Marking 20 years after the legendary game debuted in North America, giving players everywhere the opportunity to feel like rock legends. Not literally, though you'd be hard-pressed convincing someone who has mastered the epic four-minute guitar solo before a packed living-room audience.
Developed by Harmonix, the game gave players a plastic guitar peripheral to match coloured notes moving along the display synchronized to a song. Each riff mimicked particular chords, producing the feel of an authentic live show.
Harmonix previously tried its hand in the music genre before partnering with the publisher, which was purchased by the gaming giant during the mid-2000s. Collaboratively, they established the foundations for an unlikely massively profitable franchise which made a remarkable impact on numerous musicians featured, introducing decades-old groups to a new generation of gaming enthusiasts.
Michael Dornbrook, former COO of Harmonix, recalls the early budgetary hurdles of licensing the recordings – despite the fact initial releases mostly used cover versions.
“We reproduced all the music since the cost was so high,” he explains. “Even with the necessary permissions by themselves, it proved nearly impossible. We failed to secure bands like the Who – RedOctane had virtually no money, and we were pretty convinced the project would flop. But once the game took off, album purchases and radio play were going up, everyone wanted to be in.”
He adds: “Among the remarkable aspects was the number of mothers and fathers reached out expressing gratitude for introducing their children to the music they adored. It became a multigenerational phenomenon.”
Timeless Music Gains Younger Fans
Irish group the Answer included their track on the 2008 game the popular installment. Guitarist the artist recalls how the series brought classic rock to the forefront: “Guitar Hero provided a larger, younger audience. Generally this had been seen as music that was past it, but then when it was featured on the game young people were finding it, suddenly it was cool. This validated the genre, eliminating the ‘dad rock’ tag. It gave all our music renewed popularity.”
In 2008, the Answer’s debut album was still unreleased in the US, meaning Guitar Hero served as a primary platform of discovery for the group during their a North American tour opening for AC/DC. “The roadies had on the song during travel, and some of them knew us thanks to the game,” Mahon says.
Major Band Titles and Lasting Influence
Music's biggest acts soon took advantage of the game's success, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and others starring in dedicated game editions that focused on their music collections and related lore, imagery and rock’n’roll mythology. In the case of, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, it was said earned the band more money compared to their studio albums. It sold more than half a million copies upon release, and sales of their songs rose of up to 40% during an era when the music business was already collapsing.
The series continues to inspire quick-handed dedication within the community. Earlier this year, a streamer completed a remarkable feat of DragonForce’s the challenging track – an infamously tough power-metal song made popular by the game – on Clone Hero, a no-cost alternative with almost identical mechanics and extensive customisation options. The song is challenging enough on expert mode, not to mention played at double speed while hitting every one of its near 4,000 notes. The streamer claimed requiring months of practice to accomplish.
“Guitar Hero is a fun, imaginary experience. Just as with Call of Duty, it doesn't imply you ought to pick up actual weapons and enlist,” notes musician Herman Li.
The band previously wrapped up a profitable run before their hit was featured on Guitar Hero III, but Li says it made them a household name. “I remember the record label informing us that we were selling albums rapidly,” he shares. “It exploded when we next toured, and we performed right ahead of the headliners on the Mayhem festival.”
Indeed, DragonForce’s exposure via the game proved so vast that it has risked eclipsing everything else the band has done. Last year, the song was used in a trailer for Despicable Me 4. “In the past I felt differently, but now I accept it,” Li says. “If you only hear one DragonForce song, it’s totally cool – everyone’s got a unique musical journey and I'm pleased we played a role in fans' experiences”.
The Lasting Legacy of a Iconic Controller
Top-tier promotion, whether it’s for cars, apparel or video games, goes further mere transactions – it inspires a desire. Was the game able to tap into that? “Precisely what we were trying to create,” he confirms. “The excitement of being a music icon in the spotlight. Since the beginning, the creators felt that humans have a natural human desire to create songs, and their goal was to leverage innovation to allow people to do it”.
Most installments were released in just a half-decade between 2005 and 2010, featuring spin-offs such as DJ Hero, including a spinning deck, and the band-focused game. After that, the publisher’s interest on peripherals died down, except for a brief comeback in 2015.
Games like Clone Hero and Fortnite Festival have kept the community alive, with set to be a new product from the founders on the way. Recently formed developers has begun work on their first rhythm-based title. The initial creators are participating in advisory roles. Is the world ready to embrace another game following Guitar Hero?
“We thought such titles could be similar to sports games where you can update every year,” Dornbrook says. “There’s so much new music it could remain perennially popular, so I’ve always been hopeful. It's entirely possible why it can’t persist with new generations.”
