Marking 20 years since Guitar Hero first launched across the Atlantic, offering players everywhere the means to become a rock star. Not literally, but try convincing someone who's mastered Free Bird’s four-minute guitar solo before a packed living-room audience.
Created by Harmonix, the game gave players a guitar-shaped controller to follow coloured notes moving along the screen synchronized to the music. Every sequence corresponded to particular chords, creating the feel of an authentic live show.
The studio previously tried its hand with rhythm games prior to teaming up with RedOctane, which was purchased by Activision in 2006. Collaboratively, they laid the groundwork for an unlikely billion-dollar franchise that had a remarkable impact on numerous musicians featured, introducing classic bands to a new generation of gaming enthusiasts.
Michael Dornbrook, former COO of Harmonix, recalls the early financial challenges of licensing the recordings – despite the fact the first two games mostly used cover versions.
“We rerecorded every song since the dollar figure was so high,” he explains. “Despite having the necessary permissions alone, it proved nearly impossible. We failed to secure bands like legendary groups – the publisher had virtually no money, and our team was fairly certain it would fail. But once Guitar Hero took off, and record sales and radio play increased, everyone wanted to be in.”
He adds: “One of the remarkable aspects was how many parents reached out expressing gratitude for introducing their kids to the songs they loved. It evolved into an intergenerational phenomenon.”
Timeless Music Finds Younger Fans
Irish blues-rock band the Answer had Never Too Late in the 2008 release Guitar Hero World Tour. Lead musician Paul Mahon recalls the way the game brought older hits to the forefront: “Guitar Hero provided a bigger, younger audience. Typically this had been seen as music that was past it, but then once it got included in the title and teenagers were finding it, abruptly it was cool. This validated it, and got rid of the ‘dad rock’ label. It provided our catalog a new life.”
At that time, the Answer’s debut album remained unreleased stateside, so Guitar Hero was a key medium of discovery for the band during their a North American tour opening for the rock giants. “The roadies were playing Never Too Late during travel, and several knew us from Guitar Hero,” he notes.
Major Band Titles Enduring Influence
Music's biggest acts soon capitalised on the series’ popularity, with Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen starring in dedicated spin-off titles centered around their music collections and related stories, visuals and legendary status. For example, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, reportedly to have made the band greater revenue compared to their records. It sold well over half a million copies upon release, and sales of their songs rose of up to 40% during an era as the industry faced decline.
Guitar Hero continues to inspire nimble-fingered dedication within the community. Recently, a streamer completed an impressive attempt featuring the challenging track – an infamously tough power-metal song popularized through Guitar Hero – on Clone Hero, a no-cost alternative with almost identical gameplay and extensive personalization features. The song is difficult even in the hardest setting, not to mention played at double speed while hitting a single one of its near 4,000 notes. They claimed requiring nine months of practice.
“The game offers a, imaginary experience. Just as with other games, that doesn’t mean you should pick up a real gun and go to war,” notes musician the artist.
DragonForce previously completed a profitable run when their hit appeared in the third game, yet he explains it turned them into a household name. “I remember the record label informing us that we were selling albums rapidly,” he shares. “Popularity surged when we next toured, and we performed right ahead of the headliners on the Mayhem festival.”
In fact, DragonForce’s exposure via the game proved so vast that it has risked overshadow everything else accomplishments. Recently, the song was used in promotional material for Despicable Me 4. “Previously I felt otherwise, but I’ve made peace with it,” he admits. “If you only listen to a single track, that's fine – everyone’s got their own musical journey and I’m glad we’ve been part in fans' experiences”.
The Lasting Legacy from the Plastic Guitar
Top-tier marketing, be it for automobiles, apparel or video games, extends beyond mere transactions – it inspires a longing. Was the game able to harness this? “Precisely what our team aiming to achieve,” Dornbrook says. “That thrill of performing as a music icon on the stage. Since the beginning, the creators believed there’s an instinctive human desire to make music, and they wanted to use technology to allow people to do it”.
Most installments were released over a mere half-decade between 2005 and 2010, including derivative titles such as DJ Hero, including a spinning deck, and the band-focused game. After that, the publisher’s interest on peripherals waned, aside from a brief comeback in 2015.
Titles like the fan project and newer releases have kept the community active, with expectations of a new product from the original publisher in development. A new studio has begun production on their first rhythm-based title. The initial creators are both involved in advisory roles. Is the world ready to embrace a new entry in the spirit of the classic?
“Our team believed such titles might become like Madden allowing annual releases,” Dornbrook says. “With abundant fresh tracks that it could be evergreen, so I’ve always been hopeful. There’s no reason why it can’t persist with new generations.”
