It has been 20 years since Guitar Hero hit the market in North America, offering everyday gamers the means to become a rock star. Not in reality, though you'd be hard-pressed telling that someone who's nailed the epic lengthy guitar solo before an enthusiastic crowd of friends.
Developed by the developers, the game provided users with a guitar-shaped controller to follow on-screen cues moving along the screen in time with a song. Every sequence mimicked particular chords, creating the sensation of an authentic performance.
Harmonix previously tried its hand with rhythm games before partnering with RedOctane, later acquired by the gaming giant in 2006. Together, they laid the foundations for a surprising massively profitable series which made a remarkable impact for many musicians included, showcasing classic bands to a new generation of gaming enthusiasts.
A former executive, ex-chief operating officer from the developer, remembers the initial financial challenges in securing the songs – despite the fact the first two games primarily featured rerecorded tracks.
“We rerecorded every song since the cost was so high,” he says. “Despite having the necessary permissions by themselves, it proved nearly impossible. We failed to secure acts such as the Who – the publisher had virtually no money, and we were pretty convinced the project would flop. However, when the game became a hit, and record sales airtime increased, everyone wanted to be in.”
He adds: “Among the remarkable aspects was the number of mothers and fathers reached out expressing gratitude for introducing their children to the music they adored. It became an intergenerational phenomenon.”
Timeless Music Gains a New Audience
Irish group one featured act included Never Too Late in the 2008 release the popular installment. Lead musician Paul Mahon recalls the way the game brought older hits to the forefront: “The game provided a larger, new demographic. Typically such music was seen as outdated material, however once it got included in the title young people were finding it, suddenly it became trendy. This validated it, and got rid of the outdated label. It provided our catalog renewed popularity.”
At that time, the band's first record was still not available stateside, meaning the game served as a primary platform of discovery for the band as they went on US tour supporting AC/DC. “Their crew were playing the song on the tour bus, and some of them knew us thanks to the game,” he notes.
Rock’s Heavyweight Spin-offs Enduring Influence
Rock’s heavyweight names soon capitalised on the series’ popularity, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen starring in specialized spin-off titles centered around each band’s catalogue and related stories, imagery and rock’n’roll mythology. In the case of, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, reportedly earned the band more money compared to their studio albums. It sold well over 500,000 copies in its first week, while demand for their songs saw an increase of up to 40% during an era as the industry faced decline.
Guitar Hero still motivates nimble-fingered fanaticism among its fans. Earlier this year, a streamer completed an impressive attempt of DragonForce’s Through the Fire and Flames – an infamously tough power-metal song made popular by the game – on Clone Hero, a no-cost alternative with similar gameplay but an array of customisation options. This track is challenging enough on expert mode, let alone performed at increased tempo while hitting every one of the thousands of cues. They claimed it took nine months to accomplish.
“Guitar Hero offers a, fantasy thing. If you play other games, that doesn’t mean you should use actual weapons and go to war,” says DragonForce guitarist Herman Li.
DragonForce had already wrapped up a profitable run when Through the Fire and Flames was featured on Guitar Hero III, but Li says it made them widely recognized. “I recall the record label calling to tell me that we were selling albums rapidly,” he shares. “Popularity surged on the subsequent tour, and we performed right ahead of the headliners on the Mayhem festival.”
Indeed, the band's visibility via the game proved so vast that it risked overshadow everything else the band has done. Recently, the track was used in promotional material for Despicable Me 4. “Previously I felt differently, but now I accept it,” Li says. “If you only listen to one DragonForce song, it’s totally cool – each person has a unique path in music and I’m glad we’ve been part in fans' experiences”.
Enduring Impact from the Iconic Controller
Top-tier marketing, whether it’s for automobiles, clothes or games, extends beyond mere transactions – it inspires a longing. Did Guitar Hero harness this? “Precisely what our team aiming to achieve,” Dornbrook says. “That thrill of being a rock star on the stage. 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”.
The majority installments were released in just a half-decade from 2005 to 2010, featuring spin-offs such as DJ Hero, complete with a spinning deck, and Band Hero. After that, the publisher’s interest on peripherals died down, aside from a brief comeback in 2015.
Titles such as Clone Hero and Fortnite Festival have kept the community active, and there’s set to be something from the founders on the way. Recently formed developers has entered work on their first rhythm-based title. Original co-founders are both involved as special advisers. Is the world prepared to welcome a new entry in the spirit of Guitar Hero?
“We thought such titles could be similar to sports games allowing annual update every year,” Dornbrook says. “There’s so much fresh tracks it could remain perennially popular, thus I remain optimistic. It's entirely possible why it can’t persist with new generations.”
