It has been 20 years since the legendary game first launched in North America, giving players everywhere the means to become rock legends. Not in reality, though you'd be hard-pressed convincing anyone who's nailed the epic lengthy instrumental break in front of a packed crowd of friends.
Created by the developers, Guitar Hero gave players a plastic guitar peripheral to match coloured notes scrolling down the display synchronized to the music. Each riff corresponded to particular chords, creating the feel of a genuine live show.
Harmonix previously experimented with rhythm games before partnering with RedOctane, which was purchased by Activision during the mid-2000s. Together, they laid the foundations for an unlikely massively profitable series that had a significant impact for many of the artists featured, showcasing classic groups to millions of younger players.
A former executive, ex-chief operating officer of Harmonix, remembers the early budgetary hurdles of licensing the songs – despite the fact initial releases primarily featured rerecorded tracks.
“We rerecorded all the music because the cost was so high,” he says. “Despite having the publishing rights alone, it was nearly impossible. We failed to secure acts such as the Who – the publisher had virtually no money, and we were fairly certain it would fail. However, when Guitar Hero became a hit, album purchases and radio play increased, all artists desired to be in.”
He continues: “Among the amazing things was how many mothers and fathers got in touch expressing gratitude for exposing their children to the songs they adored. It evolved into a multigenerational phenomenon.”
Timeless Music Gains a New Audience
Northern Irish blues-rock band the Answer had Never Too Late on the 2008 game the popular installment. Lead musician the artist remembers the way the game brought classic rock back into vogue: “Guitar Hero offered a bigger, new demographic. Generally such music was considered outdated material, however when it was featured on the game and teenagers discovered it, abruptly it was cool. This validated the genre, and got rid of the ‘dad rock’ tag. It provided our catalog a new life.”
In 2008, the Answer’s debut album was still unreleased stateside, so the game was a key medium for exposure for the band as they went on a North American tour supporting AC/DC. “The roadies were playing Never Too Late on the tour bus, and several recognized us from Guitar Hero,” Mahon says.
Rock’s Heavyweight Titles and Lasting Influence
Rock’s biggest acts soon took advantage of the series’ popularity, with Aerosmith, Metallica and others featuring in dedicated game editions that focused on each band’s catalogue and associated stories, visuals and legendary status. In the case of, the Aerosmith edition, it was said to have made the band greater revenue compared to their records. It moved well over half a million copies in its first week, while sales of their songs saw an increase of up to 40% during an era as the industry faced decline.
The series continues to inspire quick-handed dedication among its fans. Recently, an online personality achieved a remarkable feat of DragonForce’s Through the Fire and Flames – a notoriously difficult anthem made popular by the game – using a fan-made version, a no-cost alternative with similar mechanics but an array of customisation options. This track is challenging enough on the hardest setting, let alone played at increased tempo while hitting a single one of the thousands of cues. They stated it took months of practice of practice.
“Guitar Hero is a fun, imaginary experience. If you play other games, that doesn’t mean you should use a real gun and go to war,” notes musician Herman Li.
DragonForce had already completed a successful tour before their hit appeared in the third game, but Li says it made them a household name. “I recall the record label informing us that we were records were moving rapidly,” he shares. “Popularity surged on the subsequent tour, and we performed just before the headliners at the event.”
In fact, DragonForce’s exposure from Guitar Hero proved so vast that it risked overshadow everything else accomplishments. Recently, the song featured in a trailer for Despicable Me 4. “In the past I felt differently, but now I accept it,” he admits. “If you only hear a single track, it’s totally cool – each person has a unique musical journey and I’m glad we’ve been part in fans' experiences”.
Enduring Impact from the Plastic Guitar
The best promotion, whether it’s for cars, clothes or video games, extends beyond mere transactions – it inspires a longing. Was the game able to harness this? “That’s exactly what our team trying to create,” Dornbrook says. “The excitement of being a rock star on the stage. From day one, the creators felt that there’s an instinctive urge to create songs, and they wanted to leverage innovation to allow people to do it”.
The majority installments came out over a mere half-decade between 2005 and 2010, including spin-offs like DJ Hero, complete with a turntable controller, and the band-focused game. After that, corporate focus on peripherals died down, aside from a brief comeback in 2015.
Titles like Clone Hero and Fortnite Festival have kept the scene alive, and there’s expectations of a new product from the founders on the way. A new studio has entered work on its debut rhythm-based title. The initial creators are participating in advisory roles. Are gamers ready to embrace a new entry following Guitar Hero?
“Our team believed those games could be similar to sports games allowing annual releases,” Dornbrook says. “With abundant new music it could remain evergreen, thus I remain optimistic. It's entirely possible for it to persist with new generations.”
