Marking 20 years since Guitar Hero first launched in North America, providing everyday gamers the opportunity to become rock legends. Figuratively speaking, but try convincing anyone who has mastered the epic lengthy instrumental break in front of an enthusiastic crowd of friends.
Developed by Harmonix, the game provided users with a plastic guitar peripheral to match coloured notes scrolling down the screen synchronized to a song. Each riff corresponded to particular chords, producing the sensation of an authentic performance.
Harmonix previously experimented in the music genre before partnering with the publisher, later acquired by the gaming giant in 2006. Collaboratively, they established the foundations for a surprising massively profitable franchise which made a significant influence for many musicians included, introducing decades-old groups to millions of gaming enthusiasts.
Michael Dornbrook, ex-chief operating officer of Harmonix, recalls the early budgetary hurdles of licensing the recordings – even though initial releases mostly used rerecorded tracks.
“We reproduced every song because the cost prohibitive,” he explains. “Despite having the necessary permissions alone, it proved extremely difficult. We failed to secure bands like the Who – RedOctane was operating on a shoestring budget, and our team was pretty convinced it would fail. However, when the game became a hit, album purchases airtime increased, everyone wanted to participate.”
He adds: “One of the remarkable aspects was how many mothers and fathers got in touch and thanked us for exposing their children to the music they adored. It became a multigenerational phenomenon.”
Timeless Music Finds Younger Fans
Irish group the Answer had their track on the 2008 game the popular installment. Guitarist Paul Mahon remembers how the series revived classic rock back into vogue: “The game provided a larger, new demographic. Typically such music was seen as outdated material, but then once it got featured on the title young people were finding it, suddenly it was cool. That legitimised it, eliminating the outdated tag. It provided our catalog a new life.”
In 2008, the Answer’s debut album remained unreleased stateside, meaning the game was a key medium for exposure for the band during their US tour opening for AC/DC. “The roadies were playing the song on the tour bus, and several knew us from Guitar Hero,” he notes.
Major Band Spin-offs Enduring Impact
Rock’s heavyweight names quickly 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 stories, visuals and legendary status. For example, the Aerosmith edition, it was said to have made the group more money than any of their records. It moved more than half a million copies in its first week, and demand for Aerosmith’s music rose of up to 40% during an era when the music business was already collapsing.
The series continues to inspire nimble-fingered fanaticism among its fans. Earlier this year, a streamer completed an impressive attempt featuring the challenging track – an infamously tough power-metal song popularized through Guitar Hero – on Clone Hero, a no-cost alternative with similar gameplay but an array of customisation options. This track is difficult even in expert mode, not to mention performed at double speed while hitting every one of its near 4,000 notes. The streamer claimed it took months of practice to accomplish.
“Guitar Hero is a fun, fantasy thing. Just as with Call of Duty, that doesn’t mean you should pick up a real gun and enlist,” says musician Herman Li.
The band had already wrapped up a profitable run when their hit was featured in the third game, but Li says it turned them into a household name. “I recall the record label calling to tell me that our records were moving like crazy,” he says. “It exploded when we next toured, and we were playing right ahead of the headliners at the event.”
In fact, DragonForce’s exposure from Guitar Hero was so immense that it threatened to eclipsing everything else accomplishments. Recently, the song featured in a trailer for a major film. “Previously I thought differently, but I’ve made peace with it,” he admits. “If you only listen to one DragonForce song, it’s totally cool – everyone’s got a unique musical journey and I'm pleased we played a role in fans' experiences”.
The Lasting Legacy from the Iconic Controller
Top-tier marketing, be it for automobiles, clothes or games, extends beyond mere transactions – it evokes a longing. Was the game able to tap into that? “Precisely what we were trying to create,” he confirms. “The excitement of performing as a rock star on the stage. From day one, the creators felt that there’s an instinctive urge to create songs, and they wanted to use technology to enable everyone to do it”.
The majority installments came out in just a half-decade between 2005 and 2010, including derivative titles such as the DJ version, complete with a spinning deck, and the band-focused game. Subsequently, the publisher’s interest in plastic instruments died down, aside from a short-lived revival several years later.
Titles such as Clone Hero and Fortnite Festival have maintained the scene alive, with expectations of something from the founders in development. A new studio has entered work on their first rhythm-based title. Original co-founders are participating in advisory roles. Are gamers ready to embrace a new entry in the spirit of Guitar Hero?
“We thought those games could be similar to sports games where you can releases,” he remarks. “There’s so much fresh tracks that it could be perennially popular, so I’ve always been optimistic. It's entirely possible why it can’t continue for future fans.”
