Marking 20 years since the legendary game first launched in North America, offering everyday gamers the opportunity to feel like rock legends. Not literally, but try telling that someone who's nailed Free Bird’s lengthy instrumental break in front of an enthusiastic crowd of friends.
Developed by Harmonix, Guitar Hero gave players a guitar-shaped controller to follow on-screen cues moving along the screen synchronized to a song. Each riff corresponded to specific notes, creating the sensation of an authentic performance.
The studio previously experimented with rhythm games prior to teaming up with RedOctane, later purchased by the gaming giant in 2006. Collaboratively, they laid the groundwork for a surprising billion-dollar series which made a remarkable influence on numerous musicians included, introducing decades-old bands to millions of gaming enthusiasts.
A former executive, ex-chief operating officer of Harmonix, recalls the initial financial challenges in securing the recordings – even though the first two games mostly used cover versions.
“We rerecorded all the music since the dollar figure prohibitive,” he says. “Despite having the necessary permissions alone, it proved nearly impossible. We failed to secure bands like the Who – RedOctane was operating on a shoestring budget, and we were fairly certain it would fail. However, when the game became a hit, and record sales and radio play were going up, all artists desired to participate.”
He adds: “Among the remarkable aspects was the number of mothers and fathers reached out and thanked us for exposing their kids to the songs they adored. It evolved into a multigenerational phenomenon.”
Timeless Music Finds Younger Fans
Northern Irish group the Answer included their track in the 2008 release Guitar Hero World Tour. Lead musician the artist remembers the way the game brought classic rock back into vogue: “The game provided a larger, new demographic. Typically this had been seen as outdated material, however when it was included in the game young people discovered it, abruptly it became trendy. This validated the genre, and got rid of the ‘dad rock’ tag. It provided all our music a new life.”
In 2008, the band's debut album was still not available stateside, so the game was a key medium for exposure for the group during their US tour supporting the rock giants. “The roadies were playing the song on the tour bus, and several recognized us thanks to the game,” he notes.
Major Band Spin-offs and Lasting Impact
Music's heavyweight names 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 lore, imagery and legendary status. In the case of, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, reportedly earned the group more money compared to their records. It sold well over 500,000 copies upon release, while demand for Aerosmith’s music rose significantly at a time when the music business faced decline.
Guitar Hero continues to inspire nimble-fingered fanaticism within the community. Recently, an online personality achieved an impressive attempt of DragonForce’s Through the Fire and Flames – a notoriously difficult power-metal song made popular by Guitar Hero – on Clone Hero, a no-cost alternative with similar gameplay but an array of customisation options. The song is difficult even in the hardest setting, not to mention played at double speed and without missing every one of the thousands of cues. They stated it took months of practice of practice.
“The game offers a, fantasy thing. If you play Call of Duty, it doesn't imply you should pick up actual weapons and go to war,” notes DragonForce guitarist Herman Li.
The band previously completed a successful tour when Through the Fire and Flames appeared on Guitar Hero III, but Li says it made them widely recognized. “I remember our distributors informing us that we were selling albums like crazy,” he says. “Popularity surged when we next toured, and we were playing just before the headliners on the Mayhem festival.”
Indeed, the band's visibility from Guitar Hero was so immense that it has threatened to overshadow everything else the band has done. Recently, the song featured in a trailer for Despicable Me 4. “In the past I felt otherwise, but now I accept it,” Li says. “Should you just hear one DragonForce song, it’s totally cool – each person has their own musical journey and I’m glad we played a role of people’s lives”.
The Lasting Legacy of a Iconic Controller
The best marketing, whether it’s for cars, apparel or games, extends beyond mere transactions – it inspires a longing. Did Guitar Hero tap into that? “That’s exactly what we were trying to create,” Dornbrook says. “The excitement of being a rock star in the spotlight. From day one, the co-founders felt that there’s an instinctive human desire to create songs, and they wanted to use technology to enable everyone to do it”.
Most installments came out in just a five-year period from 2005 to 2010, featuring derivative titles like DJ Hero, including a spinning deck, and the band-focused game. Subsequently, the publisher’s interest on peripherals died down, except for a brief comeback several years later.
Titles such as Clone Hero and Fortnite Festival have maintained the community active, with expectations of something from the original publisher on the way. Recently formed developers has entered production on their first music game. The initial creators are participating in advisory roles. Is the world ready to embrace another game following Guitar Hero?
“We thought such titles could be similar to sports games where you can releases,” he remarks. “With abundant new music that it could be evergreen, thus I remain hopeful. There’s no reason why it can’t continue with new generations.”
