It has been 20 years after Guitar Hero debuted across the Atlantic, offering everyday gamers the means to feel like rock legends. Figuratively speaking, though you'd be hard-pressed telling that anyone who's mastered the epic lengthy guitar solo before an enthusiastic crowd of friends.
Created by the developers, the game provided users with a plastic guitar peripheral to follow on-screen cues scrolling down the display in time with a song. Each riff corresponded to particular chords, producing the sensation of an authentic performance.
Harmonix had already experimented with rhythm games prior to teaming up with RedOctane, later purchased by Activision in 2006. Together, they laid the groundwork for an unlikely massively profitable franchise which made a significant influence on numerous musicians included, showcasing classic groups to millions of gaming enthusiasts.
A former executive, former COO from the developer, recalls the early financial challenges of licensing the recordings – even though initial releases mostly used rerecorded tracks.
“We rerecorded every song since the cost prohibitive,” he says. “Even with the publishing rights by themselves, it was extremely difficult. We couldn’t get bands like legendary groups – the publisher was operating on a shoestring budget, and we were pretty convinced the project would flop. But once the game took off, album purchases and radio play increased, all artists desired to be in.”
He continues: “One of the remarkable aspects was the number of mothers and fathers got in touch expressing gratitude for exposing their kids to the music they adored. It became an intergenerational phenomenon.”
Classic Rock Finds Younger Fans
Irish group one featured act included their track in the 2008 release Guitar Hero World Tour. Guitarist Paul Mahon recalls the way the game revived older hits to the forefront: “Guitar Hero provided a larger, new demographic. Typically this had been seen as music that was past it, however when it was featured on the game and teenagers were finding it, suddenly it became trendy. This validated the genre, eliminating the ‘dad rock’ label. It gave our catalog a new life.”
In 2008, the band's debut album remained unreleased stateside, so the game was a key medium of discovery for the band during their US tour supporting the rock giants. “Their crew had on Never Too Late during travel, and several knew us from Guitar Hero,” he notes.
Rock’s Heavyweight Titles and Lasting Influence
Music's biggest acts quickly took advantage of the series’ popularity, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and others featuring in specialized spin-off titles that focused on their music collections and related stories, visuals and legendary status. In the case of, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, it was said earned the band more money than any of their studio albums. It moved more than 500,000 units in its first week, while sales of Aerosmith’s music rose of up to 40% at a time as the industry was already collapsing.
Guitar Hero still motivates quick-handed dedication among its fans. Earlier this year, a streamer completed an impressive attempt featuring Through the Fire and Flames – a notoriously difficult anthem made popular by Guitar Hero – using a fan-made version, a no-cost alternative with similar gameplay and extensive personalization features. The song is difficult enough on the hardest setting, let alone played at increased tempo while hitting a single one of the thousands of cues. The streamer stated it took months of practice of practice.
“Guitar Hero is a fun, fantasy thing. Just as with other games, it doesn't imply you should pick up actual weapons and go to war,” says musician Herman Li.
The band had already wrapped up a profitable run when their hit appeared in the third game, yet he explains it turned them into widely recognized. “I remember the record label calling to tell me that our records were moving like crazy,” he shares. “Popularity surged when we next toured, and we performed just before the headliners on the Mayhem festival.”
In fact, DragonForce’s exposure from Guitar Hero was so immense that it risked eclipsing all other accomplishments. Recently, the song featured in promotional material for Despicable Me 4. “In the past I felt otherwise, but now I accept it,” Li says. “Should you just hear a single track, that's fine – each person has their own musical journey and I’m glad we played a role in fans' experiences”.
Enduring Impact from the Iconic Controller
Top-tier promotion, whether it’s for cars, apparel or games, extends beyond mere transactions – it evokes a longing. Was the game able to tap into that? “That’s exactly what our team trying to create,” Dornbrook says. “That thrill of being a music icon on the stage. From day one, the co-founders felt that humans have a natural urge to create songs, and their goal was to use technology to allow people to do it”.
Most of Guitar Hero games came out in just a half-decade between 2005 and 2010, featuring spin-offs like the DJ version, including a spinning deck, and the band-focused game. After that, corporate focus on peripherals waned, except for a short-lived revival several years later.
Games like the fan project and Fortnite Festival have maintained the scene active, and there’s expectations of a new product from the original publisher on the way. Recently formed developers has begun production on its debut music game. Original co-founders are both involved in advisory roles. Are gamers ready to embrace another game in the spirit of the classic?
“Our team believed those games could be like Madden allowing annual releases,” Dornbrook says. “With abundant new music it could remain evergreen, so I’ve always been hopeful. There’s no reason for it to continue for future fans.”
