Marking 20 years after the legendary game first launched across the Atlantic, offering players everywhere the tools to become a rock star. Not in reality, though you'd be hard-pressed convincing someone who has mastered the epic four-minute guitar solo before a packed living-room audience.
Developed by the developers, Guitar Hero provided users with a guitar-shaped controller to follow on-screen cues moving along the screen synchronized to a song. Each riff mimicked specific notes, producing the feel of a genuine performance.
Harmonix previously experimented with rhythm games prior to teaming up with the publisher, which was purchased by Activision in 2006. Collaboratively, they established the groundwork for an unlikely massively profitable series that had a remarkable influence on numerous musicians featured, introducing decades-old groups to millions of gaming enthusiasts.
A former executive, ex-chief operating officer of Harmonix, recalls the early budgetary hurdles in securing the songs – even though the first two games mostly used rerecorded tracks.
“We rerecorded every song since the dollar figure prohibitive,” he explains. “Even with the necessary permissions by themselves, it proved nearly impossible. We couldn’t get bands like the Who – RedOctane had virtually no money, and we were pretty convinced it would fail. However, when Guitar Hero took off, album purchases and radio play increased, all artists desired to be in.”
He adds: “One of the remarkable aspects was the number of mothers and fathers reached out and thanked us for introducing their kids to the music they loved. It became an intergenerational thing.”
Timeless Music Finds Younger Fans
Northern Irish group the Answer had Never Too Late in the 2008 release Guitar Hero World Tour. Guitarist Paul Mahon recalls how the series revived classic rock back into vogue: “The game provided a larger, new demographic. Generally this had been seen as outdated material, but then once it got included in the title and teenagers were finding it, suddenly it became trendy. That legitimised the genre, eliminating the outdated label. It provided all our music a new life.”
In 2008, the Answer’s first record remained not available stateside, so the game served as a primary platform for exposure for the band as they went on US tour supporting the rock giants. “The roadies had on Never Too Late during travel, and some of them knew us thanks to the game,” Mahon says.
Rock’s Heavyweight Titles and Lasting Influence
Music's heavyweight names soon capitalised on the game's success, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen featuring in specialized game editions that focused on each band’s catalogue and related lore, visuals and rock’n’roll mythology. In the case of, the Aerosmith edition, reportedly to have made the group greater revenue compared to their studio albums. It sold well over 500,000 copies upon release, while sales of Aerosmith’s music saw an increase of up to 40% during an era as the industry faced decline.
Guitar Hero continues to inspire quick-handed fanaticism among its fans. Earlier this year, an online personality completed an impressive attempt of DragonForce’s Through the Fire and Flames – an infamously tough anthem popularized through the game – on Clone Hero, a no-cost alternative with similar gameplay but an array of personalization features. The song is challenging enough on expert mode, let alone played at increased tempo while hitting a single one of the thousands of cues. They stated requiring nine months of practice.
“The game is a fun, fantasy thing. If you play other games, it doesn't imply you should pick up a real gun and enlist,” notes DragonForce guitarist the artist.
The band previously wrapped up a successful tour before Through the Fire and Flames appeared in the third game, yet he explains it made them widely recognized. “I remember the record label informing us that we were records were moving like crazy,” he shares. “It exploded on the subsequent tour, and we were playing right ahead of the headliners at the event.”
In fact, DragonForce’s exposure from Guitar Hero proved so vast that it has threatened to overshadow all other accomplishments. Recently, the track was used in a trailer for Despicable Me 4. “Previously I felt otherwise, but now I accept it,” Li says. “Should you just listen to a single track, that's fine – each person has their own musical journey and I'm pleased we played a role of people’s lives”.
Enduring Legacy of a Iconic Controller
The best promotion, whether it’s for automobiles, clothes or video games, goes further mere transactions – it inspires a longing. Did Guitar Hero harness this? “That’s exactly what we were aiming to achieve,” he confirms. “The excitement of being a music icon on the stage. Since the beginning, the creators believed there’s an instinctive urge to create songs, and their goal was to leverage innovation to allow people to do it”.
Most of Guitar Hero games came out over a mere half-decade from 2005 to 2010, including spin-offs such as DJ Hero, including a spinning deck, and Band Hero. After that, corporate focus in plastic instruments died down, aside from a short-lived revival in 2015.
Games like the fan project and Fortnite Festival have maintained the scene active, with set to be something from the original publisher in development. Recently formed developers has entered production on its debut music game. Original co-founders are both involved in advisory roles. Is the world prepared to welcome another game in the spirit of Guitar Hero?
“Our team believed those games could be like Madden allowing annual releases,” Dornbrook says. “There’s so much fresh tracks that it could be perennially popular, so I’ve always been hopeful. There’s no reason for it to continue for future fans.”
