Marking two decades since the legendary game debuted across the Atlantic, offering players everywhere the opportunity to become a rock star. Not in reality, but try telling that someone who has nailed the epic four-minute instrumental break before a packed crowd of friends.
Created by Harmonix, Guitar Hero gave players a guitar-shaped controller to match on-screen cues scrolling down the screen in time with a song. Every sequence mimicked particular chords, creating the feel of a genuine live show.
Harmonix previously tried its hand with rhythm games before partnering with RedOctane, which was acquired by the gaming giant during the mid-2000s. Collaboratively, they established the foundations for a surprising massively profitable series that had a significant impact on numerous musicians featured, introducing classic groups to millions of gaming enthusiasts.
A former executive, ex-chief operating officer from the developer, recalls the initial financial challenges of licensing the recordings – even though initial releases primarily featured cover versions.
“We reproduced every song because the dollar figure prohibitive,” he says. “Even with the necessary permissions by themselves, it proved nearly impossible. We couldn’t get bands like legendary groups – the publisher had virtually no money, and we were pretty convinced the project would flop. However, when Guitar Hero became a hit, album purchases airtime increased, all artists desired to be in.”
He adds: “One of the amazing things was how many parents got in touch and thanked us for introducing their kids to the music they loved. It became an intergenerational phenomenon.”
Classic Rock Gains a New Audience
Irish blues-rock band one featured act had Never Too Late on the 2008 game Guitar Hero World Tour. Lead musician the artist recalls how the series revived classic rock to the forefront: “The game offered a bigger, new demographic. Generally this had been seen as outdated material, however once it got featured on the game young people were finding it, abruptly it became trendy. This validated the genre, and got rid of the outdated label. It provided all our music a new life.”
In 2008, the Answer’s first record remained not available in the US, so 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 several recognized us from Guitar Hero,” Mahon says.
Major Band Spin-offs Enduring Impact
Rock’s biggest acts quickly took advantage of the series’ popularity, with Aerosmith, Metallica and others starring in specialized game editions that focused on their music collections and associated stories, visuals and legendary status. For example, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, reportedly to have made the band greater revenue compared to their records. It sold more than 500,000 copies upon release, and demand for Aerosmith’s music saw an increase significantly at a time when the music business was already collapsing.
The series still motivates quick-handed 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 – on Clone Hero, a freeware game with almost identical mechanics and extensive personalization features. The song is challenging enough on the hardest setting, let alone performed at increased tempo while hitting every one of its near 4,000 notes. They stated requiring months of practice of practice.
“The game is a fun, fantasy thing. Just as with other games, that doesn’t mean you should use a real gun and enlist,” notes musician Herman Li.
The band previously wrapped up a profitable run when their hit appeared on Guitar Hero III, yet he explains it turned them into a household name. “I recall our distributors calling to tell me that our selling albums like crazy,” he says. “It exploded when we next toured, and we performed right ahead of top acts on the Mayhem festival.”
Indeed, DragonForce’s exposure from Guitar Hero proved so vast that it threatened to overshadow everything else the band has done. Recently, the song was used in promotional material for Despicable Me 4. “Previously I thought otherwise, but now I accept it,” Li says. “If you only hear a single track, that's fine – each person has their own path in music and I’m glad we played a role of people’s lives”.
The Lasting Legacy of a Plastic Guitar
Top-tier promotion, whether it’s for automobiles, clothes or video games, goes further than selling something – it inspires a longing. Did Guitar Hero harness this? “Precisely what our team aiming to achieve,” Dornbrook says. “That thrill of being a music icon on the stage. Since the beginning, the co-founders believed humans have a natural urge to make music, and they wanted to leverage innovation to enable everyone to do it”.
Most installments were released in just a 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, aside from a brief comeback in 2015.
Games like Clone Hero and newer releases have maintained the scene active, and there’s set to be something from the founders on the way. A new studio has begun production on its debut music game. Original co-founders are both involved in advisory roles. Are gamers ready to embrace another game following Guitar Hero?
“We thought those games could be like Madden where you can releases,” Dornbrook says. “With abundant fresh tracks it could remain perennially popular, so I’ve always been optimistic. There’s no reason why it can’t continue with new generations.”
