It has been two decades since Guitar Hero hit the market in North America, providing everyday gamers the opportunity to feel like a rock star. Not in reality, though you'd be hard-pressed convincing anyone who has nailed Free Bird’s four-minute instrumental break in front of a packed living-room audience.
Created by Harmonix, the game gave players a plastic guitar peripheral to follow on-screen cues scrolling down the display synchronized to the music. Every sequence corresponded to particular chords, producing the sensation of an authentic performance.
Harmonix previously tried its hand with rhythm games prior to teaming up with the publisher, later acquired by Activision in 2006. Together, they laid the groundwork for a surprising billion-dollar series that had a significant impact for many musicians featured, introducing decades-old bands to a new generation of younger players.
Michael Dornbrook, former COO from the developer, remembers the early budgetary hurdles of licensing the recordings – even though initial releases primarily featured rerecorded tracks.
“We rerecorded all the music since the cost prohibitive,” he says. “Despite having the publishing rights alone, it was extremely difficult. We failed to secure bands like legendary groups – RedOctane was operating on a shoestring budget, and we were pretty convinced the project would flop. However, when Guitar Hero became a hit, and record sales and radio play increased, all artists desired to participate.”
He adds: “Among the amazing things was the number of parents got in touch and thanked us for exposing their kids to the music they loved. It became a multigenerational phenomenon.”
Timeless Music Finds a New Audience
Irish blues-rock band one featured act had their track in the 2008 release Guitar Hero World Tour. Lead musician Paul Mahon recalls how the series brought older hits to the forefront: “The game provided a bigger, new demographic. Typically such music was seen as outdated material, however once it got included in the game young people discovered it, suddenly it was cool. This validated the genre, and got rid of the ‘dad rock’ label. It provided our catalog renewed popularity.”
In 2008, the Answer’s debut album remained unreleased in the US, meaning Guitar Hero served as a primary platform of discovery for the band during their US tour supporting the rock giants. “The roadies were playing the song during travel, and several recognized us from Guitar Hero,” he notes.
Major Band Spin-offs and Lasting Influence
Music's biggest acts soon took advantage of the series’ popularity, with Aerosmith, Metallica and others starring in specialized spin-off titles centered around their music collections and related lore, visuals and legendary status. In the case of, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, it was said earned the band greater revenue compared to their studio albums. It sold well over half a million copies in its first week, while demand for their songs saw an increase significantly at a time when the music business was already collapsing.
Guitar Hero still motivates quick-handed fanaticism among its fans. Recently, a streamer achieved a remarkable feat featuring the challenging track – a notoriously difficult power-metal song popularized through the game – on Clone Hero, a freeware game with almost identical mechanics but an array of customisation options. This track is difficult even in expert mode, let alone performed at increased tempo while hitting a single one of the thousands of cues. They claimed it took months of practice to accomplish.
“Guitar Hero is a fun, fantasy thing. If you play other games, that doesn’t mean you should pick up actual weapons and go to war,” says musician Herman Li.
DragonForce previously completed a profitable run when Through the Fire and Flames appeared on Guitar Hero III, but Li says it made them widely recognized. “I remember the record label calling to tell me that we were selling albums like crazy,” he says. “Popularity surged on the subsequent tour, and we performed right ahead of top acts at the event.”
In fact, DragonForce’s exposure from Guitar Hero was so immense that it has threatened to eclipsing everything else accomplishments. Last year, the song featured in a trailer for a major film. “Previously I felt otherwise, but I’ve made peace with it,” he admits. “If you only listen to one DragonForce song, that's fine – each person has a unique path in music and I'm pleased we played a role of people’s lives”.
The Lasting Legacy of a Iconic Controller
The best promotion, whether it’s for cars, apparel or games, goes further than selling something – it inspires a desire. Did Guitar Hero harness this? “Precisely what we were trying to create,” he confirms. “That thrill of performing as a rock star in the spotlight. From day one, the creators felt that humans have a natural urge to make music, and their goal was to use technology to enable everyone to participate”.
Most of Guitar Hero games were released over a mere half-decade from 2005 to 2010, featuring derivative titles like DJ Hero, including a spinning deck, and Band Hero. Subsequently, corporate focus in plastic instruments waned, aside from a short-lived revival several years later.
Titles like the fan project and Fortnite Festival have maintained the community alive, with set to be a new product from the founders on the way. A new studio has entered work on its debut rhythm-based title. Original co-founders are both involved in advisory roles. Is the world ready to embrace another game in the spirit of Guitar Hero?
“We thought such titles might become like Madden allowing annual update every year,” Dornbrook says. “With abundant fresh tracks that it could be perennially popular, thus I remain hopeful. There’s no reason why it can’t persist with new generations.”
