It has been two decades since the legendary game hit the market in North America, providing everyday gamers the opportunity to become a rock star. Not in reality, though you'd be hard-pressed convincing anyone who has nailed the epic four-minute instrumental break in front of an enthusiastic crowd of friends.
Developed by Harmonix, Guitar Hero gave players a guitar-shaped controller to follow on-screen cues moving along the screen synchronized to the music. Every sequence mimicked particular chords, producing the feel of an authentic live show.
Harmonix had already experimented in the music genre prior to teaming up with the publisher, which was purchased by Activision during the mid-2000s. Together, they laid the groundwork for a surprising massively profitable series that had a significant impact for many musicians included, showcasing classic groups to a new generation of younger players.
Michael Dornbrook, former COO of Harmonix, remembers the initial budgetary hurdles of licensing the recordings – despite the fact the first two games primarily featured rerecorded tracks.
“We rerecorded every song since the dollar figure was so high,” he says. “Despite having the necessary permissions by themselves, it proved nearly impossible. We couldn’t get bands like the Who – RedOctane had virtually no money, and we were pretty convinced the project would flop. However, when the game took off, and record sales and radio play increased, all artists desired to be in.”
He continues: “One of the remarkable aspects was how many mothers and fathers got in touch expressing gratitude for exposing their children to the music they loved. It became a multigenerational phenomenon.”
Classic Rock Finds a New Audience
Northern Irish blues-rock band one featured act had Never Too Late on the 2008 game Guitar Hero World Tour. Guitarist Paul Mahon remembers the way the game revived older hits to the forefront: “The game provided a larger, younger audience. Generally such music was seen as music that was past it, however once it got included in the title young people discovered it, suddenly it became trendy. That legitimised it, and got rid of the outdated label. It gave all our music renewed popularity.”
At that time, the Answer’s debut album was still unreleased stateside, meaning Guitar Hero was a key medium of discovery for the group during their US tour supporting AC/DC. “Their crew were playing Never Too Late on the tour bus, and some of them recognized us from Guitar Hero,” Mahon says.
Major Band Spin-offs and Lasting Impact
Music's biggest acts quickly capitalised on the series’ popularity, with Aerosmith, Metallica and others featuring in specialized game editions that focused on each band’s catalogue and related stories, visuals and legendary status. For example, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, reportedly earned the band more money compared to 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% at a time when the music business was already collapsing.
The series continues to inspire nimble-fingered dedication within the community. Earlier this year, a streamer completed a remarkable feat featuring the challenging track – a notoriously difficult power-metal song made popular by the game – using a fan-made version, a no-cost alternative with similar gameplay 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 its near 4,000 notes. The streamer claimed it took nine months to accomplish.
“Guitar Hero is a fun, imaginary experience. If you play Call of Duty, that doesn’t mean you should use a real gun and go to war,” says DragonForce guitarist Herman Li.
DragonForce had already completed a profitable run when their hit appeared in the third game, but Li says it turned them into widely recognized. “I remember the record label calling to tell me that our records were moving like crazy,” he shares. “Popularity surged when we next toured, and we were playing just before top acts on the Mayhem festival.”
In fact, DragonForce’s exposure via the game was so immense that it has threatened to eclipsing all other the band has done. Last year, the track featured in promotional material for a major film. “In the past I thought otherwise, but now I accept it,” he admits. “If you only hear one DragonForce song, that's fine – everyone’s got their own path in music and I’m glad we played a role of people’s lives”.
Enduring Legacy from the Plastic Guitar
Top-tier promotion, be it for cars, apparel or video games, extends beyond than selling something – it evokes a longing. Was the game able to harness this? “Precisely what our team trying to create,” Dornbrook says. “The excitement of performing as a rock star in the spotlight. Since the beginning, the co-founders believed there’s an instinctive urge to create songs, and they wanted to leverage innovation to allow people to participate”.
The majority installments were released over a mere half-decade from 2005 to 2010, featuring spin-offs like DJ Hero, complete with a spinning deck, and Band Hero. After that, the publisher’s interest on peripherals died down, except for a short-lived revival in 2015.
Titles like the fan project and newer releases have maintained the scene alive, and there’s expectations of a new product from the founders in development. Recently formed developers has begun work on their first music game. Original co-founders are participating as special advisers. Are gamers prepared to welcome a new entry following Guitar Hero?
“Our team believed such titles could be like Madden allowing annual releases,” he remarks. “With abundant new music that it could be perennially popular, so I’ve always been hopeful. It's entirely possible why it can’t persist with new generations.”
