Marking 20 years since the legendary game debuted in North America, offering players everywhere the means to feel like rock legends. Not literally, though you'd be hard-pressed telling that someone who's mastered the epic lengthy instrumental break before an enthusiastic crowd of friends.
Created by the developers, the game gave players a guitar-shaped controller to follow coloured notes moving along the screen in time with the music. Each riff mimicked particular chords, creating the sensation of a genuine performance.
Harmonix previously tried its hand in the music genre before partnering with RedOctane, which was acquired by the gaming giant in 2006. Collaboratively, they established the foundations for a surprising billion-dollar series that had a significant influence for many of the artists featured, introducing classic groups to a new generation of younger players.
A former executive, former COO of Harmonix, recalls the early budgetary hurdles in securing the songs – even though the first two games mostly used rerecorded tracks.
“We reproduced every song because the dollar figure was so high,” he explains. “Even with the publishing rights alone, it proved extremely difficult. We failed to secure acts such as the Who – the publisher had virtually no money, and our team was pretty convinced it would fail. But once the game took off, and record sales and radio play increased, all artists desired to be in.”
He continues: “Among the remarkable aspects was how many mothers and fathers reached out and thanked us for introducing their kids to the music they adored. It became a multigenerational thing.”
Timeless Music Finds a New Audience
Irish group one featured act had their track on the 2008 game the popular installment. Guitarist Paul Mahon recalls the way the game revived classic rock to the forefront: “Guitar Hero offered a larger, new demographic. Generally this had been considered outdated material, however once it got included in the title young people were finding it, suddenly it was cool. This validated the genre, eliminating the ‘dad rock’ tag. It gave all our music renewed popularity.”
In 2008, the band's first record remained unreleased stateside, meaning Guitar Hero was a key medium of discovery for the group as they went on US tour opening for AC/DC. “Their crew were playing Never Too Late during travel, and several recognized us from Guitar Hero,” he notes.
Rock’s Heavyweight Titles Enduring Impact
Rock’s heavyweight names soon took advantage of the game's success, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and others starring in dedicated spin-off titles that focused on their music collections and associated lore, visuals and rock’n’roll mythology. In the case of, the Aerosmith edition, it was said earned the band greater revenue than any of their records. It sold more than half a million copies in its first week, and sales of Aerosmith’s music rose significantly during an era when the music business was already collapsing.
The series continues to inspire quick-handed fanaticism within the community. Recently, a streamer achieved a remarkable feat of DragonForce’s Through the Fire and Flames – a notoriously difficult power-metal song made popular by Guitar Hero – using a fan-made version, a no-cost alternative with similar gameplay and extensive customisation options. The song is difficult enough on the hardest setting, let alone played at increased tempo and without missing every one of the thousands of cues. They claimed requiring nine months of practice.
“The game offers a, imaginary experience. Just as with Call of Duty, that doesn’t mean you should use a real gun and go to war,” says DragonForce guitarist the artist.
DragonForce had already completed a profitable run when their hit appeared in the third game, but Li says it made them widely recognized. “I recall the record label informing us that our records were moving like crazy,” he says. “It exploded on the subsequent tour, and we performed right ahead of top acts at the event.”
Indeed, DragonForce’s exposure from Guitar Hero was so immense that it risked eclipsing all other the band has done. Last year, the song was used in a trailer for a major film. “Previously I felt otherwise, but I’ve made peace with it,” he admits. “If you only hear a single track, it’s totally cool – each person has a unique path in music and I’m glad we’ve been part of people’s lives”.
The Lasting Impact from the Plastic Guitar
The best promotion, be it for cars, apparel or video games, goes further than selling something – it evokes a desire. Was the game able to harness this? “Precisely what we were trying to create,” Dornbrook says. “That thrill of being a rock star in the spotlight. From day one, the creators felt that humans have a natural human desire to create songs, and their goal was to use technology to allow people to participate”.
The majority of Guitar Hero games were released over a mere half-decade from 2005 to 2010, including derivative titles like the DJ version, including a turntable controller, and the band-focused game. After that, the publisher’s interest on peripherals waned, aside from a short-lived revival several years later.
Titles such as Clone Hero and newer releases have kept the community alive, and there’s expectations of a new product from the founders in development. Recently formed developers has entered production on their first music game. The initial creators are participating as special advisers. Is the world prepared to welcome another game following Guitar Hero?
“Our team believed such titles might become similar to sports games allowing annual update every year,” he remarks. “With abundant fresh tracks it could remain evergreen, so I’ve always been optimistic. It's entirely possible for it to continue for future fans.”
