Marking 20 years after Guitar Hero hit the market in North America, giving players everywhere the means to feel like a rock star. Not literally, though you'd be hard-pressed telling that anyone who's nailed the epic lengthy guitar solo in front of an enthusiastic living-room audience.
Created by Harmonix, Guitar Hero gave players a guitar-shaped controller to follow on-screen cues moving along the screen in time with the music. Each riff corresponded to specific notes, creating the feel of an authentic performance.
The studio previously tried its hand with rhythm games before partnering with RedOctane, later acquired by the gaming giant during the mid-2000s. Together, they established the groundwork for an unlikely billion-dollar franchise which made a significant influence on numerous of the artists included, showcasing classic groups to a new generation of gaming enthusiasts.
A former executive, ex-chief operating officer of Harmonix, recalls the initial budgetary hurdles of licensing the recordings – even though initial releases mostly used cover versions.
“We reproduced every song because the dollar figure was so high,” he says. “Despite having the necessary permissions alone, it proved nearly impossible. We failed to secure acts such as the Who – the publisher had virtually no money, and we were fairly certain it would fail. However, when Guitar Hero took off, album purchases airtime increased, everyone wanted to be in.”
He continues: “Among the amazing things was the number of mothers and fathers got in touch and thanked us for introducing their children to the songs they loved. It became a multigenerational phenomenon.”
Timeless Music Gains Younger Fans
Northern Irish group one featured act included their track in the 2008 release the popular installment. Guitarist Paul Mahon remembers how the series brought classic rock to the forefront: “Guitar Hero offered a bigger, new demographic. Generally this had been considered music that was past it, but then once it got included in the title and teenagers were finding it, abruptly it was cool. That legitimised the genre, eliminating the outdated label. It provided all our music renewed popularity.”
At that time, the band's debut album remained not available stateside, so the game was a key medium of discovery for the band as they went on a North American tour supporting AC/DC. “Their crew were playing Never Too Late on the tour bus, and some of them knew us thanks to the game,” Mahon says.
Major Band Titles and Lasting Influence
Rock’s heavyweight names quickly capitalised on the series’ popularity, with Aerosmith, Metallica and others starring in specialized game editions that focused on their music collections and related stories, imagery and rock’n’roll mythology. In the case of, the Aerosmith edition, reportedly earned the group greater revenue than any of their records. It sold well over 500,000 copies in its first week, while sales of their songs saw an increase of up to 40% during an era when the music business was already collapsing.
The series continues to inspire quick-handed fanaticism within the community. Earlier this year, an online personality completed an impressive attempt featuring Through the Fire and Flames – an infamously tough power-metal song made popular by the game – using a fan-made version, a freeware game with similar gameplay but an array of personalization features. The song is difficult even in expert mode, not to mention performed at double speed while hitting every one of its near 4,000 notes. The streamer stated requiring months of practice to accomplish.
“The game is a fun, imaginary experience. Just as with other games, that doesn’t mean you should pick up a real gun and enlist,” notes DragonForce guitarist the artist.
DragonForce previously completed a profitable run when Through the Fire and Flames was featured on Guitar Hero III, but Li says it made them a household name. “I recall our distributors informing us that our records were moving like crazy,” he says. “It exploded on the subsequent tour, and we performed right ahead of the headliners at the event.”
Indeed, the band's visibility via the game proved so vast that it risked eclipsing all other accomplishments. Recently, the track featured in promotional material for a major film. “Previously I felt differently, but I’ve made peace with it,” he admits. “If you only hear one DragonForce song, it’s totally cool – each person has a unique path in music and I'm pleased we played a role in fans' experiences”.
Enduring Legacy from the Plastic Guitar
The best promotion, be it for cars, clothes or games, extends beyond than selling something – it inspires a longing. Was the game able to harness this? “Precisely what our team trying to create,” Dornbrook says. “The excitement of being a music icon in the spotlight. Since the beginning, the co-founders believed humans have a natural urge to create songs, and they wanted to use technology to allow people to do it”.
Most 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 Band Hero. After that, the publisher’s interest in plastic instruments waned, aside from a short-lived revival in 2015.
Titles like Clone Hero and Fortnite Festival have maintained the community alive, with expectations of a new product from the founders in development. Recently formed developers has entered production on their first music game. Original co-founders are both involved in advisory roles. Are gamers ready to embrace a new entry following the classic?
“We thought such titles could be like Madden where you can update every year,” Dornbrook says. “With abundant fresh tracks that it could be evergreen, thus I remain hopeful. There’s no reason for it to persist with new generations.”
