Marking two decades since Guitar Hero first launched in North America, offering everyday gamers the tools to feel like rock legends. Figuratively speaking, but try telling that someone who's nailed the epic lengthy guitar solo before a packed living-room audience.
Developed by the developers, the game provided users with a plastic guitar peripheral to match on-screen cues moving along the screen synchronized to the music. Each riff corresponded to specific notes, producing the feel of a genuine performance.
Harmonix previously experimented in the music genre prior to teaming up with the publisher, which was purchased by the gaming giant in 2006. Together, they established the groundwork for a surprising massively profitable series which made a significant impact on numerous of the artists included, introducing classic bands to millions of gaming enthusiasts.
Michael Dornbrook, ex-chief operating officer from the developer, recalls the initial financial challenges of licensing the songs – even though initial releases mostly used rerecorded tracks.
“We reproduced every song since the cost was so high,” he explains. “Despite having the necessary permissions alone, it was nearly impossible. We couldn’t get bands like legendary groups – RedOctane was operating on a shoestring budget, and we were fairly certain the project would flop. However, when Guitar Hero took off, album purchases airtime increased, all artists desired to be in.”
He continues: “One of the remarkable aspects was the number of parents reached out and thanked us for exposing their children to the songs they loved. It became an intergenerational phenomenon.”
Classic Rock Gains a New Audience
Northern Irish blues-rock band one featured act had their track on the 2008 game the popular installment. Guitarist Paul Mahon recalls how the series brought older hits back into vogue: “The game provided a bigger, new demographic. Typically this had been considered outdated material, but then when it was included in the title young people discovered it, abruptly it became trendy. This validated the genre, eliminating the ‘dad rock’ tag. It gave our catalog renewed popularity.”
In 2008, the band's debut album remained not available stateside, meaning Guitar Hero served as a primary platform of discovery for the band during their a North American tour supporting AC/DC. “The roadies had on Never Too Late during travel, and some of them knew us from Guitar Hero,” Mahon says.
Rock’s Heavyweight Spin-offs and Lasting Impact
Rock’s heavyweight names quickly capitalised on the series’ popularity, with Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen starring in dedicated spin-off titles centered around their music collections and associated lore, imagery and legendary status. In the case of, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, reportedly earned the group greater revenue than any of their records. It sold more than half a million units in its first week, and sales of Aerosmith’s music rose of up to 40% at a time as the industry faced decline.
Guitar Hero continues to inspire nimble-fingered dedication within the community. Earlier this year, an online personality achieved a remarkable feat of DragonForce’s the challenging track – a notoriously difficult power-metal song made popular by the game – using a fan-made version, a freeware game with similar gameplay but an array of personalization features. The song is challenging enough on expert mode, let alone performed at double speed and without missing a single one of its near 4,000 notes. The streamer claimed it took nine months to accomplish.
“The game is a fun, imaginary experience. Just as with other games, that doesn’t mean you ought to use actual weapons and go to war,” notes DragonForce guitarist Herman Li.
The band had already completed a successful tour before Through the Fire and Flames appeared in the third game, but Li says it made them a household name. “I remember our distributors calling to tell me that our selling albums rapidly,” he shares. “It exploded on the subsequent tour, and we performed right ahead of top acts at the event.”
In fact, DragonForce’s exposure from Guitar Hero was so immense that it risked eclipsing everything else accomplishments. Recently, the track was used in promotional material for Despicable Me 4. “In the past I felt otherwise, but I’ve made peace with it,” he admits. “If you only hear a single track, that's fine – everyone’s got their own path in music and I'm pleased we played a role of people’s lives”.
The Lasting Legacy from the Iconic Controller
The best marketing, be it for cars, clothes or games, goes further mere transactions – it inspires a desire. Did Guitar Hero harness this? “That’s exactly what our team aiming to achieve,” Dornbrook says. “That thrill of being a music icon in the spotlight. 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 participate”.
Most of Guitar Hero games were released over a mere half-decade between 2005 and 2010, featuring spin-offs like the DJ version, complete with a turntable controller, and the band-focused game. After that, corporate focus in plastic instruments waned, aside from a brief comeback several years later.
Games such as the fan project and Fortnite Festival have kept the scene active, with set to be a new product from the original publisher on the way. A new studio has entered work on its debut music game. The initial creators are participating as special advisers. Is the world ready to embrace another game following Guitar Hero?
“We thought those games could be like Madden allowing annual update every year,” he remarks. “With abundant new music it could remain perennially popular, so I’ve always been hopeful. It's entirely possible why it can’t continue with new generations.”
