Guitar Hero Turns 20 – The Plastic Guitar That United the Gap Between Rock Generations

It has been two decades after the legendary game first launched in North America, giving players everywhere the opportunity to feel like rock legends. Not in reality, but try convincing someone who's nailed Free Bird’s lengthy guitar solo in front of an enthusiastic living-room audience.

Created by the developers, Guitar Hero gave players a plastic guitar peripheral to follow on-screen cues moving along the display in time with a song. Each riff corresponded to particular chords, creating the feel of a genuine performance.

Harmonix had already tried its hand in the music genre before partnering with RedOctane, which was acquired by Activision during the mid-2000s. Together, they laid the foundations for an unlikely billion-dollar series which made a significant influence for many of the artists included, introducing decades-old groups to millions of younger players.

A former executive, former COO from the developer, remembers the early budgetary hurdles in securing the recordings – despite the fact the first two games mostly used rerecorded tracks.

“We reproduced all the music because the cost was so high,” he says. “Even with the necessary permissions by themselves, it proved extremely difficult. We couldn’t get acts such as legendary groups – RedOctane had virtually no money, and our team was pretty convinced the project would flop. But once Guitar Hero became a hit, album purchases and radio play increased, everyone wanted to participate.”

He adds: “Among the amazing things was the number of parents got in touch expressing gratitude for introducing their children to the songs they adored. It evolved into an intergenerational phenomenon.”

Timeless Music Gains a New Audience

Irish group the Answer included Never Too Late on the 2008 game the popular installment. Guitarist the artist recalls how the series brought older hits back into vogue: “The game offered a larger, younger audience. Generally such music was considered outdated material, however when it was featured on the title young people discovered it, suddenly it was cool. That legitimised it, eliminating the ‘dad rock’ label. It provided all our music a new life.”

In 2008, the band's first record was still not available in the US, so Guitar Hero served as a primary platform of discovery for the group as they went on US tour supporting the rock giants. “The roadies were playing Never Too Late on the tour bus, and several recognized us from Guitar Hero,” he notes.

Rock’s Heavyweight Spin-offs Enduring Impact

Rock’s biggest acts soon took advantage of the game's success, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and others starring in specialized spin-off titles that focused on each band’s catalogue and associated stories, imagery and legendary status. For example, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, reportedly earned the band greater revenue compared to their studio albums. It moved well over half a million units in its first week, while sales of their songs saw an increase significantly at a time as the industry faced decline.

The series still motivates quick-handed fanaticism among its fans. Recently, a streamer completed an impressive attempt featuring Through the Fire and Flames – an infamously tough anthem popularized through Guitar Hero – on Clone Hero, a freeware game with similar gameplay but an array of personalization features. The song is difficult even in the hardest setting, let alone played at increased tempo while hitting every one of its near 4,000 notes. The streamer stated it took nine months of practice.

“The game is a fun, imaginary experience. If you play other games, it doesn't imply you should use actual weapons and go to war,” says DragonForce guitarist Herman Li.

DragonForce had already completed a profitable run before their hit appeared in the third game, yet he explains it turned them into widely recognized. “I remember our distributors informing us that we were records were moving like crazy,” he says. “Popularity surged on the subsequent tour, and we were playing just before top acts at the event.”

In fact, the band's visibility via the game was so immense that it threatened to eclipsing all other accomplishments. Recently, the song was used in a trailer for a major film. “Previously I felt differently, but I’ve made peace with it,” Li says. “If you only hear one DragonForce song, it’s totally cool – everyone’s got a unique musical journey and I'm pleased we played a role in fans' experiences”.

Enduring Impact from the Plastic Guitar

Top-tier promotion, be it for cars, clothes or games, extends beyond than selling something – it evokes a longing. Did Guitar Hero tap into that? “Precisely what we were trying to create,” he confirms. “The excitement of being a rock star on the stage. Since the beginning, the creators felt that humans have a natural urge to create songs, and their goal was to leverage innovation to enable everyone to participate”.

The majority installments came out in just a half-decade from 2005 to 2010, featuring spin-offs such as the DJ version, including a spinning deck, and Band Hero. After that, the publisher’s interest in plastic instruments waned, aside from a short-lived revival several years later.

Titles like the fan project and newer releases have maintained the community active, and there’s set to be something from the original publisher on the way. Recently formed developers has entered production on their first music game. The initial creators are participating as special advisers. Is the world prepared to welcome another game following 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 that it could be perennially popular, thus I remain optimistic. There’s no reason why it can’t continue for future fans.”