Marking two decades since Guitar Hero hit the market in North America, giving players everywhere the tools to become rock legends. Not literally, though you'd be hard-pressed convincing someone who has nailed the epic four-minute guitar solo in front of a packed crowd of friends.
Created by Harmonix, Guitar Hero provided users with a guitar-shaped controller to follow on-screen cues scrolling down the screen in time with a song. Every sequence corresponded to specific notes, creating the feel of an authentic live show.
The studio previously tried its hand with rhythm games before partnering with RedOctane, later acquired by Activision in 2006. Together, they laid the foundations for a surprising massively profitable series which made a significant impact for many of the artists featured, showcasing decades-old bands to millions of gaming enthusiasts.
Michael Dornbrook, former COO from the developer, recalls the early financial challenges in securing the songs – despite the fact initial releases primarily featured cover versions.
“We rerecorded every song because the cost was so high,” he says. “Despite having the necessary permissions alone, it was nearly impossible. We couldn’t get acts such as legendary groups – the publisher had virtually no money, and our team was fairly certain the project would flop. However, when Guitar Hero took off, and record sales airtime were going up, everyone wanted to be in.”
He continues: “Among the amazing things was how many mothers and fathers got in touch and thanked us for introducing their children to the songs they adored. It evolved into a multigenerational phenomenon.”
Timeless Music Gains a New Audience
Irish group the Answer included their track on the 2008 game Guitar Hero World Tour. Lead musician Paul Mahon recalls how the series brought older hits back into vogue: “Guitar Hero provided a bigger, new demographic. Generally such music was seen as music that was past it, however once it got featured on the game young people discovered it, suddenly it became trendy. That legitimised the genre, and got rid of the ‘dad rock’ tag. It provided our catalog renewed popularity.”
At that time, the Answer’s debut album remained unreleased stateside, meaning the game was a key medium for exposure for the group during their US tour supporting the rock giants. “The roadies had on the song on the tour bus, and several recognized us thanks to the game,” Mahon says.
Rock’s Heavyweight Spin-offs Enduring Influence
Music's heavyweight names quickly took advantage of the series’ popularity, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen starring in dedicated game editions centered around their music collections and associated lore, imagery and rock’n’roll mythology. For example, the Aerosmith edition, reportedly earned the band more money compared to their studio albums. It sold more than 500,000 copies in its first week, while demand for their songs saw an increase of up to 40% during an era as the industry was already collapsing.
The series continues to inspire quick-handed dedication among its fans. Earlier this year, an online personality achieved a remarkable feat featuring the challenging track – an infamously tough power-metal song made popular by the game – using a fan-made version, a freeware game with almost identical mechanics and extensive personalization features. This track is challenging enough on the hardest setting, not to mention played at increased tempo while hitting a single one of the thousands of cues. They stated requiring nine months of practice.
“The game offers a, imaginary experience. If you play other games, it doesn't imply you should pick up actual weapons and go to war,” says musician the artist.
DragonForce 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 rapidly,” he says. “Popularity surged on the subsequent tour, and we were playing right ahead of the headliners on the Mayhem festival.”
In fact, the band's visibility from Guitar Hero proved so vast that it risked eclipsing everything else the band has done. Last year, the track was used in promotional material for a major film. “In the past I thought otherwise, but I’ve made peace with it,” Li says. “Should you just listen to one DragonForce song, it’s totally cool – each person has their own path in music and I’m glad we’ve been part of people’s lives”.
The Lasting Legacy of a Iconic Controller
The best promotion, whether it’s for automobiles, clothes or games, extends beyond mere transactions – it inspires a longing. Was the game able to tap into that? “That’s exactly what our team trying to create,” Dornbrook says. “That thrill of being a rock star in the spotlight. From day one, the co-founders felt that there’s an instinctive human desire to create songs, and they wanted to use technology to allow people to participate”.
Most of Guitar Hero games were released over a mere five-year period between 2005 and 2010, including derivative titles such as DJ Hero, complete with a turntable controller, and Band Hero. After that, the publisher’s interest on peripherals waned, except for a brief comeback several years later.
Titles such as Clone Hero and Fortnite Festival have maintained the scene alive, and there’s expectations of something from the founders on the way. Recently formed developers has entered work on their first rhythm-based title. Original co-founders are participating in advisory roles. Are gamers prepared to welcome a new entry following the classic?
“Our team believed such titles could be like Madden allowing annual releases,” he remarks. “There’s so much new music it could remain perennially popular, so I’ve always been hopeful. There’s no reason for it to continue for future fans.”
