Marking 20 years after the legendary game first launched across the Atlantic, giving players everywhere the opportunity to feel like rock legends. Not literally, but try telling that someone who's nailed the epic lengthy guitar solo before a packed living-room audience.
Developed by Harmonix, the game provided users with a guitar-shaped controller to match on-screen cues scrolling down the screen synchronized to the music. Each riff mimicked specific notes, creating the feel of an authentic performance.
Harmonix had already tried its hand in the music genre prior to teaming up with the publisher, which was purchased by Activision during the mid-2000s. Collaboratively, they established the foundations for an unlikely massively profitable franchise that had a remarkable influence on numerous musicians included, introducing decades-old bands to millions of younger players.
Michael Dornbrook, ex-chief operating officer from the developer, remembers the initial financial challenges of licensing the recordings – despite the fact the first two games primarily featured rerecorded tracks.
“We reproduced all the music because the cost was so high,” he says. “Despite having the publishing rights by themselves, it proved nearly impossible. We couldn’t get acts such as legendary groups – the publisher had virtually no money, and we were fairly certain it would fail. However, when Guitar Hero took off, and record sales and radio play increased, everyone wanted to participate.”
He continues: “One of the amazing things was how many parents reached out expressing gratitude for exposing their kids to the songs they loved. It became a multigenerational phenomenon.”
Classic Rock Finds a New Audience
Northern Irish blues-rock band the Answer had Never Too Late in the 2008 release Guitar Hero World Tour. Guitarist the artist remembers the way the game brought older hits back into vogue: “Guitar Hero provided a bigger, younger audience. Typically such music was considered music that was past it, however when it was included in the game and teenagers were finding it, abruptly it was cool. That legitimised it, and got rid of the outdated label. It gave all our music a new life.”
In 2008, the band's first record remained unreleased in the US, so Guitar Hero was a key medium for exposure for the group as they went on US tour opening for AC/DC. “Their crew were playing the song during travel, and some of them recognized us thanks to the game,” Mahon says.
Major Band Titles Enduring Impact
Rock’s biggest acts quickly capitalised on the game's success, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen starring in dedicated spin-off titles centered around each band’s catalogue and related stories, visuals and rock’n’roll mythology. For example, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, reportedly to have made the band more money compared to their records. It moved well over half a million copies upon release, while demand for their songs saw an increase of up to 40% at a time as the industry was already collapsing.
The series still motivates quick-handed dedication within the community. Recently, a streamer completed a remarkable feat of DragonForce’s the challenging track – a notoriously difficult power-metal song popularized through Guitar Hero – using a fan-made version, a no-cost alternative with almost identical mechanics and extensive customisation options. The song is difficult enough on the hardest setting, let alone played at double speed and without missing every one of its near 4,000 notes. The streamer stated requiring nine months of practice.
“The game is a fun, imaginary experience. If you play other games, that doesn’t mean you ought to use a real gun and enlist,” says DragonForce guitarist the artist.
The band previously completed a successful tour before Through the Fire and Flames appeared on Guitar Hero III, yet he explains it made them widely recognized. “I recall our distributors calling to tell me that our selling albums rapidly,” he shares. “It exploded when we next toured, and we were playing right ahead of top acts on the Mayhem festival.”
Indeed, DragonForce’s exposure from Guitar Hero proved so vast that it risked eclipsing all other the band has done. Last year, the song featured in promotional material for Despicable Me 4. “In the past I felt differently, but I’ve made peace with it,” Li says. “If you only hear a single track, that's fine – each person has their own musical journey and I’m glad we played a role in fans' experiences”.
Enduring Legacy of a Plastic Guitar
Top-tier marketing, be it for cars, apparel or games, extends beyond than selling something – it inspires a desire. Did Guitar Hero harness this? “That’s exactly what we were trying to create,” Dornbrook says. “That thrill of being a music icon in the spotlight. From day one, the co-founders felt that there’s an instinctive human desire to make music, and their goal was to leverage innovation to enable everyone to do it”.
Most of Guitar Hero games came out over a mere five-year period from 2005 to 2010, including derivative titles like the DJ version, complete with a turntable controller, and the band-focused game. Subsequently, the publisher’s interest on peripherals waned, except for a short-lived revival several years later.
Titles such as the fan project and Fortnite Festival have kept the scene active, with expectations of something from the founders on the way. Recently formed developers has entered work on its debut rhythm-based title. The initial creators are participating as special advisers. Is the world prepared to welcome a new entry following Guitar Hero?
“We thought such titles might become like Madden allowing annual update every year,” Dornbrook says. “There’s so much fresh tracks that it could be perennially popular, thus I remain optimistic. It's entirely possible for it to persist with new generations.”
