Marking two decades since the legendary game debuted across the Atlantic, providing players everywhere the means to feel like a rock star. Not literally, though you'd be hard-pressed telling that someone who has mastered the epic lengthy guitar solo before a packed crowd of friends.
Developed by Harmonix, Guitar Hero provided users with a plastic guitar peripheral to match on-screen cues scrolling down the display synchronized to the music. Each riff corresponded to specific notes, producing the sensation of a genuine live show.
The studio previously tried its hand with rhythm games before partnering with the publisher, later purchased by the gaming giant in 2006. Together, they laid the foundations for an unlikely massively profitable franchise that had a remarkable impact on numerous musicians included, showcasing decades-old groups to a new generation of younger players.
A former executive, former COO of Harmonix, recalls the initial financial challenges of licensing the recordings – despite the fact the first two games mostly used cover versions.
“We reproduced every song because the cost was so high,” he says. “Despite having the necessary permissions by themselves, it was nearly impossible. We couldn’t get acts such as legendary groups – RedOctane had virtually no money, and our team was fairly certain the project would flop. But once the game became a hit, album purchases airtime increased, everyone wanted to participate.”
He continues: “Among the remarkable aspects was how many mothers and fathers got in touch and thanked us for exposing their children to the songs they adored. It became an intergenerational thing.”
Timeless Music Gains Younger Fans
Northern Irish blues-rock band one featured act had their track on the 2008 game the popular installment. Lead musician the artist remembers the way the game revived classic rock to the forefront: “The game offered a bigger, younger audience. Typically such music was seen as music that was past it, however when it was included in the game and teenagers were finding it, abruptly it was cool. That legitimised the genre, eliminating the outdated label. It gave all our music renewed popularity.”
At that time, the band's first record remained not available in the US, so the game was a key medium of discovery for the band during their a North American tour supporting the rock giants. “Their crew had on Never Too Late on the tour bus, and several recognized us from Guitar Hero,” Mahon says.
Major Band Spin-offs and Lasting Influence
Rock’s heavyweight names soon capitalised on the series’ popularity, with Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen featuring in specialized game editions that focused on their music collections and related stories, visuals and rock’n’roll mythology. For example, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, reportedly to have made the band more money than any of their studio albums. It moved well over 500,000 copies in its first week, while sales of their songs rose of up to 40% during an era when the music business faced decline.
The series continues to inspire quick-handed fanaticism within the community. Earlier this year, a streamer achieved a remarkable feat of DragonForce’s the challenging track – an infamously tough power-metal song popularized through Guitar Hero – using a fan-made version, a no-cost alternative with almost identical gameplay but an array of personalization features. This track is difficult even in the hardest setting, let alone performed at double speed and without missing every one of its near 4,000 notes. The streamer claimed it took months of practice of practice.
“The game offers a, imaginary experience. If you play Call of Duty, that doesn’t mean you ought to use actual weapons and go to war,” notes DragonForce guitarist the artist.
DragonForce had already wrapped up a profitable run when their hit appeared on Guitar Hero III, yet he explains 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 were playing right ahead of the headliners at the event.”
Indeed, the band's visibility from Guitar Hero proved so vast that it threatened to overshadow all other the band has done. Last year, the track was used in promotional material for a major film. “Previously I felt otherwise, but I’ve made peace with it,” Li says. “If you only listen to one DragonForce song, it’s totally cool – everyone’s got a unique musical journey and I'm pleased we’ve been part of people’s lives”.
The Lasting Legacy of a Plastic Guitar
The best marketing, whether it’s for cars, clothes or games, goes further than selling something – it evokes a desire. Was the game able to tap into that? “Precisely what our team aiming to achieve,” Dornbrook says. “The excitement of performing as a music icon on the stage. From day one, the co-founders believed humans have a natural urge to create songs, and they wanted to use technology to enable everyone to participate”.
Most of Guitar Hero games were released in just a five-year period from 2005 to 2010, including spin-offs such as the DJ version, complete with a turntable controller, and Band Hero. After that, corporate focus in plastic instruments died down, aside from a brief comeback several years later.
Games like Clone Hero and Fortnite Festival have kept the community alive, and there’s set to be a new product from the founders on the way. Recently formed developers has begun production on their first rhythm-based title. Original co-founders are both involved as special advisers. Are gamers ready to embrace another game following Guitar Hero?
“We thought such titles could be similar to sports games allowing annual releases,” he remarks. “With abundant new music it could remain perennially popular, thus I remain optimistic. There’s no reason why it can’t persist for future fans.”
