Marking 20 years after the legendary game hit the market in North America, giving players everywhere the means to feel like a rock star. Not in reality, but try telling that anyone who has mastered the epic lengthy guitar solo before a packed crowd of friends.
Developed by Harmonix, Guitar Hero gave players a guitar-shaped controller to follow on-screen cues scrolling down the display synchronized to the music. Each riff corresponded to particular chords, producing the feel of a genuine live show.
Harmonix had already tried its hand with rhythm games before partnering with the publisher, later purchased by Activision during the mid-2000s. Together, they established the foundations for an unlikely massively profitable franchise which made a significant influence for many musicians included, showcasing classic groups to millions of younger players.
A former executive, ex-chief operating officer from the developer, remembers the early budgetary hurdles in securing the songs – even though initial releases mostly used rerecorded tracks.
“We rerecorded all the music because the dollar figure prohibitive,” he explains. “Despite having the publishing rights alone, it proved nearly impossible. We failed to secure acts such as the Who – RedOctane had virtually no money, and our team was pretty convinced it would fail. But once Guitar Hero became a hit, and record sales airtime increased, everyone wanted to be in.”
He continues: “One of the remarkable aspects was how many parents reached out expressing gratitude for introducing their children to the music they adored. It became a multigenerational thing.”
Timeless Music Finds a New Audience
Irish group one featured act included their track in the 2008 release Guitar Hero World Tour. Lead musician Paul Mahon recalls how the series brought older hits back into vogue: “The game provided a bigger, younger audience. Generally such music was seen as music that was past it, however when it was featured on the title and teenagers were finding it, suddenly it was cool. This validated it, eliminating the outdated tag. It gave all our music renewed popularity.”
In 2008, the band's debut album remained not available stateside, so the game was a key medium of discovery for the band during their a North American tour opening for the rock giants. “The roadies were playing Never Too Late during travel, and several knew us from Guitar Hero,” Mahon says.
Major Band Spin-offs Enduring Impact
Music's biggest acts quickly capitalised on the series’ popularity, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen starring in specialized spin-off titles that focused on their music collections and related lore, visuals and rock’n’roll mythology. In the case of, the Aerosmith edition, reportedly to have made the group greater revenue than any of their records. It moved more than 500,000 copies upon release, and demand for their songs saw an increase of up to 40% during an era as the industry was already collapsing.
The series continues to inspire quick-handed fanaticism among its fans. Earlier this year, an online personality completed a remarkable feat 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 but an array of customisation options. This track is challenging even in the hardest setting, not to mention played at double speed while hitting every one of its near 4,000 notes. They claimed it took months of practice of practice.
“Guitar Hero offers a, fantasy thing. If you play other games, that doesn’t mean you should use actual weapons and enlist,” notes DragonForce guitarist Herman Li.
The band previously wrapped up a successful tour when their hit appeared in the third game, but Li says it made them a household name. “I recall the record label informing us that we were records were moving rapidly,” he says. “Popularity surged when we next toured, and we were playing just before top acts at the event.”
Indeed, DragonForce’s exposure via the game proved so vast that it threatened to overshadow everything else the band has done. Last year, the track featured in promotional material for Despicable Me 4. “Previously I felt differently, but now I accept it,” Li says. “Should you just hear a single track, it’s totally cool – each person has their own path in music and I'm pleased we played a role of people’s lives”.
Enduring Legacy of a Plastic Guitar
The best marketing, be it for automobiles, clothes or video games, goes further than selling something – it evokes a desire. Did Guitar Hero harness this? “Precisely what we were trying to create,” Dornbrook says. “The excitement of being a rock star on the stage. Since the beginning, the creators believed there’s an instinctive urge to create songs, and they wanted to use technology to enable everyone to do it”.
Most installments were released over a mere half-decade between 2005 and 2010, featuring derivative titles like the DJ version, including a spinning deck, and Band Hero. After that, the publisher’s interest on peripherals waned, aside from a short-lived revival several years later.
Games 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. A new studio has entered work on their first rhythm-based title. The initial creators are participating in advisory roles. Is the world prepared to welcome another game in the spirit of the classic?
“We thought such titles could be like Madden allowing annual releases,” Dornbrook says. “There’s so much new music it could remain evergreen, so I’ve always been hopeful. There’s no reason for it to continue for future fans.”
