It has been two decades since the legendary game debuted across the Atlantic, giving everyday gamers the means to become a rock star. Figuratively speaking, but try telling that someone who has nailed Free Bird’s four-minute guitar solo in front of an enthusiastic crowd of friends.
Developed by the developers, Guitar Hero provided users with a guitar-shaped controller to match coloured notes moving along the display in time with a song. Each riff mimicked specific notes, producing the sensation of an authentic performance.
Harmonix had already experimented with rhythm games prior to teaming up with the publisher, which was purchased by Activision during the mid-2000s. Collaboratively, they established the groundwork for an unlikely massively profitable series that had a remarkable impact for many musicians featured, showcasing classic bands to a new generation of younger players.
Michael Dornbrook, former COO of Harmonix, recalls the initial financial challenges in securing the songs – even though initial releases primarily featured cover versions.
“We rerecorded all the music because the cost was so high,” he explains. “Despite having the necessary permissions alone, it was nearly impossible. We failed to secure acts such as legendary groups – the publisher was operating on a shoestring budget, and our team was pretty convinced the project would flop. But once the game became a hit, and record sales airtime increased, everyone wanted to participate.”
He adds: “Among the amazing things was the number of mothers and fathers reached out and thanked us for exposing their children to the music they loved. It became a multigenerational thing.”
Timeless Music Finds Younger Fans
Northern Irish group one featured act included their track in the 2008 release Guitar Hero World Tour. Lead musician the artist remembers the way the game brought classic rock to the forefront: “The game offered a larger, younger audience. Typically such music was seen as music that was past it, but then when it was featured on the title and teenagers discovered it, abruptly it was cool. This validated the genre, eliminating the ‘dad rock’ label. It provided our catalog a new life.”
In 2008, the band's first record was still unreleased in the US, meaning Guitar Hero was a key medium of discovery for the band as they went on US tour supporting AC/DC. “Their crew were playing the song on the tour bus, and several knew us from Guitar Hero,” Mahon says.
Major Band Spin-offs and Lasting Impact
Music's heavyweight names quickly took advantage of the series’ popularity, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and others featuring in dedicated spin-off titles that focused on each band’s catalogue and associated lore, visuals and rock’n’roll mythology. For example, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, it was said to have made the group greater revenue than any of their studio albums. It moved more than 500,000 copies upon release, and demand for Aerosmith’s music rose significantly at a time when the music business was already collapsing.
The series continues to inspire quick-handed dedication within the community. Recently, an online personality completed an impressive attempt featuring the challenging track – an infamously tough power-metal song made popular by the game – using a fan-made version, a no-cost alternative with similar mechanics and extensive customisation options. This track is difficult enough on the hardest setting, not to mention performed at increased tempo and without missing every one of the thousands of cues. The streamer stated requiring months of practice of practice.
“Guitar Hero is a fun, imaginary experience. Just as with Call of Duty, that doesn’t mean you should pick up a real gun and go to war,” says musician the artist.
DragonForce had already completed a successful tour before Through the Fire and Flames appeared on Guitar Hero III, yet he explains it turned them into widely recognized. “I recall the record label informing us that our records were moving like crazy,” he shares. “It exploded when we next toured, and we performed just before top acts at the event.”
In fact, DragonForce’s exposure via the game was so immense that it has risked overshadow everything else the band has done. Recently, the song featured in promotional material for Despicable Me 4. “In the past I thought otherwise, but I’ve made peace with it,” Li says. “If you only listen to one DragonForce song, that's fine – everyone’s got a unique musical journey and I'm pleased we played a role in fans' experiences”.
The Lasting Impact of a Iconic Controller
Top-tier marketing, whether it’s for automobiles, apparel or video games, goes further mere transactions – it inspires a desire. Did Guitar Hero harness this? “Precisely what we were trying to create,” he confirms. “The excitement of performing as a rock star in the spotlight. From day one, the creators believed there’s an instinctive urge to create songs, and they wanted to leverage innovation to enable everyone to do it”.
The majority of Guitar Hero games came out in just a five-year period from 2005 to 2010, including spin-offs like the DJ version, complete with a turntable controller, and Band Hero. After that, the publisher’s interest on peripherals died down, aside from a short-lived revival in 2015.
Games such as Clone Hero and newer releases have kept the scene active, with expectations of a new product from the founders in development. A new studio has entered production on its debut rhythm-based title. The initial creators are both involved in advisory roles. Are gamers prepared to welcome a new entry in the spirit of the classic?
“We thought such titles could be similar to sports games allowing annual update every year,” Dornbrook says. “With abundant new music it could remain evergreen, thus I remain optimistic. There’s no reason for it to continue for future fans.”
