Marking two decades after Guitar Hero debuted in North America, giving everyday gamers the means to become a rock star. Not in reality, but try telling that anyone who's nailed Free Bird’s lengthy instrumental break before a packed crowd of friends.
Developed by Harmonix, Guitar Hero gave players a guitar-shaped controller to match on-screen cues scrolling down the display in time with the music. Each riff mimicked specific notes, producing the sensation of an authentic performance.
The studio had already tried its hand in the music genre before partnering with the publisher, later purchased by the gaming giant during the mid-2000s. Collaboratively, they established the groundwork for an unlikely billion-dollar series that had a significant influence on numerous of the artists included, showcasing classic bands to a new generation of gaming enthusiasts.
A former executive, ex-chief operating officer of Harmonix, remembers the early financial challenges in securing the songs – despite the fact initial releases primarily featured cover versions.
“We reproduced every song since the cost was so high,” he says. “Even with the necessary permissions alone, it was nearly impossible. We couldn’t get acts such as the Who – the publisher was operating on a shoestring budget, and our team was fairly certain the project would flop. But once Guitar Hero became a hit, album purchases airtime increased, all artists desired to be in.”
He continues: “One of the remarkable aspects was how many parents got in touch and thanked us for introducing their kids to the music they adored. It evolved into a multigenerational thing.”
Timeless Music Gains a New Audience
Irish group the Answer included Never Too Late on the 2008 game the popular installment. Guitarist Paul Mahon remembers how the series revived classic rock back into vogue: “Guitar Hero provided a bigger, new demographic. Generally this had been seen as music that was past it, but then when it was included in the game and teenagers were finding it, abruptly it became trendy. That legitimised the genre, eliminating the outdated tag. It provided our catalog renewed popularity.”
In 2008, the Answer’s first record remained not available stateside, so the game was a key medium of discovery for the band during their a North American tour supporting the rock giants. “The roadies had on Never Too Late during travel, and several recognized us from Guitar Hero,” he notes.
Major Band Spin-offs Enduring Impact
Rock’s heavyweight names soon took advantage of the game's success, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen featuring in specialized spin-off titles that focused on their music collections and associated stories, visuals and rock’n’roll mythology. In the case of, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, it was said to have made the group greater revenue compared to their records. It sold well over 500,000 copies upon release, while sales of their songs rose significantly at a time when the music business faced decline.
The series still motivates quick-handed fanaticism among its fans. Earlier this year, an online personality completed an impressive attempt featuring Through the Fire and Flames – an infamously tough anthem made popular by Guitar Hero – on Clone Hero, a freeware game with almost identical gameplay and extensive customisation options. The song is challenging even in the hardest setting, not to mention performed at increased tempo while hitting every one of its near 4,000 notes. The streamer claimed requiring nine months to accomplish.
“Guitar Hero offers a, imaginary experience. If you play Call of Duty, that doesn’t mean you should use a real gun and go to war,” says musician the artist.
DragonForce had already completed a successful tour when their hit appeared in the third game, but Li says it made them widely recognized. “I recall the record label calling to tell me that our records were moving like crazy,” he shares. “Popularity surged on the subsequent tour, and we were playing just before top acts on the Mayhem festival.”
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 a trailer for Despicable Me 4. “In the past I thought otherwise, but now I accept it,” he admits. “Should you just hear one DragonForce song, it’s totally cool – each person has a unique musical journey and I’m glad we played a role in fans' experiences”.
Enduring Impact from the Iconic Controller
Top-tier promotion, be it for automobiles, clothes or games, extends beyond mere transactions – it inspires a longing. Did Guitar Hero tap into that? “That’s exactly what our team aiming to achieve,” he confirms. “That thrill of performing as a music icon in the spotlight. From day one, the co-founders believed there’s an instinctive human desire to create songs, and they wanted to leverage innovation to enable everyone to participate”.
The majority of Guitar Hero games were released in just a half-decade from 2005 to 2010, featuring spin-offs such as the DJ version, complete with a turntable controller, and the band-focused game. Subsequently, the publisher’s interest in plastic instruments waned, aside from a short-lived revival several years later.
Titles such as the fan project and Fortnite Festival have maintained the community active, and there’s set to be something from the original publisher in development. Recently formed developers has begun work on their first music game. Original co-founders are participating in advisory roles. Are gamers ready to embrace another game in the spirit of Guitar Hero?
“Our team believed those games could be similar to sports games allowing annual releases,” Dornbrook says. “There’s so much fresh tracks it could remain evergreen, thus I remain optimistic. There’s no reason why it can’t persist with new generations.”
