The Iconic Game Turns 20 – How a Plastic Axe Bridged Generations Between Music Generations

It has been two decades after the legendary game debuted in North America, giving players everywhere the means to feel like rock legends. Not in reality, but try telling that anyone who's nailed Free Bird’s lengthy guitar solo before a packed crowd of friends.

Created by the developers, the game gave players a guitar-shaped controller to match coloured notes scrolling down the display in time with a song. Each riff mimicked particular chords, producing the feel of a genuine live show.

Harmonix previously tried its hand with rhythm games prior to teaming up with the publisher, which was acquired by the gaming giant during the mid-2000s. Together, they established the groundwork for an unlikely billion-dollar series that had a significant impact on numerous of the artists included, showcasing classic bands to a new generation of gaming enthusiasts.

A former executive, ex-chief operating officer of Harmonix, remembers the initial budgetary hurdles of licensing the songs – even though the first two games primarily featured cover versions.

“We reproduced all the music because the cost prohibitive,” he says. “Despite having the necessary permissions alone, it proved nearly impossible. We failed to secure acts such as the Who – the publisher had virtually no money, and our team was fairly certain the project would flop. However, when Guitar Hero became a hit, and record sales and radio play increased, all artists desired to participate.”

He adds: “One of the remarkable aspects was the number of parents got in touch expressing gratitude for introducing their kids to the music they loved. It became an intergenerational thing.”

Timeless Music Finds Younger Fans

Northern Irish group the Answer included Never Too Late on the 2008 game Guitar Hero World Tour. Lead musician Paul Mahon remembers the way the game revived older hits to the forefront: “Guitar Hero provided a bigger, younger audience. Typically such music was seen as music that was past it, however once it got featured on the game and teenagers were finding it, suddenly it was cool. That legitimised it, eliminating the outdated tag. It gave our catalog renewed popularity.”

In 2008, the Answer’s debut album remained unreleased stateside, meaning the game was a key medium of discovery for the band during their US tour supporting AC/DC. “The roadies had on the song during travel, and some of them recognized us thanks to the game,” he notes.

Rock’s Heavyweight Spin-offs and Lasting Influence

Music's heavyweight names soon took advantage of the series’ popularity, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen starring in specialized spin-off titles that focused on each band’s catalogue and associated stories, imagery and rock’n’roll mythology. For example, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, reportedly earned the group greater revenue compared to their studio albums. It moved well over 500,000 copies upon release, while sales of Aerosmith’s music saw an increase of up to 40% during an era when the music business faced decline.

The series continues to inspire nimble-fingered fanaticism among its fans. Earlier this year, a streamer achieved an impressive attempt of DragonForce’s the challenging track – an infamously tough anthem popularized through the game – on Clone Hero, a no-cost alternative with similar gameplay but an array of customisation options. The song is difficult even in the hardest setting, not to mention played at increased tempo while hitting every one of its near 4,000 notes. They stated requiring months of practice of practice.

“The game offers a, imaginary experience. If you play Call of Duty, that doesn’t mean you should pick up actual weapons and enlist,” notes DragonForce guitarist Herman Li.

The band previously wrapped up a profitable run before Through the Fire and Flames appeared on Guitar Hero III, but Li says it made them widely recognized. “I recall our distributors calling to tell me that our records were moving rapidly,” he says. “Popularity surged on the subsequent tour, and we were playing right ahead of the headliners on the Mayhem festival.”

In fact, DragonForce’s exposure from Guitar Hero proved so vast that it risked eclipsing everything else the band has done. Recently, the song featured in promotional material for a major film. “Previously I thought differently, but I’ve made peace with it,” Li says. “Should you just hear one DragonForce song, it’s totally cool – each person has their own path in music and I'm pleased we’ve been part of people’s lives”.

The Lasting Impact of a Iconic Controller

Top-tier marketing, whether it’s for automobiles, apparel or games, goes further than selling something – it evokes a longing. Was the game able to harness this? “That’s exactly what we were aiming to achieve,” he confirms. “The excitement of performing as a rock star in the spotlight. Since the beginning, the co-founders felt that humans have a natural human desire to create songs, and their goal was to use technology to allow people to do it”.

The majority of Guitar Hero games were released over a mere half-decade between 2005 and 2010, including spin-offs such as the DJ version, including a spinning deck, and the band-focused game. Subsequently, corporate focus in plastic instruments waned, except for a short-lived revival in 2015.

Titles such as Clone Hero and Fortnite Festival have maintained the community alive, and there’s expectations of a new product from the founders in development. Recently formed developers has entered work on their first rhythm-based title. Original co-founders are both involved in advisory roles. Are gamers prepared to welcome a new entry following the classic?

“Our team believed such titles could be similar to sports games where you can releases,” Dornbrook says. “With abundant new music it could remain perennially popular, thus I remain hopeful. It's entirely possible why it can’t continue for future fans.”