It has been two decades since the legendary game hit the market across the Atlantic, offering players everywhere the tools to feel like rock legends. Not in reality, though you'd be hard-pressed telling that someone who's nailed the epic lengthy guitar solo before a packed living-room audience.
Developed by the developers, the game gave players a guitar-shaped controller to follow coloured notes scrolling down the screen synchronized to the music. Every sequence mimicked particular chords, creating the feel of an authentic live show.
The studio had already experimented with rhythm games before partnering with the publisher, which was acquired by the gaming giant in 2006. Collaboratively, they established the foundations for a surprising billion-dollar series that had a significant impact on numerous musicians featured, showcasing classic groups to millions of gaming enthusiasts.
Michael Dornbrook, former COO of Harmonix, remembers the initial budgetary hurdles of licensing the songs – despite the fact the first two games mostly used cover versions.
“We rerecorded all the music because the dollar figure was so high,” he explains. “Even with the publishing rights by themselves, it was nearly impossible. We couldn’t get acts such as the Who – the publisher had virtually no money, and our team was fairly certain it would fail. However, when the game became a hit, album purchases airtime increased, all artists desired to be in.”
He adds: “One of the remarkable aspects was the number of parents got in touch and thanked us for exposing their kids to the songs they loved. It evolved into an intergenerational thing.”
Timeless Music Gains Younger Fans
Irish blues-rock band the Answer had Never Too Late on the 2008 game Guitar Hero World Tour. Lead musician Paul Mahon remembers the way the game revived classic rock back into vogue: “Guitar Hero offered a bigger, younger audience. Typically such music was considered outdated material, but then when it was included in the title young people were finding it, abruptly it was cool. That legitimised it, and got rid of the outdated label. It gave our catalog renewed popularity.”
In 2008, the band's first record was still unreleased in the US, meaning the game served as a primary platform for exposure for the band as they went on a North American tour opening for the rock giants. “Their crew were playing Never Too Late on the tour bus, and several recognized us from Guitar Hero,” he notes.
Rock’s Heavyweight Spin-offs Enduring Impact
Rock’s biggest acts quickly took advantage of the series’ popularity, with Aerosmith, Metallica and others featuring in dedicated spin-off titles that focused on each band’s catalogue and related stories, imagery and rock’n’roll mythology. In the case of, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, it was said earned the group more money compared to their studio albums. It moved more than 500,000 units upon release, and sales of their songs saw an increase significantly during an era when the music business faced decline.
Guitar Hero continues to inspire nimble-fingered dedication among its fans. Earlier this year, a streamer completed a remarkable feat of DragonForce’s Through the Fire and Flames – an infamously tough power-metal song popularized through Guitar Hero – on Clone Hero, a freeware game with similar gameplay and extensive personalization features. This track is difficult enough on expert mode, not to mention performed at increased tempo and without missing every one of the thousands of cues. The streamer stated it took months of practice to accomplish.
“The game is a fun, fantasy thing. Just as with Call of Duty, it doesn't imply you should pick up a real gun and go to war,” notes DragonForce guitarist Herman Li.
DragonForce had already wrapped up a successful tour before their hit was featured in the third game, but Li says it made them a household name. “I remember our distributors calling to tell me that our records were moving rapidly,” he shares. “It exploded when we next toured, and we performed just before top acts at the event.”
Indeed, DragonForce’s exposure from Guitar Hero was so immense that it has risked eclipsing all other accomplishments. Recently, the song was used in promotional material for Despicable Me 4. “In the past I thought differently, but I’ve made peace with it,” Li says. “If you only hear one DragonForce song, that's fine – each person has their own musical journey and I’m glad we’ve been part in fans' experiences”.
Enduring Impact from the Plastic Guitar
The best marketing, whether it’s for cars, clothes or video games, goes further than selling something – it evokes a longing. Did Guitar Hero harness this? “Precisely what our team trying to create,” Dornbrook says. “The excitement of performing as a rock star in the spotlight. Since the beginning, the creators felt that humans have a natural human desire to make music, and their goal was to use technology to allow people to participate”.
Most installments were released in just a five-year period from 2005 to 2010, including derivative titles such as the DJ version, complete with a spinning deck, and the band-focused game. Subsequently, the publisher’s interest in plastic instruments died down, aside from a short-lived revival several years later.
Games such as the fan project and Fortnite Festival have maintained the community alive, and there’s expectations of something from the original publisher in development. A new studio has entered work on their first rhythm-based title. The initial creators are both involved in advisory roles. Are gamers ready to embrace a new entry in the spirit of Guitar Hero?
“Our team believed such titles could be similar to sports games where you can releases,” Dornbrook says. “There’s so much fresh tracks it could remain perennially popular, thus I remain hopeful. It's entirely possible for it to continue for future fans.”
