🔗 Share this article

It has been 20 years after the legendary game hit the market across the Atlantic, offering players everywhere the tools to become rock legends. Figuratively speaking, though you'd be hard-pressed telling that someone who's mastered the epic four-minute guitar solo in front of an enthusiastic living-room audience.

Developed by Harmonix, the game gave players a guitar-shaped controller to match coloured notes scrolling down the display synchronized to a song. Each riff mimicked specific notes, producing the feel of an authentic live show.

The studio had already tried its hand with rhythm games prior to teaming up with the publisher, later acquired by Activision during the mid-2000s. Collaboratively, they established the groundwork for an unlikely massively profitable series which made a significant impact on numerous musicians included, introducing classic bands to a new generation of younger players.

Michael Dornbrook, ex-chief operating officer from the developer, recalls the early budgetary hurdles of licensing the recordings – despite the fact initial releases primarily featured rerecorded tracks.

“We reproduced every song because the dollar figure prohibitive,” he says. “Even with the necessary permissions by themselves, it was nearly impossible. We couldn’t get acts such as legendary groups – RedOctane had virtually no money, and our team was fairly certain it would fail. However, when Guitar Hero became a hit, album purchases airtime increased, everyone wanted to participate.”

He continues: “One of the amazing things was how many parents got in touch expressing gratitude for introducing their kids to the songs they loved. It evolved into an intergenerational phenomenon.”

Timeless Music Gains a New Audience

Northern Irish group one featured act included Never Too Late on the 2008 game the popular installment. Guitarist Paul Mahon remembers the way the game brought older hits back into vogue: “Guitar Hero provided a bigger, younger audience. Typically this had been seen as outdated material, but then when it was included in the game and teenagers discovered it, abruptly it was cool. That legitimised it, eliminating the outdated tag. It gave our catalog a new life.”

At that time, the band's debut album remained unreleased in the US, meaning Guitar Hero was a key medium for exposure for the band during their US tour opening for AC/DC. “Their crew had on Never Too Late during travel, and several knew us thanks to the game,” he notes.

Major Band Spin-offs and Lasting Impact

Rock’s heavyweight names quickly took advantage of the game's success, with Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen starring in specialized game editions centered around their music collections and associated stories, visuals and legendary status. In the case of, the Aerosmith edition, it was said to have made the band more money compared to their studio albums. It moved more than half a million units in its first week, and demand for Aerosmith’s music rose significantly during an era when the music business was already collapsing.

The series continues to inspire nimble-fingered dedication within the community. Earlier this year, an online personality achieved an impressive attempt of DragonForce’s Through the Fire and Flames – a notoriously difficult anthem made popular by Guitar Hero – using a fan-made version, a no-cost alternative with similar mechanics but an array of customisation options. The song is challenging enough on expert mode, let alone performed at double speed while hitting a single one of the thousands of cues. They stated it took months of practice to accomplish.

“The game offers a, imaginary experience. Just as with Call of Duty, that doesn’t mean you ought to use actual weapons and enlist,” notes DragonForce guitarist the artist.

The band had already wrapped up a profitable run before their hit was featured in the third game, yet he explains it made them a household name. “I recall our distributors informing us that we were records were moving rapidly,” he says. “It exploded on the subsequent tour, and we were playing just before the headliners on the Mayhem festival.”

Indeed, the band's visibility via the game proved so vast that it threatened to overshadow everything else accomplishments. Last year, the song was used in promotional material for Despicable Me 4. “In the past I thought otherwise, but now I accept it,” he admits. “Should you just listen to one DragonForce song, it’s totally cool – everyone’s got a unique path in music and I'm pleased we played a role of people’s lives”.

The Lasting Legacy of a Iconic Controller

The best marketing, whether it’s for automobiles, apparel or games, extends beyond mere transactions – it inspires a longing. Was the game able to harness this? “Precisely what we were trying to create,” Dornbrook says. “The excitement of being a rock star on the stage. From day one, the creators believed there’s an instinctive urge to make music, and their goal was to leverage innovation to enable everyone to participate”.

Most of Guitar Hero games came out over a mere five-year period between 2005 and 2010, including spin-offs like the DJ version, including a spinning deck, and Band Hero. Subsequently, the publisher’s interest on peripherals waned, except for a brief comeback several years later.

Games such as Clone Hero and newer releases have maintained the community active, and there’s expectations of a new product from the original publisher in development. A new studio has entered production on its debut rhythm-based title. Original co-founders are participating in advisory roles. Is the world ready to embrace another game in the spirit of the classic?

“Our team believed such titles might become similar to sports games where you can update every year,” Dornbrook says. “With abundant new music it could remain perennially popular, so I’ve always been hopeful. It's entirely possible for it to continue for future fans.”