It has been 20 years since the legendary game first launched across the Atlantic, providing players everywhere the opportunity to become a rock star. Figuratively speaking, though you'd be hard-pressed convincing anyone who has nailed the epic lengthy guitar solo in front of an enthusiastic crowd of friends.
Developed by the developers, the game provided users with a guitar-shaped controller to follow coloured notes scrolling down the screen synchronized to a song. Each riff corresponded to specific notes, creating the feel of an authentic performance.
Harmonix previously experimented with rhythm games before partnering with the publisher, later purchased by the gaming giant in 2006. Collaboratively, they laid the foundations for a surprising massively profitable series that had a remarkable influence for many of the artists featured, showcasing classic bands to a new generation of gaming enthusiasts.
A former executive, former COO of Harmonix, recalls the initial budgetary hurdles in securing the recordings – despite the fact the first two games mostly used rerecorded tracks.
“We rerecorded every song since the dollar figure was so high,” he says. “Despite having the publishing rights by themselves, it was nearly impossible. We couldn’t get bands like the Who – the publisher was operating on a shoestring budget, and we were fairly certain the project would flop. However, when the game took off, album purchases and radio play were going up, everyone wanted to be in.”
He continues: “One of the amazing things was how many parents got in touch expressing gratitude for introducing their children to the songs they adored. It evolved into an intergenerational thing.”
Timeless Music Finds a New Audience
Irish blues-rock band the Answer had their track on the 2008 game Guitar Hero World Tour. Lead musician the artist remembers how the series brought older hits back into vogue: “The game provided a bigger, new demographic. Typically this had been considered music that was past it, however once it got featured on the title and teenagers discovered it, abruptly it was cool. That legitimised the genre, eliminating the ‘dad rock’ tag. It provided all our music renewed popularity.”
At that time, the Answer’s debut album was still unreleased stateside, so the game served as a primary platform for exposure for the band as they went on US tour opening for AC/DC. “The roadies had on the song during travel, and some of them recognized us from Guitar Hero,” he notes.
Major Band Spin-offs and Lasting Impact
Rock’s heavyweight names soon took advantage of the game's success, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen featuring in dedicated spin-off titles that focused on their music collections and related lore, visuals and legendary status. For example, the Aerosmith edition, reportedly earned the group greater revenue than any of their records. It sold well over half a million units upon release, and demand for Aerosmith’s music rose of up to 40% at a time as the industry faced decline.
The series continues to inspire quick-handed fanaticism among its fans. Recently, a streamer completed a remarkable feat featuring Through the Fire and Flames – a notoriously difficult power-metal song made popular by Guitar Hero – using a fan-made version, a no-cost alternative with similar gameplay and extensive personalization features. The song is difficult enough on the hardest setting, let alone played at double speed and without missing a single one of its near 4,000 notes. They stated it took months of practice to accomplish.
“Guitar Hero is a fun, fantasy thing. If you play other games, it doesn't imply you ought to pick up actual weapons and go to war,” notes DragonForce guitarist Herman Li.
The band had already wrapped up a successful tour before their hit was featured in the third game, but Li says it turned them into a household name. “I remember our distributors calling to tell me that our selling albums rapidly,” he says. “Popularity surged on the subsequent tour, and we were playing just before the headliners at the event.”
In fact, DragonForce’s exposure via the game proved so vast that it threatened to overshadow everything else accomplishments. Recently, the track 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 listen to 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 Legacy of a Plastic Guitar
Top-tier marketing, whether it’s for cars, clothes or video games, extends beyond mere transactions – it evokes a longing. Did Guitar Hero harness this? “Precisely what we were trying to create,” Dornbrook says. “That thrill of being a rock star on the stage. From day one, the creators believed humans have a natural human desire to make music, and they wanted to leverage innovation to allow people to participate”.
Most of Guitar Hero games came out over a mere five-year period between 2005 and 2010, including spin-offs like DJ Hero, complete with a turntable controller, and Band Hero. After that, the publisher’s interest on peripherals waned, except for a brief comeback in 2015.
Games such as the fan project and Fortnite Festival have maintained the scene alive, and there’s expectations of something from the original publisher in development. A new studio has entered production on their first rhythm-based title. Original co-founders are participating in advisory roles. Are gamers ready to embrace another game following Guitar Hero?
“Our team believed those games could be similar to sports games where you can update every year,” he remarks. “With abundant fresh tracks it could remain evergreen, so I’ve always been hopeful. There’s no reason why it can’t continue with new generations.”
