Marking two decades since Guitar Hero debuted across the Atlantic, offering players everywhere the means to become rock legends. Not literally, though you'd be hard-pressed telling that someone who has mastered the epic four-minute instrumental break in front of a packed crowd of friends.
Created by Harmonix, Guitar Hero gave players a plastic guitar peripheral to match coloured notes moving along the display synchronized to a song. Each riff mimicked particular chords, producing the feel of an authentic performance.
Harmonix had already tried its hand in the music genre prior to teaming up with the publisher, later acquired by the gaming giant during the mid-2000s. Collaboratively, they laid the groundwork for a surprising massively profitable series that had a significant impact on numerous musicians featured, introducing decades-old groups to a new generation of gaming enthusiasts.
A former executive, former COO from the developer, recalls the initial financial challenges of licensing the songs – even though initial releases primarily featured rerecorded tracks.
“We reproduced every song because the cost was so high,” he explains. “Despite having the publishing rights by themselves, it was nearly impossible. We failed to secure bands like legendary groups – RedOctane was operating on a shoestring budget, and we were pretty convinced the project would flop. But once Guitar Hero became a hit, album purchases and radio play increased, everyone wanted to participate.”
He adds: “Among the amazing things was the number of parents reached out and thanked us for introducing their kids to the music they adored. It became an intergenerational thing.”
Timeless Music Finds Younger Fans
Irish blues-rock band the Answer included their track in the 2008 release the popular installment. Guitarist Paul Mahon remembers the way the game brought older hits to the forefront: “The game provided a larger, younger audience. Typically this had been considered music that was past it, but then when it was featured on the game and teenagers discovered it, suddenly it was cool. That legitimised it, eliminating the outdated tag. It provided all our music a new life.”
In 2008, the band's first record remained not available in the US, meaning the game was a key medium for exposure for the band during their US tour supporting AC/DC. “The roadies were playing Never Too Late during travel, and some of them knew us from Guitar Hero,” Mahon says.
Major Band Titles Enduring Impact
Music's biggest acts soon capitalised on the series’ popularity, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen featuring in specialized game editions that focused on each band’s catalogue and related lore, visuals and rock’n’roll mythology. In the case of, the Aerosmith edition, reportedly to have made the band greater revenue compared to their studio albums. It moved more than half a million copies upon release, and sales of Aerosmith’s music saw an increase significantly during an era when the music business was already collapsing.
The series continues to inspire nimble-fingered dedication within the community. Recently, a streamer completed an impressive attempt of DragonForce’s Through the Fire and Flames – a notoriously difficult power-metal song made popular by Guitar Hero – using a fan-made version, a no-cost alternative with similar gameplay and extensive customisation options. This track is challenging even in expert mode, let alone performed at increased tempo while hitting every one of its near 4,000 notes. They claimed it took months of practice to accomplish.
“Guitar Hero is a fun, imaginary experience. Just as with Call of Duty, it doesn't imply you ought to pick up a real gun and go to war,” says DragonForce guitarist Herman Li.
DragonForce previously completed a profitable run when Through the Fire and Flames appeared in the third game, but Li says it turned them into a household name. “I remember the record label informing us that we were records were moving rapidly,” he says. “It exploded when we next toured, and we performed right ahead of the headliners at the event.”
In fact, the band's visibility via the game proved so vast that it risked eclipsing all other accomplishments. Recently, the song was used in promotional material for a major film. “Previously I felt differently, but I’ve made peace with it,” Li says. “Should you just listen to one DragonForce song, it’s totally cool – everyone’s got their own musical journey and I'm pleased we’ve been part in fans' experiences”.
The Lasting Impact of a Plastic Guitar
Top-tier marketing, be it for cars, clothes or video games, goes further than selling something – it evokes a longing. Did Guitar Hero tap into that? “That’s exactly what we were aiming to achieve,” he confirms. “The excitement of performing as a rock star on the stage. Since the beginning, the creators felt that humans have a natural human desire 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 from 2005 to 2010, featuring spin-offs like the DJ version, complete with a spinning deck, and the band-focused game. After that, corporate focus on peripherals waned, except for a short-lived revival in 2015.
Games such as Clone Hero and newer releases have maintained the community alive, with set to be something from the original publisher on the way. A new studio has begun production on their first rhythm-based title. The initial creators are participating as special advisers. Is the world prepared to welcome a new entry following Guitar Hero?
“We thought those games could be similar to sports games where you can update every year,” Dornbrook says. “With abundant new music that it could be perennially popular, so I’ve always been hopeful. There’s no reason why it can’t continue with new generations.”
