It has been two decades after the legendary game hit the market in North America, giving players everywhere the tools to become a rock star. Figuratively speaking, but try telling that anyone who's mastered the epic lengthy guitar solo before a packed living-room audience.
Created by Harmonix, Guitar Hero provided users with a guitar-shaped controller to match coloured notes scrolling down the screen synchronized to a song. Every sequence corresponded to specific notes, producing the feel of a genuine performance.
The studio previously tried its hand with rhythm games before partnering with the publisher, which was acquired by Activision during the mid-2000s. Together, they laid the foundations for an unlikely billion-dollar franchise which made a significant influence for many musicians featured, showcasing decades-old bands to millions of younger players.
A former executive, ex-chief operating officer of Harmonix, remembers the initial budgetary hurdles in securing the songs – even though the first two games mostly used cover versions.
“We reproduced all the music since the cost prohibitive,” he explains. “Even with the publishing rights by themselves, it was extremely difficult. We failed to secure bands like the Who – RedOctane had virtually no money, and we were pretty convinced it would fail. However, when Guitar Hero took off, and record sales airtime were going up, all artists desired to participate.”
He adds: “Among the amazing things was how many mothers and fathers reached out and thanked us for exposing their children to the songs they loved. It became a multigenerational thing.”
Timeless Music Gains a New Audience
Irish group the Answer included their track on the 2008 game the popular installment. Guitarist Paul Mahon recalls the way the game brought classic rock back into vogue: “The game provided a larger, new demographic. Generally such music was seen as outdated material, however once it got featured on the title young people discovered it, abruptly it became trendy. This validated it, and got rid of the outdated tag. It provided our catalog renewed popularity.”
In 2008, the Answer’s debut album was still not available in the US, meaning Guitar Hero served as a primary platform of discovery for the group as they went on a North American tour opening for the rock giants. “Their crew had on Never Too Late during travel, and some of them knew us from Guitar Hero,” 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 legendary status. For example, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, reportedly to have made the band greater revenue than any of their records. It moved more than half a million copies in its first week, while demand for Aerosmith’s music saw an increase of up to 40% during an era as the industry was already collapsing.
The series continues to inspire quick-handed dedication within the community. Earlier this year, an online personality completed an impressive attempt of DragonForce’s the challenging track – a notoriously difficult anthem popularized through Guitar Hero – using a fan-made version, a freeware game with similar gameplay and extensive customisation options. The song is challenging even in expert mode, not to mention played at double speed and without missing a single one of its near 4,000 notes. The streamer claimed requiring months of practice of practice.
“The game is a fun, imaginary experience. If you play Call of Duty, it doesn't imply you should pick up a real gun and enlist,” notes musician Herman Li.
The band had already completed a successful tour when Through the Fire and Flames appeared in the third game, but Li says it made them widely recognized. “I recall the record label calling to tell me that we were selling albums like crazy,” he says. “It exploded on the subsequent tour, and we were playing just before top acts at the event.”
In fact, the band's visibility from Guitar Hero was so immense that it threatened to overshadow all other accomplishments. Last year, the song featured in promotional material for Despicable Me 4. “In the past I felt otherwise, but I’ve made peace with it,” Li says. “Should you just listen to a single track, that's fine – each person has a unique path in music and I’m glad we played a role of people’s lives”.
The Lasting Legacy of a Iconic Controller
The best marketing, whether it’s for cars, apparel or games, extends beyond mere transactions – it evokes a longing. Did Guitar Hero 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 creators believed there’s an instinctive urge to make music, and their goal was to leverage innovation to allow people to do it”.
The majority of Guitar Hero games were released in just a half-decade between 2005 and 2010, including derivative titles like the DJ version, complete with a spinning deck, and Band Hero. After that, corporate focus in plastic instruments waned, aside from a short-lived revival in 2015.
Games like Clone Hero and newer releases have maintained the community active, with expectations of a new product from the founders on the way. A new studio has begun work on their first rhythm-based title. Original co-founders are both involved as special advisers. Is the world prepared to welcome a new entry following Guitar Hero?
“Our team believed such titles might become like Madden allowing annual update every year,” Dornbrook says. “With abundant new music it could remain perennially popular, thus I remain hopeful. It's entirely possible for it to continue with new generations.”
