Marking two decades after Guitar Hero first launched across the Atlantic, giving players everywhere the opportunity to become a rock star. Not literally, but try convincing anyone who's mastered the epic lengthy guitar solo before an enthusiastic crowd of friends.
Developed by the developers, Guitar Hero gave players a guitar-shaped controller to follow coloured notes moving along the display in time with a song. Every sequence corresponded to specific notes, producing the feel of a genuine performance.
The studio had already experimented in the music genre before partnering with the publisher, later purchased by the gaming giant in 2006. Together, they established the groundwork for an unlikely billion-dollar series that had a remarkable impact for many musicians featured, showcasing decades-old bands to a new generation of gaming enthusiasts.
Michael Dornbrook, former COO of Harmonix, remembers the initial budgetary hurdles of licensing the recordings – even though the first two games mostly used cover versions.
“We reproduced every song since the dollar figure was so high,” he explains. “Even with 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 pretty convinced it would fail. But once Guitar Hero became a hit, album purchases and radio play were going up, everyone wanted to be in.”
He adds: “Among the amazing things was the number of mothers and fathers reached out expressing gratitude for exposing their children to the music they loved. It became a multigenerational thing.”
Timeless Music Finds Younger Fans
Northern Irish group one featured act included Never Too Late in the 2008 release Guitar Hero World Tour. Lead musician Paul Mahon recalls how the series revived classic rock back into vogue: “The game offered a bigger, younger audience. Typically this had been considered outdated material, but then once it got included in the title and teenagers discovered it, abruptly it became trendy. That legitimised it, eliminating the outdated tag. It provided all our music renewed popularity.”
In 2008, the band's debut album was still not available stateside, so Guitar Hero was a key medium of discovery for the band as they went on US tour opening for the rock giants. “Their crew had on the song during travel, and some of them recognized us from Guitar Hero,” he notes.
Rock’s Heavyweight Titles and Lasting Impact
Music's biggest acts soon capitalised on the game's success, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and others featuring in specialized game editions centered around their music collections and associated lore, visuals and legendary status. For example, the Aerosmith edition, it was said earned the group greater revenue than any of their records. It moved more than 500,000 units upon release, and demand for their songs saw an increase of up to 40% during an era when the music business was already collapsing.
The series still motivates nimble-fingered fanaticism among its fans. Recently, a streamer achieved an impressive attempt featuring the challenging track – an infamously tough power-metal song made popular by Guitar Hero – on Clone Hero, a freeware game with almost identical mechanics and extensive personalization features. The song is difficult enough on the hardest setting, let alone played at increased tempo while hitting a single one of its near 4,000 notes. They claimed requiring nine months to accomplish.
“The game offers a, fantasy thing. If you play Call of Duty, it doesn't imply you should pick up a real gun and enlist,” notes DragonForce guitarist Herman Li.
DragonForce had already completed a profitable run before their hit was featured in the third game, but Li says it made them widely recognized. “I remember our distributors calling to tell me 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.”
In fact, DragonForce’s exposure via the game proved so vast that it has risked overshadow everything else accomplishments. Last year, the track featured in a trailer for a major film. “Previously I felt differently, but now I accept it,” Li says. “Should you just hear a single track, it’s totally cool – each person has a unique path in music and I'm pleased we played a role in fans' experiences”.
The Lasting Legacy from the Plastic Guitar
Top-tier promotion, whether it’s for cars, clothes or games, goes further mere transactions – it inspires a desire. Did Guitar Hero harness this? “Precisely what we were trying to create,” Dornbrook says. “That thrill of performing as a music icon in the spotlight. From day one, the creators felt that there’s an instinctive human desire to create songs, and their goal was to use technology to enable everyone to do it”.
Most of Guitar Hero games came out over a mere five-year period between 2005 and 2010, including derivative titles such as DJ Hero, including a turntable controller, and the band-focused game. After that, corporate focus in plastic instruments died down, except for a short-lived revival in 2015.
Games like the fan project and Fortnite Festival have maintained the scene alive, and there’s set to be something from the founders on the way. Recently formed developers has begun production on its debut 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 such titles might become similar to sports games allowing annual releases,” Dornbrook says. “With abundant fresh tracks that it could be perennially popular, so I’ve always been optimistic. There’s no reason why it can’t persist for future fans.”
