Marking 20 years since Guitar Hero hit the market in North America, giving players everywhere the means to feel like a rock star. Figuratively speaking, but try convincing anyone who has nailed the epic lengthy instrumental break before a packed living-room audience.
Created by Harmonix, the game provided users with a guitar-shaped controller to follow coloured notes scrolling down the screen in time with the music. Each riff corresponded to particular chords, producing the feel of an authentic live show.
The studio previously experimented with rhythm games before partnering with RedOctane, later acquired by the gaming giant in 2006. Collaboratively, they laid the groundwork for a surprising billion-dollar series that had a significant influence for many of the artists included, showcasing decades-old groups to a new generation of gaming enthusiasts.
A former executive, former COO of Harmonix, recalls the initial financial challenges of licensing the recordings – despite the fact initial releases primarily featured cover versions.
“We rerecorded all the music since the cost prohibitive,” he explains. “Even with the necessary permissions alone, it was nearly impossible. We failed to secure bands like legendary groups – the publisher was operating on a shoestring budget, and our team was pretty convinced it would fail. However, when Guitar Hero became a hit, and record sales airtime were going up, everyone wanted to be in.”
He continues: “Among the remarkable aspects was the number of mothers and fathers reached out and thanked us for exposing their children to the songs they adored. It became an intergenerational phenomenon.”
Timeless Music Finds Younger Fans
Northern Irish blues-rock band one featured act included Never Too Late on the 2008 game the popular installment. Guitarist Paul Mahon remembers how the series revived older hits to the forefront: “The game offered a larger, new demographic. Generally such music was seen as outdated material, however when it was featured on the game and teenagers discovered it, abruptly it became trendy. This validated the genre, eliminating the ‘dad rock’ tag. It gave our catalog renewed popularity.”
In 2008, the Answer’s debut album was still unreleased stateside, meaning Guitar Hero was a key medium for exposure for the group as they went on US tour supporting AC/DC. “The roadies were playing Never Too Late on the tour bus, and some of them recognized us thanks to the game,” Mahon says.
Major Band Titles Enduring Impact
Rock’s heavyweight names soon capitalised on the series’ popularity, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen starring in specialized spin-off titles centered around their music collections and associated lore, visuals and legendary status. In the case of, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, reportedly to have made the group greater revenue than any of their records. It sold more than half a million units upon release, and demand for Aerosmith’s music saw an increase of up to 40% at a time as the industry faced decline.
Guitar Hero still motivates quick-handed fanaticism within the community. Recently, an online personality completed a remarkable feat featuring Through the Fire and Flames – an infamously tough power-metal song popularized through Guitar Hero – on Clone Hero, a no-cost alternative with similar mechanics and extensive personalization features. The song is difficult enough on the hardest setting, not to mention played at double speed while hitting every one of the thousands of cues. The streamer claimed it took months of practice of practice.
“The game is a fun, imaginary experience. If you play Call of Duty, that doesn’t mean you ought to pick up a real gun and enlist,” notes musician Herman Li.
DragonForce previously wrapped up a profitable run before Through the Fire and Flames appeared in the third game, but Li says it made them widely recognized. “I remember our distributors informing us that our selling albums rapidly,” 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 proved so vast that it has risked overshadow everything else the band has done. Recently, the song featured in a trailer for a major film. “In the past I thought differently, but I’ve made peace with it,” Li says. “Should you just hear a single track, that's fine – everyone’s got a unique musical journey and I'm pleased we played a role of people’s lives”.
The Lasting Impact from the Iconic Controller
Top-tier marketing, whether it’s for cars, apparel or video games, goes further mere transactions – it evokes a desire. Was the game able to harness this? “That’s exactly what we were aiming to achieve,” he confirms. “That thrill of being a rock star on the stage. From day one, the co-founders believed there’s an instinctive urge to make music, and they wanted to leverage innovation to enable everyone to participate”.
Most installments were released in just a five-year period from 2005 to 2010, featuring spin-offs such as DJ Hero, complete with a turntable controller, and the band-focused game. Subsequently, corporate focus on peripherals waned, except for a short-lived revival in 2015.
Titles like the fan project and newer releases have maintained the community active, and there’s expectations of something from the founders on the way. Recently formed developers has begun work on their first music game. The initial creators are participating as special advisers. Are gamers ready to embrace a new entry in the spirit of the classic?
“We thought those games might become similar to sports games allowing annual releases,” Dornbrook says. “There’s so much new music it could remain evergreen, so I’ve always been optimistic. There’s no reason why it can’t persist with new generations.”
