The Iconic Game Celebrates 20 Years – How a Plastic Axe Connected the Gap Between Rock Fans

It has been 20 years after the legendary game hit the market across the Atlantic, providing players everywhere the opportunity to become rock legends. Not in reality, though you'd be hard-pressed telling that anyone who has mastered Free Bird’s lengthy instrumental break in front of a packed crowd of friends.

Created by the developers, the game gave players a guitar-shaped controller to follow on-screen cues scrolling down the screen synchronized to a song. Every sequence mimicked particular chords, creating the feel of an authentic live show.

The studio had already tried its hand with rhythm games before partnering with the publisher, later acquired by Activision during the mid-2000s. Collaboratively, they established the foundations for an unlikely billion-dollar series that had a remarkable influence for many musicians included, showcasing classic bands to millions of younger players.

Michael Dornbrook, former COO from the developer, recalls the early budgetary hurdles of licensing the recordings – even though the first two games primarily featured cover versions.

“We reproduced every song since the dollar figure prohibitive,” he says. “Despite having the publishing rights alone, it proved extremely difficult. We failed to secure acts such as the Who – the publisher was operating on a shoestring budget, and we were pretty convinced it would fail. But once Guitar Hero became a hit, album purchases airtime increased, all artists desired to be in.”

He adds: “One of the amazing things was the number of mothers and fathers got in touch expressing gratitude for exposing their kids to the songs they adored. It evolved into a multigenerational thing.”

Classic Rock Gains a New Audience

Northern Irish blues-rock band the Answer included their track in the 2008 release Guitar Hero World Tour. Guitarist the artist recalls how the series revived classic rock to the forefront: “The game offered a bigger, new demographic. Typically this had been considered outdated material, however when it was included in the game young people were finding it, abruptly it became trendy. That legitimised it, and got rid of the outdated tag. It provided all our music renewed popularity.”

At that time, the Answer’s first record was still unreleased stateside, so Guitar Hero was a key medium for exposure for the group as they went on a North American tour supporting AC/DC. “Their crew were playing the song during travel, and some of them knew us thanks to the game,” he notes.

Major Band Titles Enduring Impact

Music's biggest acts soon capitalised on the series’ popularity, with Aerosmith, Metallica and others starring in dedicated spin-off titles that focused on each band’s catalogue and associated stories, imagery and rock’n’roll mythology. In the case of, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, reportedly to have made the group greater revenue than any of their studio albums. It sold more than 500,000 units in its first week, and demand for their songs rose of up to 40% during an era when the music business was already collapsing.

The series still motivates quick-handed fanaticism among its fans. Recently, an online personality completed a remarkable feat featuring the challenging track – an infamously tough power-metal song popularized through Guitar Hero – using a fan-made version, a no-cost alternative with almost identical mechanics and extensive personalization features. This track is challenging enough on the hardest setting, let alone performed at double speed and without missing every one of its near 4,000 notes. They stated it took months of practice of practice.

“Guitar Hero is a fun, imaginary experience. If you play other games, that doesn’t mean you ought to pick up actual weapons and enlist,” says musician the artist.

The band previously completed a successful tour when Through the Fire and Flames was featured on Guitar Hero III, yet he explains it turned them into widely recognized. “I remember the record label calling to tell me that we were records were moving like crazy,” he says. “It exploded when we next toured, and we performed right ahead of the headliners at the event.”

In fact, DragonForce’s exposure via the game proved so vast that it has risked eclipsing everything else accomplishments. Last year, the track was used in a trailer for a major film. “Previously I felt differently, but now I accept it,” Li says. “If you only hear one DragonForce song, it’s totally cool – everyone’s got a unique path in music and I’m glad we’ve been part of people’s lives”.

The Lasting Impact of a Plastic Guitar

The best promotion, whether it’s for cars, clothes or games, extends beyond mere transactions – it inspires a longing. Did Guitar Hero harness this? “Precisely what we were aiming to achieve,” he confirms. “That thrill of being a music icon on the stage. From day one, the co-founders believed humans have a natural urge to make music, and their goal was to leverage innovation to allow people to do it”.

The majority of Guitar Hero games came out over a mere five-year period between 2005 and 2010, featuring derivative titles like the DJ version, complete with a spinning deck, and the band-focused game. Subsequently, the publisher’s interest in plastic instruments died down, except for a brief comeback in 2015.

Titles like Clone Hero and newer releases have kept the scene alive, and there’s set to be a new product from the original publisher on the way. A new studio has begun production on its debut rhythm-based title. Original co-founders are both involved as special advisers. Are gamers prepared to welcome another game following Guitar Hero?

“We thought those games could be similar to sports games where you can releases,” Dornbrook says. “With abundant fresh tracks that it could be perennially popular, thus I remain optimistic. It's entirely possible for it to continue for future fans.”