It has been 20 years since the legendary game first launched in North America, providing everyday gamers the tools to feel like a rock star. Figuratively speaking, but try telling that someone who's mastered the epic four-minute guitar solo before a packed living-room audience.
Created by Harmonix, the game provided users with a guitar-shaped controller to match coloured notes moving along the screen synchronized to the music. Every sequence mimicked specific notes, producing the sensation of an authentic live show.
The studio previously experimented with rhythm games before partnering with the publisher, which was purchased by Activision in 2006. Collaboratively, they established the groundwork for a surprising billion-dollar series which made a significant influence on numerous musicians included, introducing classic groups to millions of younger players.
Michael Dornbrook, ex-chief operating officer from the developer, remembers the initial budgetary hurdles of licensing the songs – even though initial releases primarily featured rerecorded tracks.
“We reproduced all the music because the dollar figure prohibitive,” he says. “Despite having the publishing rights alone, it was nearly impossible. We failed to secure bands like the Who – the publisher had virtually no money, and we were fairly certain it would fail. But once Guitar Hero became a hit, and record sales and radio play increased, all artists desired to participate.”
He continues: “Among the remarkable aspects was how many mothers and fathers reached out expressing gratitude for introducing their children to the music they loved. It became a multigenerational thing.”
Timeless Music Gains Younger Fans
Northern Irish blues-rock band the Answer had Never Too Late on the 2008 game Guitar Hero World Tour. Lead musician Paul Mahon recalls how the series revived older hits to the forefront: “The game offered a bigger, younger audience. Typically such music was considered music that was past it, but then when it was featured on the game and teenagers discovered it, abruptly it became trendy. That legitimised the genre, and got rid of the ‘dad rock’ label. It provided all our music a new life.”
At that time, the Answer’s debut album remained unreleased stateside, so the game served as a primary platform for exposure for the group during their US tour supporting the rock giants. “Their crew had on the song on the tour bus, and some of them knew us from Guitar Hero,” he notes.
Rock’s Heavyweight Titles and Lasting Influence
Music's heavyweight names soon took advantage of the series’ popularity, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and others starring in specialized spin-off titles that focused on each band’s catalogue and related lore, imagery and rock’n’roll mythology. For example, the Aerosmith edition, reportedly to have made the group more money compared to their studio albums. It sold more than half a million copies in its first week, and sales of their songs rose of up to 40% at a time as the industry was already collapsing.
Guitar Hero continues to inspire quick-handed dedication within the community. Earlier this year, a streamer achieved a remarkable feat of DragonForce’s the challenging track – an infamously tough anthem popularized through Guitar Hero – on Clone Hero, a freeware game with similar mechanics and extensive customisation options. The song is difficult enough on the hardest setting, not to mention played at increased tempo and without missing every one of the thousands of cues. They stated it took months of practice of practice.
“The game offers a, fantasy thing. If you play other games, that doesn’t mean you should pick up a real gun and go to war,” notes musician the artist.
DragonForce had already wrapped up a profitable run when Through the Fire and Flames appeared on Guitar Hero III, but Li says it turned them into widely recognized. “I recall our distributors calling to tell me that we were selling albums rapidly,” he says. “It exploded when we next toured, and we performed right ahead of top acts on the Mayhem festival.”
Indeed, the band's visibility via the game proved so vast that it threatened to eclipsing everything else accomplishments. Recently, the track featured in promotional material for a major film. “Previously I felt otherwise, but I’ve made peace with it,” he admits. “If you only listen to a single track, that's fine – everyone’s got a unique path in music and I'm pleased we’ve been part in fans' experiences”.
Enduring Legacy from the Plastic Guitar
Top-tier promotion, whether it’s for automobiles, apparel or games, goes further than selling something – it evokes a longing. Was the game able to tap into that? “Precisely what we were trying to create,” he confirms. “That thrill of being a music icon on the stage. From day one, the creators believed there’s an instinctive human desire to create songs, and they wanted to leverage innovation to allow people to participate”.
The majority installments came out over a mere half-decade from 2005 to 2010, featuring spin-offs such as the DJ version, complete with a turntable controller, and Band Hero. Subsequently, corporate focus on peripherals died down, except for a brief comeback in 2015.
Titles like the fan project and Fortnite Festival have kept the community active, with set to be a new product from the founders on the way. A new studio has entered work on its debut music game. Original co-founders are participating in advisory roles. Is the world prepared to welcome a new entry in the spirit of Guitar Hero?
“Our team believed those games might become like Madden allowing annual update every year,” Dornbrook says. “There’s so much fresh tracks it could remain evergreen, thus I remain hopeful. There’s no reason for it to continue for future fans.”
