Marking 20 years since Guitar Hero hit the market in North America, giving everyday gamers the means to feel like rock legends. Figuratively speaking, but try telling that someone who's nailed the epic four-minute guitar solo in front of an enthusiastic crowd of friends.
Developed by Harmonix, Guitar Hero gave players a guitar-shaped controller to match on-screen cues moving along the screen in time with a song. Each riff mimicked particular chords, creating the sensation of an authentic performance.
The studio had already tried its hand with rhythm games before partnering with the publisher, later acquired by the gaming giant in 2006. Together, they laid the groundwork for an unlikely billion-dollar series that had a remarkable impact on numerous musicians featured, showcasing classic groups to millions of gaming enthusiasts.
A former executive, ex-chief operating officer from the developer, remembers the initial budgetary hurdles in securing the recordings – even though initial releases mostly used cover versions.
“We rerecorded every song since the cost was so high,” he says. “Even with the necessary permissions by themselves, it was extremely difficult. We couldn’t get bands like the Who – the publisher was operating on a shoestring budget, and we were fairly certain the project would flop. But once Guitar Hero took off, album purchases and radio play increased, everyone wanted to be in.”
He continues: “Among the remarkable aspects was the number of parents reached out expressing gratitude for exposing their kids to the music they adored. It became a multigenerational thing.”
Classic Rock Finds a New Audience
Irish group one featured act included their track in the 2008 release Guitar Hero World Tour. Lead musician Paul Mahon recalls how the series revived classic rock back into vogue: “Guitar Hero offered a larger, younger audience. Typically such music was considered music that was past it, however when it was featured on the game and teenagers were finding it, abruptly it was cool. This validated the genre, eliminating the ‘dad rock’ label. It provided all our music renewed popularity.”
At that time, the Answer’s first record was still not available stateside, meaning Guitar Hero served as a primary platform of discovery for the group during their a North American tour supporting AC/DC. “The roadies were playing the song on the tour bus, and several knew us from Guitar Hero,” he notes.
Rock’s Heavyweight Titles and Lasting Impact
Music's biggest acts quickly took advantage of the game's success, with Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen featuring in specialized game editions that focused on their music collections and related stories, visuals and legendary status. For example, the Aerosmith edition, it was said to have made the band more money than any of their studio albums. It sold more than half a million copies in its first week, and demand for Aerosmith’s music saw an increase of up to 40% during an era as the industry faced decline.
The series continues to inspire nimble-fingered dedication within the community. Recently, a streamer completed a remarkable feat featuring Through the Fire and Flames – a notoriously difficult power-metal song made popular by the game – using a fan-made version, a no-cost alternative with similar gameplay but an array of customisation options. This track is difficult enough on the hardest setting, let alone played at increased tempo while hitting a single one of its near 4,000 notes. The streamer stated requiring nine months to accomplish.
“Guitar Hero is a fun, fantasy thing. Just as with Call of Duty, it doesn't imply you should pick up actual weapons and enlist,” notes DragonForce guitarist the artist.
The band had already completed a profitable run before their hit appeared on Guitar Hero III, yet he explains it turned them into a household name. “I remember the record label informing us that our records were moving like crazy,” he shares. “It exploded when we next toured, and we were playing right ahead of the headliners at the event.”
Indeed, the band's visibility from Guitar Hero was so immense that it risked eclipsing everything else the band has done. Recently, the song was used in a trailer for a major film. “Previously I thought otherwise, but now I accept it,” Li says. “Should you just listen to one DragonForce song, that's fine – each person has a unique path in music and I’m glad we played a role in fans' experiences”.
Enduring Impact of a Plastic Guitar
The best marketing, whether it’s for automobiles, apparel or games, goes further mere transactions – it evokes a longing. Did Guitar Hero tap into that? “That’s exactly what we were trying to create,” Dornbrook says. “That thrill of being a music icon on the stage. Since the beginning, the creators believed there’s an instinctive human desire to make music, and their goal was to leverage innovation to enable everyone to do it”.
The majority installments came out over a mere half-decade between 2005 and 2010, featuring spin-offs such as the DJ version, complete with a spinning deck, and the band-focused game. Subsequently, corporate focus on peripherals died down, aside from a short-lived revival in 2015.
Titles like the fan project and Fortnite Festival have kept the scene active, with expectations of a new product from the founders in development. Recently formed developers has entered production on their first music game. Original co-founders are both involved in advisory roles. Are gamers ready to embrace another game in the spirit of Guitar Hero?
“We thought those games might become like Madden where you can releases,” Dornbrook says. “With abundant fresh tracks it could remain perennially popular, thus I remain optimistic. There’s no reason for it to continue with new generations.”
