Marking 20 years after the legendary game first launched in North America, giving players everywhere the tools to feel like rock legends. Not in reality, but try convincing anyone who's nailed the epic lengthy guitar solo in front of an enthusiastic crowd of friends.
Created by the developers, Guitar Hero provided users with a plastic guitar peripheral to follow coloured notes moving along the screen synchronized to the music. Every sequence corresponded to specific notes, creating the sensation of a genuine live show.
Harmonix previously tried its hand in the music genre prior to teaming up with the publisher, which was acquired by the gaming giant in 2006. Collaboratively, they established the groundwork for a surprising massively profitable series which made a significant impact on numerous musicians featured, introducing decades-old bands to millions of gaming enthusiasts.
Michael Dornbrook, ex-chief operating officer from the developer, remembers the initial financial challenges in securing the recordings – even though the first two games mostly used cover versions.
“We reproduced every song since the dollar figure was so high,” he explains. “Despite having the publishing rights by themselves, it proved nearly impossible. We couldn’t get acts such as legendary groups – RedOctane was operating on a shoestring budget, and we were fairly certain it would fail. But once Guitar Hero took off, album purchases airtime increased, everyone wanted to be in.”
He adds: “Among the amazing things was how many mothers and fathers got in touch and thanked us for exposing their children to the songs they adored. It evolved into a multigenerational phenomenon.”
Timeless Music Finds Younger Fans
Northern Irish blues-rock band the Answer had their track on the 2008 game Guitar Hero World Tour. Lead musician the artist recalls the way the game brought classic rock back into vogue: “The game provided a bigger, new demographic. Generally this had been considered outdated material, however once it got featured on the title young people were finding it, abruptly it became trendy. This validated the genre, eliminating the outdated label. It gave all our music a new life.”
At that time, the Answer’s debut album remained not available in the US, so the game served as a primary platform of discovery for the band during their US tour opening for the rock giants. “Their crew had on the song on the tour bus, and several knew us thanks to the game,” he notes.
Rock’s Heavyweight Titles Enduring Influence
Music's heavyweight names quickly capitalised on the series’ popularity, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen featuring in dedicated game editions that focused on each band’s catalogue and associated stories, visuals and legendary status. For example, the Aerosmith edition, reportedly earned the group more money compared to their studio albums. It moved more than 500,000 copies in its first week, and demand for their songs saw an increase of up to 40% during an era when the music business was already collapsing.
The series still motivates quick-handed fanaticism within the community. Earlier this year, an online personality completed a remarkable feat featuring Through the Fire and Flames – a notoriously difficult anthem popularized through the game – on Clone Hero, a no-cost alternative with similar gameplay but an array of customisation options. This track is challenging even in the hardest setting, not to mention played at double speed and without missing every one of its near 4,000 notes. The streamer claimed requiring months of practice of practice.
“Guitar Hero offers a, fantasy thing. If you play other games, that doesn’t mean you ought to pick up a real gun and enlist,” notes musician Herman Li.
DragonForce previously completed a successful tour when 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 we were records were moving like crazy,” he shares. “It exploded when we next toured, and we performed right ahead of top acts on the Mayhem festival.”
In fact, the band's visibility from Guitar Hero was so immense that it threatened to eclipsing all other accomplishments. Recently, the track was used in promotional material for Despicable Me 4. “Previously I felt differently, but now I accept it,” he admits. “If you only listen to a single track, that's fine – each person has their own path in music and I'm pleased we’ve been part of people’s lives”.
The Lasting Legacy from the Plastic Guitar
The best marketing, be it for cars, apparel or games, extends beyond than selling something – it inspires a desire. Was the game able to tap into that? “That’s exactly what we were trying to create,” he confirms. “The excitement of performing as a rock star on the stage. From day one, the co-founders believed there’s an instinctive urge to make music, and they wanted to leverage innovation to enable everyone to participate”.
Most of Guitar Hero games were released over a mere half-decade from 2005 to 2010, including derivative titles like DJ Hero, complete with a spinning deck, and Band Hero. After that, the publisher’s interest on peripherals died down, except for a brief comeback in 2015.
Titles like the fan project and Fortnite Festival have maintained the community active, and there’s expectations of something from the founders on the way. A new studio has begun work on their first rhythm-based title. The initial creators are both involved in advisory roles. Are gamers ready to embrace a new entry in the spirit of Guitar Hero?
“We thought such titles might become like Madden 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 with new generations.”
