It has been 20 years since the legendary game first launched across the Atlantic, giving everyday gamers the means to feel like a rock star. Not literally, but try convincing anyone who has nailed the epic lengthy guitar solo in front of a packed crowd of friends.
Developed by Harmonix, Guitar Hero gave players a guitar-shaped controller to follow coloured notes scrolling down the screen in time with the music. Every sequence mimicked specific notes, creating the sensation of a genuine performance.
Harmonix previously experimented in the music genre prior to teaming up with the publisher, later purchased by the gaming giant during the mid-2000s. Collaboratively, they laid the foundations for a surprising massively profitable series which made a significant impact on numerous musicians included, showcasing decades-old bands to a new generation of younger players.
Michael Dornbrook, ex-chief operating officer from the developer, remembers the early budgetary hurdles in securing the songs – even though the first two games mostly used rerecorded tracks.
“We rerecorded every song since the dollar figure was so high,” he says. “Despite having the necessary permissions alone, it proved extremely difficult. We couldn’t get bands like legendary groups – the publisher had virtually no money, and our team was fairly certain it would fail. However, when Guitar Hero took off, and record sales airtime increased, everyone wanted to be in.”
He continues: “One of the amazing things was how many parents got in touch expressing gratitude for exposing their kids to the music they adored. It evolved into a multigenerational phenomenon.”
Timeless Music Finds Younger Fans
Northern Irish blues-rock band the Answer had their track on the 2008 game Guitar Hero World Tour. Guitarist Paul Mahon remembers how the series revived older hits to the forefront: “Guitar Hero provided a larger, younger audience. Typically this had been considered outdated material, however once it got included in the title and teenagers were finding it, abruptly it was cool. That legitimised it, and got rid of the ‘dad rock’ tag. It gave our catalog a new life.”
At that time, the Answer’s debut album remained not available in the US, so Guitar Hero was a key medium of discovery for the band as they went on US tour opening for AC/DC. “Their crew had on the song during travel, and some of them knew us from Guitar Hero,” he notes.
Rock’s Heavyweight Spin-offs and Lasting Influence
Rock’s biggest acts soon took advantage of the game's success, with Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen featuring in dedicated game editions that focused on their music collections and related stories, imagery and legendary status. In the case of, the Aerosmith edition, it was said to have made the band greater revenue than any of their records. It moved well over half a million units upon release, while demand for Aerosmith’s music rose significantly during an era when the music business was already collapsing.
The series still motivates nimble-fingered dedication within the community. Recently, an online personality completed a remarkable feat of DragonForce’s Through the Fire and Flames – an infamously tough power-metal song popularized through Guitar Hero – on Clone Hero, a freeware game with similar gameplay but an array of customisation options. The song is difficult even in expert mode, let alone performed at double speed while hitting a single one of its near 4,000 notes. The streamer stated requiring nine months of practice.
“The game offers a, fantasy thing. If you play other games, that doesn’t mean you ought to pick up a real gun and go to war,” notes DragonForce guitarist Herman Li.
The band previously wrapped up a profitable run when Through the Fire and Flames appeared in the third game, but Li says it turned them into widely recognized. “I remember our distributors informing us that our selling albums rapidly,” he says. “It exploded when we next toured, and we were playing just before top acts at the event.”
Indeed, the band's visibility via the game was so immense that it has risked eclipsing all other accomplishments. Last year, the song featured in promotional material for Despicable Me 4. “Previously I thought otherwise, but I’ve made peace with it,” he admits. “If you only 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”.
The Lasting Impact of a Plastic Guitar
Top-tier promotion, whether it’s for automobiles, apparel or video games, goes further mere transactions – it inspires a longing. Was the game able to tap into that? “That’s exactly what our team aiming to achieve,” he confirms. “That thrill of performing as a music icon on the stage. From day one, the creators believed humans have a natural human desire to create songs, and their goal was to leverage innovation to enable everyone to participate”.
The majority of Guitar Hero games were released in just a half-decade from 2005 to 2010, featuring derivative titles like the DJ version, complete with a turntable controller, and the band-focused game. Subsequently, the publisher’s interest in plastic instruments waned, aside from a brief comeback several years later.
Games like the fan project and Fortnite Festival have maintained the community active, with expectations of a new product from the original publisher on the way. Recently formed developers has begun work on its debut music game. Original co-founders are participating as special advisers. Are gamers ready to embrace a new entry following Guitar Hero?
“We thought those games might become like Madden where you can releases,” he remarks. “There’s so much new music that it could be perennially popular, thus I remain optimistic. There’s no reason for it to persist for future fans.”
