Marking 20 years since Guitar Hero first launched across the Atlantic, offering players everywhere the tools to feel like a rock star. Not literally, though you'd be hard-pressed convincing someone who's mastered the epic lengthy guitar solo before a packed living-room audience.
Created by Harmonix, Guitar Hero provided users with a guitar-shaped controller to follow coloured notes scrolling down the screen synchronized to the music. Every sequence corresponded to particular chords, creating the feel of a genuine performance.
The studio previously experimented with rhythm games before partnering with RedOctane, later acquired by the gaming giant in 2006. Collaboratively, they established the groundwork for a surprising massively profitable series that had a significant impact 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 budgetary hurdles of licensing the recordings – even though the first two games mostly used cover versions.
“We rerecorded every song since the cost was so high,” he explains. “Despite having the necessary permissions by themselves, it proved 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 became a hit, and record sales airtime were going up, everyone wanted to be in.”
He adds: “One of the amazing things 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 thing.”
Timeless Music Gains a New Audience
Northern Irish group one featured act had their track in the 2008 release Guitar Hero World Tour. Lead musician the artist recalls how the series revived classic rock back into vogue: “Guitar Hero offered a larger, new demographic. Generally such music was considered outdated material, however when it was featured on the title and teenagers were finding it, abruptly it became trendy. This validated the genre, eliminating the ‘dad rock’ label. It gave our catalog a new life.”
At that time, the Answer’s debut album remained not available stateside, so Guitar Hero served as a primary platform for exposure for the band as they went on a North American tour opening for AC/DC. “Their crew were playing the song during travel, and some of them knew us from Guitar Hero,” Mahon says.
Major Band Spin-offs and Lasting Impact
Rock’s biggest acts soon capitalised on the game's success, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and others featuring in dedicated game editions that focused on each band’s catalogue and related stories, imagery and legendary status. For example, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, reportedly earned the band greater revenue compared to their studio albums. It sold well over half a million copies in its first week, while demand for Aerosmith’s music rose of up to 40% during an era when the music business faced decline.
The series continues to inspire quick-handed fanaticism within the community. Earlier this year, an online personality completed a remarkable feat featuring the challenging track – an infamously tough power-metal song made popular by Guitar Hero – on Clone Hero, a no-cost alternative with almost identical mechanics and extensive customisation options. This track is difficult enough on expert mode, not to mention played at increased tempo while hitting a single one of the thousands of cues. They claimed it took nine months of practice.
“The game is a fun, fantasy thing. Just as with other games, that doesn’t mean you should pick up a real gun and go to war,” says DragonForce guitarist Herman Li.
The band previously completed a profitable run before Through the Fire and Flames appeared in the third game, yet he explains it made them widely recognized. “I recall our distributors calling to tell me that we were records were moving rapidly,” he says. “Popularity surged when we next toured, and we performed just before top acts at the event.”
In fact, the band's visibility from Guitar Hero proved so vast that it has threatened to overshadow everything else the band has done. Recently, the track featured in promotional material for Despicable Me 4. “In the past I felt differently, but I’ve made peace with it,” he admits. “If you only listen to a single track, it’s totally cool – each person has a unique musical journey and I’m glad we played a role of people’s lives”.
Enduring Impact of a Iconic Controller
The best promotion, whether it’s for cars, apparel or video games, extends beyond mere transactions – it evokes a desire. Was the game able to tap into that? “Precisely what our team trying to create,” Dornbrook says. “The excitement of performing as a rock star in the spotlight. Since the beginning, the creators believed humans have a natural urge to create songs, and they wanted to leverage innovation to enable everyone to participate”.
The majority installments came out over a mere five-year period between 2005 and 2010, featuring derivative titles such as DJ Hero, including a spinning deck, and Band Hero. After that, the publisher’s interest in plastic instruments died down, except for a short-lived revival several years later.
Games such as the fan project and Fortnite Festival have kept the community active, and there’s set to be a new product from the original publisher on the way. A new studio has begun production on their first rhythm-based title. Original co-founders are participating as special advisers. Are gamers prepared to welcome a new entry in the spirit of the classic?
“Our team believed such titles might become similar to sports games where you can update every year,” he remarks. “There’s so much new music that it could be evergreen, thus I remain hopeful. It's entirely possible for it to persist for future fans.”
