Marking 20 years since Guitar Hero first launched across the Atlantic, providing everyday gamers the opportunity to feel like a rock star. Not literally, though you'd be hard-pressed convincing anyone who's nailed the epic lengthy instrumental break before a packed crowd of friends.
Created by the developers, the game provided users with a plastic guitar peripheral to follow coloured notes scrolling down the screen synchronized to a song. Each riff mimicked particular chords, producing the sensation of a genuine performance.
The studio had already tried its hand in the music genre prior to teaming up with RedOctane, later acquired by Activision during the mid-2000s. Together, they laid the groundwork for a surprising billion-dollar franchise that had a remarkable impact for many of the artists included, showcasing classic bands to a new generation of gaming enthusiasts.
A former executive, former COO of Harmonix, recalls the early financial challenges of licensing the songs – despite the fact the first two games mostly used cover versions.
“We rerecorded every song because the cost was so high,” he says. “Even with the publishing rights alone, it proved nearly impossible. We couldn’t get bands like the Who – the publisher had virtually no money, and we were pretty convinced the project would flop. However, when Guitar Hero became a hit, album purchases airtime increased, everyone wanted to be in.”
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 a multigenerational thing.”
Timeless Music Finds Younger Fans
Irish blues-rock band one featured act had their track on the 2008 game Guitar Hero World Tour. Guitarist the artist recalls how the series brought older hits to the forefront: “Guitar Hero offered a larger, new demographic. Typically such music was seen as outdated material, however once it got featured on the game young people were finding it, suddenly it was cool. This validated it, and got rid of the ‘dad rock’ tag. It provided our catalog renewed popularity.”
In 2008, the Answer’s first record was still unreleased in the US, meaning the game was a key medium of discovery for the group as they went on a North American tour supporting the rock giants. “Their crew were playing the song during travel, and some of them recognized us thanks to the game,” Mahon says.
Major Band Spin-offs and Lasting Impact
Music's biggest acts soon capitalised on the series’ popularity, with Aerosmith, Metallica and others starring in specialized spin-off titles centered around their music collections and associated stories, imagery and legendary status. In the case of, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, reportedly to have made the band more money compared to their records. It sold more than half a million units upon release, while sales of Aerosmith’s music saw an increase of up to 40% at a time when the music business faced decline.
The series continues to inspire quick-handed dedication within the community. Earlier this year, a streamer achieved a remarkable feat of DragonForce’s Through the Fire and Flames – an infamously tough anthem made popular by the game – on Clone Hero, a no-cost alternative with similar mechanics and extensive personalization features. The song is challenging even in the hardest setting, not to mention performed at increased tempo and without missing every one of its near 4,000 notes. The streamer stated requiring nine months of practice.
“Guitar Hero offers a, fantasy thing. If you play Call of Duty, it doesn't imply you should use actual weapons and enlist,” says DragonForce guitarist Herman Li.
DragonForce had already completed a successful tour when their hit was featured on Guitar Hero III, yet he explains it turned them into a household name. “I remember our distributors informing us that we were records were moving rapidly,” he says. “Popularity surged on the subsequent tour, and we were playing right ahead of top acts on the Mayhem festival.”
In fact, the band's visibility via the game proved so vast that it has risked eclipsing all other accomplishments. Recently, the track featured in promotional material for Despicable Me 4. “In the past I felt otherwise, but I’ve made peace with it,” Li says. “Should you just listen to a single track, it’s totally cool – everyone’s got their own musical journey and I'm pleased we played a role in fans' experiences”.
The Lasting Impact from the Plastic Guitar
The best marketing, be it for cars, clothes or games, goes further than selling something – it evokes a desire. Did Guitar Hero harness this? “That’s exactly what our team aiming to achieve,” he confirms. “That thrill of being a rock star in the spotlight. From day one, the co-founders believed humans have a natural human desire to create songs, and they wanted to leverage innovation to allow people to participate”.
The majority of Guitar Hero games were released in just a half-decade from 2005 to 2010, including derivative titles such as DJ Hero, including a spinning deck, and Band Hero. After that, corporate focus on peripherals died down, aside from a short-lived revival in 2015.
Titles such as Clone Hero and Fortnite Festival have maintained the community active, and there’s expectations of something from the original publisher in development. A new studio has begun work on its debut rhythm-based title. The initial creators are participating as special advisers. Is the world prepared to welcome another game following the classic?
“Our team believed such titles might become similar to sports games allowing annual releases,” Dornbrook says. “There’s so much fresh tracks it could remain evergreen, so I’ve always been optimistic. It's entirely possible for it to continue with new generations.”
