It has been two decades since the legendary game debuted in North America, giving everyday gamers the means to become rock legends. Not literally, but try telling that anyone who's nailed the epic four-minute instrumental break in front of a packed crowd of friends.
Created by the developers, Guitar Hero gave players a plastic guitar peripheral to match on-screen cues scrolling down the screen synchronized to a song. Every sequence corresponded to particular chords, producing the sensation of an authentic live show.
The studio previously experimented with rhythm games before partnering with the publisher, which was acquired by Activision in 2006. Together, they established the foundations for an unlikely massively profitable franchise which made a significant impact on numerous musicians included, introducing classic groups to a new generation of younger players.
A former executive, former COO of Harmonix, recalls the early financial challenges of licensing the songs – even though the first two games mostly used rerecorded tracks.
“We rerecorded all the music because the cost was so high,” he says. “Despite having the necessary permissions alone, it was nearly impossible. We failed to secure bands like legendary groups – RedOctane was operating on a shoestring budget, and our team was pretty convinced it would fail. However, when Guitar Hero took off, album purchases airtime were going up, all artists desired to participate.”
He adds: “One of the amazing things was the number of parents got in touch and thanked us for introducing their kids to the music they adored. It became an intergenerational phenomenon.”
Timeless Music Finds a New Audience
Northern Irish blues-rock band one featured act had their track on the 2008 game Guitar Hero World Tour. Guitarist Paul Mahon remembers the way the game brought older hits to the forefront: “The game offered a bigger, younger audience. Typically this had been seen as music that was past it, but then once it got included in the title young people were finding it, suddenly it was cool. That legitimised it, and got rid of the ‘dad rock’ tag. It provided all our music a new life.”
In 2008, the band's debut album remained not available stateside, so Guitar Hero was a key medium of discovery for the band during their US tour supporting the rock giants. “Their crew had on the song on the tour bus, and several knew us thanks to the game,” Mahon says.
Rock’s Heavyweight Titles and Lasting Impact
Music's heavyweight names quickly capitalised on the series’ popularity, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and others starring in dedicated game editions centered around each band’s catalogue and associated stories, visuals and rock’n’roll mythology. In the case of, the Aerosmith edition, it was said earned the band more money than any of their records. It moved more than half a million copies upon release, and demand for their songs rose of up to 40% during an era when the music business was already collapsing.
The series continues to inspire quick-handed dedication within the community. Earlier this year, an online personality achieved a remarkable feat featuring the challenging track – an infamously tough power-metal song popularized through the game – using a fan-made version, a no-cost alternative with almost identical gameplay and extensive customisation options. The song is challenging even in expert mode, let alone played at double speed while hitting a single one of its near 4,000 notes. They claimed requiring months of practice of practice.
“The game offers a, fantasy thing. If you play Call of Duty, that doesn’t mean you should pick up a real gun and go to war,” notes DragonForce guitarist Herman Li.
DragonForce previously wrapped up a successful tour before their hit was featured in the third game, but Li says it made them widely recognized. “I recall the record label calling to tell me that our records were moving rapidly,” he shares. “It exploded on the subsequent tour, and we performed right ahead of the headliners on the Mayhem festival.”
Indeed, the band's visibility via the game proved so vast that it has threatened to overshadow everything else the band has done. Recently, the track was used in promotional material for a major film. “In the past I thought otherwise, but I’ve made peace with it,” Li says. “If you only hear a single track, it’s totally cool – everyone’s got their own musical journey and I’m glad we played a role of people’s lives”.
Enduring Legacy from the Iconic Controller
The best promotion, whether it’s for cars, apparel or games, extends beyond than selling something – it inspires a longing. Did Guitar Hero tap into that? “Precisely what we were aiming to achieve,” Dornbrook says. “That thrill of performing as a rock star in the spotlight. Since the beginning, the creators believed humans have a natural urge to make music, and their goal was to use technology to enable everyone to do it”.
Most installments came out over a mere five-year period between 2005 and 2010, including spin-offs like DJ Hero, complete with a turntable controller, and the band-focused game. After that, corporate focus on peripherals died down, except for a brief comeback several years later.
Titles like Clone Hero and Fortnite Festival have maintained the community alive, with set to be something from the original publisher in development. Recently formed developers has entered production on its debut rhythm-based title. The initial creators are participating as special advisers. Are gamers prepared to welcome another game in the spirit of the classic?
“Our team believed those games might become similar to sports games allowing annual releases,” Dornbrook says. “With abundant new music it could remain evergreen, so I’ve always been hopeful. It's entirely possible why it can’t persist with new generations.”
