It has been two decades since Guitar Hero debuted across the Atlantic, giving everyday gamers the opportunity to feel like rock legends. Not in reality, but try telling that anyone who has nailed the epic four-minute guitar solo in front of a packed crowd of friends.
Created by Harmonix, the game gave players a guitar-shaped controller to follow coloured notes moving along the display synchronized to a song. Every sequence mimicked particular chords, creating the sensation of an authentic performance.
Harmonix had already experimented with rhythm games prior to teaming up with RedOctane, later purchased by the gaming giant in 2006. Together, they established the foundations for a surprising massively profitable series that had a remarkable influence for many musicians included, showcasing decades-old bands to a new generation of gaming enthusiasts.
A former executive, former COO of Harmonix, recalls the initial financial challenges in securing the songs – even though initial releases mostly used rerecorded tracks.
“We reproduced all the music because the cost was so high,” he says. “Even with the necessary permissions alone, it was nearly impossible. We failed to secure acts such as the Who – the publisher had virtually no money, and our team was fairly certain it would fail. But once Guitar Hero became a hit, album purchases airtime were going up, everyone wanted to participate.”
He adds: “One of the amazing things was the number of mothers and fathers reached out expressing gratitude for exposing their children to the songs they loved. It evolved into a multigenerational thing.”
Timeless Music Gains a New Audience
Irish group the Answer had Never Too Late in the 2008 release the popular installment. Lead musician Paul Mahon remembers the way the game brought older hits to the forefront: “The game offered a bigger, new demographic. Generally such music was considered music that was past it, but then once it got featured on the game young people discovered it, suddenly it became trendy. That legitimised the genre, eliminating the ‘dad rock’ label. It provided all our music renewed popularity.”
In 2008, the Answer’s first record was still unreleased in the US, meaning Guitar Hero served as a primary platform of discovery for the group as they went on US tour supporting the rock giants. “The roadies were playing Never Too Late on the tour bus, and some of them knew us thanks to the game,” he notes.
Rock’s Heavyweight Spin-offs and Lasting Impact
Music's heavyweight names quickly capitalised on the series’ popularity, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen featuring in dedicated game editions centered around each band’s catalogue and associated lore, imagery and rock’n’roll mythology. In the case of, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, reportedly earned the group greater revenue compared to their records. It sold well over 500,000 units in its first week, while sales of their songs saw an increase significantly during an era as the industry faced decline.
Guitar Hero continues to inspire quick-handed dedication among its fans. Earlier this year, a streamer completed a remarkable feat of DragonForce’s Through the Fire and Flames – a notoriously difficult power-metal song made popular by Guitar Hero – using a fan-made version, a freeware game with similar gameplay but an array of customisation options. The song is difficult enough on the hardest setting, not to mention played at increased tempo while hitting a single one of its near 4,000 notes. The streamer claimed requiring months of practice of practice.
“The game is a fun, fantasy thing. If you play other games, it doesn't imply you ought to use a real gun and go to war,” says musician Herman Li.
The band previously wrapped up a profitable run before their hit appeared in the third game, yet he explains it made them widely recognized. “I remember our distributors informing us that our records were moving rapidly,” he shares. “It exploded on the subsequent tour, and we were playing just before top acts at the event.”
Indeed, the band's visibility from Guitar Hero proved so vast that it has threatened to eclipsing everything else the band has done. Last year, the track featured in promotional material for Despicable Me 4. “In the past I felt otherwise, but I’ve made peace with it,” he admits. “If you only hear one DragonForce song, it’s totally cool – each person has their own musical journey and I’m glad we played a role of people’s lives”.
Enduring Legacy of a Iconic Controller
Top-tier promotion, whether it’s for automobiles, apparel or games, goes further mere transactions – it inspires a desire. 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 on the stage. From day one, the co-founders believed humans have a natural human desire to make music, and they wanted to use technology to allow people to do it”.
Most installments came out in just a half-decade between 2005 and 2010, including derivative titles such as DJ Hero, complete with a spinning deck, and the band-focused game. After that, the publisher’s interest on peripherals waned, aside from a short-lived revival several years later.
Titles such as Clone Hero and newer releases have maintained the scene active, and there’s expectations of a new product from the founders in development. Recently formed developers has begun work on its debut music game. The initial creators are participating in advisory roles. Are gamers prepared to welcome a new entry in the spirit of the classic?
“We thought those games could be like Madden where you can update every year,” he remarks. “There’s so much fresh tracks it could remain perennially popular, so I’ve always been hopeful. There’s no reason for it to continue for future fans.”
