It has been 20 years since Guitar Hero debuted across the Atlantic, offering everyday gamers the means to become a rock star. Figuratively speaking, but try convincing anyone who's nailed the epic four-minute guitar solo before a packed living-room audience.
Created by the developers, the game provided users with a plastic guitar peripheral to match coloured notes moving along the screen in time with the music. Each riff corresponded to particular chords, creating the sensation of an authentic live show.
Harmonix had already tried its hand with rhythm games before partnering with the publisher, which was acquired by the gaming giant in 2006. Together, they laid the groundwork for a surprising massively profitable franchise which made a remarkable impact for many of the artists featured, introducing classic bands to a new generation of gaming enthusiasts.
A former executive, former COO from the developer, recalls the initial financial challenges in securing the recordings – despite the fact initial releases primarily featured rerecorded tracks.
“We rerecorded all the music since the dollar figure prohibitive,” he explains. “Even with the publishing rights by themselves, it was extremely difficult. We couldn’t get acts such as the Who – the publisher was operating on a shoestring budget, and we were pretty convinced it would fail. However, when Guitar Hero became a hit, and record sales and radio play increased, everyone wanted to be in.”
He continues: “Among the amazing things was how many mothers and fathers got in touch expressing gratitude for introducing their kids to the songs they loved. It evolved into an intergenerational thing.”
Timeless Music Gains Younger Fans
Irish group the Answer included Never Too Late on the 2008 game the popular installment. Guitarist the artist remembers how the series revived older hits back into vogue: “Guitar Hero provided a larger, new demographic. Generally such music was seen as music that was past it, but then when it was included in the title and teenagers discovered it, abruptly it was cool. That legitimised the genre, eliminating the outdated tag. It provided our catalog a new life.”
In 2008, the band's first record remained not available stateside, meaning the game served as a primary platform for exposure for the group during their US tour supporting AC/DC. “The roadies had on the song on the tour bus, and some of them recognized us from Guitar Hero,” Mahon says.
Major Band Spin-offs and Lasting Influence
Rock’s biggest acts quickly capitalised on the series’ popularity, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and others featuring in specialized game editions centered around each band’s catalogue and related lore, visuals and legendary status. For example, the Aerosmith edition, it was said to have made the group more money than any of their studio albums. It moved more than 500,000 units in its first week, and demand for Aerosmith’s music saw an increase of up to 40% during an era as the industry faced decline.
The series still motivates quick-handed dedication within the community. Earlier this year, a streamer achieved an impressive attempt of DragonForce’s Through the Fire and Flames – an infamously tough anthem popularized through Guitar Hero – using a fan-made version, a freeware game with almost identical mechanics and extensive customisation options. The song is difficult enough on expert mode, let alone performed at double speed while hitting every one of its near 4,000 notes. The streamer claimed requiring nine months to accomplish.
“The game offers a, fantasy thing. Just as with Call of Duty, that doesn’t mean you should pick up a real gun and go to war,” says musician Herman Li.
The band previously wrapped up a profitable run when their hit appeared in the third game, yet he explains it made them a household name. “I recall the record label informing us that we were records were moving rapidly,” he shares. “Popularity surged when we next toured, and we performed just before top acts on the Mayhem festival.”
Indeed, the band's visibility from Guitar Hero proved so vast that it has risked overshadow all other accomplishments. Last year, the song featured in promotional material for Despicable Me 4. “In the past I thought differently, but I’ve made peace with it,” he admits. “Should you just listen to a single track, that's fine – everyone’s got a unique path in music and I'm pleased we’ve been part of people’s lives”.
The Lasting Legacy from the Iconic Controller
The best promotion, be it for cars, apparel or video games, extends beyond mere transactions – it inspires a longing. Was the game able to harness this? “That’s exactly what our team aiming to achieve,” Dornbrook says. “The excitement of performing as a music icon on the stage. Since the beginning, the co-founders felt that humans have a natural human desire to create songs, and they wanted to use technology to allow people to do it”.
The majority of Guitar Hero games were released in just a half-decade between 2005 and 2010, including derivative titles like DJ Hero, including a spinning deck, and Band Hero. After that, the publisher’s interest in plastic instruments waned, aside from a brief comeback in 2015.
Games such as the fan project and newer releases have maintained the scene active, and there’s expectations of a new product from the original publisher in development. Recently formed developers has entered production on its debut music game. Original co-founders are both involved in advisory roles. Are gamers ready to embrace another game in the spirit of Guitar Hero?
“We thought those games might become like Madden allowing annual update every year,” he remarks. “There’s so much fresh tracks it could remain evergreen, so I’ve always been optimistic. There’s no reason why it can’t persist with new generations.”
