It has been 20 years after the legendary game first launched across the Atlantic, giving players everywhere the opportunity to feel like a rock star. Not in reality, though you'd be hard-pressed convincing anyone who has mastered the epic lengthy instrumental break in front of a packed living-room audience.
Developed by the developers, Guitar Hero provided users with a guitar-shaped controller to follow on-screen cues scrolling down the display synchronized to a song. Every sequence corresponded to particular chords, creating the sensation of a genuine performance.
Harmonix had already tried its hand with rhythm games prior to teaming up with RedOctane, later acquired by Activision during the mid-2000s. Together, they laid the foundations for a surprising massively profitable franchise that had a remarkable impact on numerous of the artists featured, introducing classic bands to a new generation of younger players.
Michael Dornbrook, former COO of Harmonix, remembers the early financial challenges in securing the songs – even though the first two games primarily featured cover versions.
“We reproduced every song since the cost prohibitive,” he says. “Despite having the necessary permissions alone, it proved nearly impossible. We failed to secure bands like legendary groups – the publisher was operating on a shoestring budget, and we were fairly certain the project would flop. However, when Guitar Hero became a hit, and record sales and radio play increased, all artists desired to be in.”
He adds: “One of the amazing things was the number of parents reached out and thanked us for exposing their kids to the music they loved. It became an intergenerational thing.”
Timeless Music Gains a New Audience
Irish blues-rock band one featured act had their track on the 2008 game Guitar Hero World Tour. Guitarist the artist recalls the way the game brought older hits to the forefront: “Guitar Hero provided a bigger, new demographic. Generally such music was seen as music that was past it, however once it got included in the game young people were finding it, suddenly it became trendy. This validated the genre, eliminating the outdated label. It gave all our music a new life.”
In 2008, the band's debut album was still unreleased in the US, meaning the game was a key medium of discovery for the group as they went on US tour opening for the rock giants. “Their crew were playing Never Too Late during travel, and several knew us from Guitar Hero,” Mahon says.
Major Band Spin-offs and Lasting Impact
Rock’s biggest acts soon capitalised on the series’ popularity, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and others starring in specialized spin-off titles that focused on their music collections and associated stories, visuals and legendary status. For example, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, it was said to have made the band more money than any of their studio albums. It sold well over half a million units in its first week, while sales of Aerosmith’s music rose significantly during an era as the industry was already collapsing.
The series continues to inspire nimble-fingered fanaticism within the community. Earlier this year, a streamer completed a remarkable feat of DragonForce’s Through the Fire and Flames – a notoriously difficult anthem popularized through Guitar Hero – using a fan-made version, a no-cost alternative with almost identical mechanics but an array of personalization features. This track is difficult even in expert mode, let alone performed at increased tempo and without missing a single one of the thousands of cues. The streamer claimed requiring months of practice to accomplish.
“Guitar Hero offers a, imaginary experience. If you play Call of Duty, it doesn't imply you should use actual weapons and go to war,” says musician Herman Li.
DragonForce previously completed a successful tour before their hit was featured on Guitar Hero III, but Li says it turned them into a household name. “I remember the record label informing us that our records were moving rapidly,” he shares. “Popularity surged on the subsequent tour, and we performed just before top acts at the event.”
In fact, the band's visibility from Guitar Hero proved so vast that it threatened to eclipsing everything else the band has done. Recently, the track was used in a trailer for a major film. “In the past I thought otherwise, but I’ve made peace with it,” Li says. “If you only hear a single track, it’s totally cool – each person has a unique path in music and I’m glad we’ve been part of people’s lives”.
Enduring Legacy of a Iconic Controller
Top-tier marketing, be it for automobiles, clothes or video games, goes further than selling something – it inspires a desire. Was the game able to harness this? “Precisely what we were aiming to achieve,” he confirms. “That thrill of being a rock star on the stage. From day one, the co-founders believed humans have a natural human desire to make music, and their goal was to leverage innovation to enable everyone to do it”.
The majority of Guitar Hero games were released in just a five-year period from 2005 to 2010, featuring derivative titles like DJ Hero, complete with a spinning deck, and the band-focused game. After that, the publisher’s interest in plastic instruments died down, except for a brief comeback several years later.
Titles like Clone Hero and Fortnite Festival have maintained the community alive, with set to be something from the founders on the way. A new studio has entered production on their first rhythm-based title. Original co-founders are participating in advisory roles. Are gamers prepared to welcome a new entry in the spirit of the classic?
“Our team believed those games might become like Madden where you can releases,” Dornbrook says. “There’s so much new music it could remain perennially popular, thus I remain hopeful. It's entirely possible why it can’t continue with new generations.”
