It has been 20 years since Guitar Hero debuted in North America, providing players everywhere the tools to feel like rock legends. Not in reality, but try convincing someone who's mastered the epic lengthy guitar solo in front of an enthusiastic crowd of friends.
Developed by Harmonix, Guitar Hero provided users with a guitar-shaped controller to match on-screen cues scrolling down the display synchronized to a song. Each riff mimicked particular chords, producing the feel of a genuine performance.
The studio previously tried its hand in the music genre prior to teaming up with the publisher, which was acquired by the gaming giant during the mid-2000s. Together, they laid the groundwork for a surprising billion-dollar series that had a significant impact for many of the artists featured, showcasing classic bands to a new generation of younger players.
A former executive, ex-chief operating officer of Harmonix, recalls the early financial challenges of licensing the recordings – even though initial releases mostly used rerecorded tracks.
“We rerecorded every song because the dollar figure prohibitive,” he explains. “Despite having the necessary permissions alone, it was nearly impossible. We failed to secure acts such as the Who – the publisher was operating on a shoestring budget, and our team was fairly certain it would fail. However, when the game became a hit, album purchases airtime increased, everyone wanted to be in.”
He continues: “Among the remarkable aspects was how many parents got in touch expressing gratitude for exposing their kids to the songs they loved. It evolved into an intergenerational phenomenon.”
Classic Rock Gains a New Audience
Irish blues-rock band one featured act had Never Too Late in the 2008 release Guitar Hero World Tour. Lead musician Paul Mahon remembers how the series brought classic rock back into vogue: “Guitar Hero provided a bigger, new demographic. Generally such music was considered music that was past it, but then once it got included in the game and teenagers discovered it, suddenly it was cool. That legitimised it, eliminating the outdated label. It gave all our music a new life.”
At that time, the Answer’s first record was still unreleased stateside, so Guitar Hero served as a primary platform for exposure for the band during their a North American tour supporting the rock giants. “The roadies had on Never Too Late during travel, and some of them recognized us from Guitar Hero,” Mahon says.
Major Band Spin-offs Enduring Impact
Music's heavyweight names soon capitalised on the game's success, with Aerosmith, Metallica and others featuring in specialized game editions that focused on their music collections and associated lore, visuals and legendary status. For example, the Aerosmith edition, reportedly earned the band more money compared to their studio albums. It sold well over half a million copies in its first week, and demand for their songs saw an increase significantly during an era when the music business faced decline.
Guitar Hero continues to inspire quick-handed fanaticism within the community. Earlier this year, a streamer achieved a remarkable feat featuring Through the Fire and Flames – a notoriously difficult anthem popularized through Guitar Hero – using a fan-made version, a no-cost alternative with similar gameplay and extensive personalization features. This track is challenging enough on the hardest setting, not to mention played at double speed and without missing a single one of its near 4,000 notes. The streamer stated requiring months of practice of practice.
“The game is a fun, fantasy thing. Just as with Call of Duty, it doesn't imply you should use a real gun and enlist,” notes musician Herman Li.
The band previously completed a successful tour before their hit was featured in the third game, yet he explains it turned them into a household name. “I remember the record label informing us that our selling albums rapidly,” he says. “Popularity surged on the subsequent tour, and we performed just before the headliners on the Mayhem festival.”
Indeed, the band's visibility from Guitar Hero proved so vast that it has threatened to eclipsing all other the band has done. Last year, the track featured in promotional material for Despicable Me 4. “Previously I thought differently, but now I accept it,” he admits. “Should you just listen to one DragonForce song, that's fine – everyone’s got a unique path in music and I’m glad we’ve been part of people’s lives”.
The Lasting Legacy from the Plastic Guitar
Top-tier marketing, whether it’s for automobiles, clothes or games, extends beyond mere transactions – it evokes a longing. Did Guitar Hero harness this? “Precisely what we were trying to create,” Dornbrook says. “That thrill of performing as a music icon on the stage. Since the beginning, the creators felt that humans have a natural human desire to create songs, and their goal was to leverage innovation to enable everyone to participate”.
Most installments came out over a mere five-year period from 2005 to 2010, featuring spin-offs such as DJ Hero, including a turntable controller, and Band Hero. Subsequently, the publisher’s interest on peripherals waned, except for a short-lived revival several years later.
Titles such as Clone Hero and newer releases have kept the scene active, and there’s expectations of a new product from the founders in development. A new studio has begun production on their first music game. Original co-founders are both involved in advisory roles. Is the world ready to embrace a new entry following the classic?
“Our team believed those games might become like Madden where you can update every year,” he remarks. “There’s so much fresh tracks it could remain evergreen, so I’ve always been optimistic. There’s no reason why it can’t persist with new generations.”
