hero, a freeware game with almost identical gameplay but an array of customisation options. The song is challenging enough on expert mode, let alone played at increased tempo and without missing a single one of the thousands of cues. They claimed it took nine months to accomplish.

“The game is a fun, imaginary experience. If you play other games, it doesn't imply you should pick up a real gun and go to war,” notes musician the artist.

DragonForce had already wrapped up a successful tour when Through the Fire and Flames appeared in the third game, yet he explains it turned them into a household name. “I recall the record label informing us that we were records were moving like crazy,” he shares. “Popularity surged when we next toured, and we performed right ahead of the headliners on the Mayhem festival.”

Indeed, DragonForce’s exposure via the game proved so vast that it has risked eclipsing everything else the band has done. Recently, the song was used in promotional material for a major film. “In the past I felt differently, but I’ve made peace with it,” Li says. “Should you just hear one DragonForce song, that's fine – each person has a unique path in music and I’m glad we played a role in fans' experiences”.

Enduring Impact from the Plastic Guitar

Top-tier promotion, whether it’s for cars, clothes or games, goes further mere transactions – it evokes a longing. Was the game able to tap into that? “Precisely what we were aiming to achieve,” Dornbrook says. “The excitement of performing as a music icon on the stage. From day one, the co-founders believed there’s an instinctive human desire to create songs, and they wanted to use technology to allow people to do it”.

Most installments were released over a mere half-decade between 2005 and 2010, including derivative titles like DJ Hero, including a turntable controller, and the band-focused game. Subsequently, the publisher’s interest on peripherals waned, aside from a brief comeback several years later.

Games like Clone Hero and Fortnite Festival have maintained the community active, with expectations of something from the founders on the way. Recently formed developers has entered work on their first music game. Original co-founders are participating in advisory roles. Is the world ready to embrace a new entry in the spirit of Guitar Hero?

“We thought those games could be like Madden allowing annual update every year,” Dornbrook says. “There’s so much new music that it could be perennially popular, thus I remain hopeful. It's entirely possible why it can’t persist for future fans.”