It has been 20 years since the legendary game debuted in North America, providing everyday gamers the tools to feel like a rock star. Not literally, though you'd be hard-pressed telling that anyone who has mastered the epic lengthy instrumental break before a packed crowd of friends.
Created by Harmonix, Guitar Hero provided users with a plastic guitar peripheral to follow on-screen cues scrolling down the screen synchronized to the music. Each riff mimicked specific notes, producing the sensation of an authentic performance.
The studio previously experimented with rhythm games prior to teaming up with the publisher, later purchased by Activision during the mid-2000s. Together, they laid the foundations for an unlikely massively profitable series which made a remarkable impact for many musicians featured, introducing decades-old bands to millions of younger players.
Michael Dornbrook, former COO from the developer, remembers the early financial challenges in securing the recordings – even though initial releases mostly used cover versions.
“We reproduced all the music because the cost prohibitive,” he explains. “Despite having the publishing rights alone, it proved extremely difficult. We failed to secure bands like the Who – RedOctane had virtually no money, and we were pretty convinced the project would flop. However, when the game became a hit, and record sales and radio play were going up, everyone wanted to participate.”
He continues: “Among the remarkable aspects was the number of parents got in touch and thanked us for introducing their children to the songs they adored. It became a multigenerational thing.”
Classic Rock Finds Younger Fans
Irish blues-rock band one featured act had their track in the 2008 release Guitar Hero World Tour. Lead musician the artist recalls how the series brought older hits to the forefront: “Guitar Hero offered a bigger, younger audience. Typically this had been seen as music that was past it, however when it was featured on the game and teenagers were finding it, abruptly it was cool. This validated it, and got rid of the ‘dad rock’ label. It gave all our music a new life.”
In 2008, the Answer’s first record remained not available stateside, meaning the game was a key medium for exposure for the group as they went on US tour supporting the rock giants. “Their crew were playing Never Too Late on the tour bus, and some of them knew us thanks to the game,” Mahon says.
Rock’s Heavyweight Spin-offs Enduring Impact
Rock’s heavyweight names quickly capitalised on the game's success, with Aerosmith, Metallica and others starring in dedicated spin-off titles that focused on their music collections and associated stories, imagery and rock’n’roll mythology. For example, the Aerosmith edition, reportedly to have made the band greater revenue compared to their studio albums. It moved well over 500,000 copies in its first week, while sales of their songs rose of up to 40% at a time when the music business was already collapsing.
The series still motivates quick-handed fanaticism within the community. Recently, an online personality 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 gameplay and extensive personalization features. The song is difficult enough on the hardest setting, not to mention performed at double speed while hitting a single one of its near 4,000 notes. They claimed it took nine months to accomplish.
“Guitar Hero is a fun, fantasy thing. Just as with Call of Duty, that doesn’t mean you should use actual weapons and go to war,” says DragonForce guitarist Herman Li.
DragonForce previously completed a profitable run when 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 our selling albums rapidly,” he says. “Popularity surged on the subsequent tour, and we performed just before the headliners at the event.”
Indeed, the band's visibility via the game was so immense that it risked overshadow everything else accomplishments. Last year, the track featured in a trailer for Despicable Me 4. “In the past I thought differently, but now I accept it,” Li says. “Should you just hear a single track, that's fine – each person has a unique musical journey and I’m glad we’ve been part in fans' experiences”.
The Lasting Impact from the Iconic Controller
Top-tier promotion, whether it’s for cars, apparel or games, goes further than selling something – it inspires a longing. Did Guitar Hero harness this? “That’s exactly what we were trying to create,” Dornbrook says. “The excitement of being a music icon in the spotlight. Since the beginning, the creators felt that there’s an instinctive urge to create songs, and their goal was to use technology to enable everyone to do it”.
The majority installments were released over a mere five-year period from 2005 to 2010, including derivative titles such as the DJ version, complete with a turntable controller, and Band Hero. After that, the publisher’s interest in plastic instruments waned, aside from a brief comeback several years later.
Titles such as Clone Hero and Fortnite Festival have maintained the community alive, with expectations of something from the founders on the way. A new studio has begun work on their first rhythm-based title. The initial creators are participating as special advisers. Is the world prepared to welcome a new entry in the spirit of the classic?
“Our team believed such titles might become like Madden where you can releases,” he remarks. “There’s so much new music it could remain evergreen, thus I remain hopeful. It's entirely possible for it to continue for future fans.”
