Marking 20 years since the legendary game hit the market across the Atlantic, offering everyday gamers the opportunity to feel like rock legends. Figuratively speaking, but try telling that someone who's mastered the epic four-minute guitar solo in front of a packed living-room audience.
Developed by Harmonix, Guitar Hero gave players a plastic guitar peripheral to follow coloured notes moving along the display synchronized to the music. Each riff mimicked specific notes, producing the feel of a genuine live show.
The studio previously tried its hand in the music genre before partnering with the publisher, which was purchased by Activision during the mid-2000s. Together, they established the foundations for a surprising billion-dollar series that had a remarkable impact on numerous of the artists featured, showcasing decades-old groups to millions of gaming enthusiasts.
Michael Dornbrook, ex-chief operating officer of Harmonix, remembers the initial financial challenges of licensing the songs – despite the fact the first two games mostly used rerecorded tracks.
“We reproduced all the music because the dollar figure prohibitive,” he says. “Despite having the publishing rights by themselves, it was nearly impossible. We failed to secure acts such as legendary groups – RedOctane had virtually no money, and we were fairly certain the project would flop. But once the game became a hit, album purchases airtime increased, all artists desired to participate.”
He continues: “Among the remarkable aspects was the number of mothers and fathers reached out expressing gratitude for exposing their children to the songs they loved. It evolved into a multigenerational phenomenon.”
Classic Rock Finds Younger Fans
Northern Irish group the Answer had Never Too Late in the 2008 release Guitar Hero World Tour. Guitarist Paul Mahon remembers how the series brought older hits to the forefront: “Guitar Hero provided a bigger, new demographic. Generally this had been seen as music that was past it, however once it got included in the game and teenagers were finding it, abruptly it became trendy. That legitimised it, eliminating the outdated tag. It provided all our music a new life.”
At that time, the band's first record remained not available stateside, meaning the game served as a primary platform for exposure for the group during their US tour supporting the rock giants. “The roadies had on Never Too Late on the tour bus, and some of them recognized us from Guitar Hero,” he notes.
Major Band Spin-offs and Lasting Influence
Rock’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 associated stories, imagery and legendary status. In the case of, the Aerosmith edition, reportedly earned the group greater revenue than any of their studio albums. It moved more than half a million units upon release, and demand for their songs saw an increase of up to 40% at a time when the music business was already collapsing.
The series continues to inspire nimble-fingered fanaticism among its fans. Recently, an online personality achieved an impressive attempt featuring Through the Fire and Flames – a notoriously difficult anthem made popular by the game – on Clone Hero, a freeware game with almost identical mechanics but an array of customisation options. This track is difficult even in the hardest setting, not to mention played at increased tempo and without missing every one of its near 4,000 notes. The streamer stated requiring nine months to accomplish.
“The game offers a, fantasy thing. Just as with Call of Duty, that doesn’t mean you ought to use actual weapons and enlist,” says musician Herman Li.
DragonForce had already completed a successful tour when Through the Fire and Flames appeared in the third game, yet he explains it made them a household name. “I recall the record label calling to tell me that we were records were moving like crazy,” he says. “Popularity surged on the subsequent tour, and we performed just before top acts at the event.”
Indeed, DragonForce’s exposure via the game was so immense that it has risked overshadow all other accomplishments. Recently, the song featured in promotional material for Despicable Me 4. “In the past I felt otherwise, but I’ve made peace with it,” he admits. “Should you just hear a single track, that's fine – everyone’s got their own path in music and I’m glad we played a role of people’s lives”.
The Lasting Legacy of a Iconic Controller
The best promotion, whether it’s for automobiles, clothes or video games, goes further than selling something – it inspires a longing. Was the game able to harness this? “Precisely what our team aiming to achieve,” Dornbrook says. “That thrill of performing as a music icon on the stage. Since the beginning, the creators believed there’s an instinctive human desire to make music, and their goal was to leverage innovation to allow people to participate”.
The majority of Guitar Hero games were released over a mere half-decade between 2005 and 2010, including spin-offs like the DJ version, complete with a turntable controller, and the band-focused game. After that, the publisher’s interest on peripherals waned, except for a brief comeback in 2015.
Titles such as the fan project and newer releases have kept the scene active, and there’s set to be a new product from the original publisher in development. Recently formed developers has entered production on their first rhythm-based title. Original co-founders are both involved as special advisers. Are gamers ready to embrace another game following the classic?
“We thought such titles could be similar to sports games where you can releases,” Dornbrook says. “There’s so much fresh tracks it could remain perennially popular, thus I remain optimistic. It's entirely possible why it can’t continue with new generations.”
