Marking two decades since Guitar Hero debuted across the Atlantic, offering everyday gamers the tools to become rock legends. Not in reality, but try convincing anyone who has nailed the epic four-minute guitar solo in front of a packed living-room audience.
Created by Harmonix, Guitar Hero provided users with a guitar-shaped controller to match coloured notes scrolling down the display in time with a song. Every sequence mimicked specific notes, creating the feel of a genuine performance.
The studio previously experimented with rhythm games prior to teaming up with RedOctane, later purchased by Activision in 2006. Collaboratively, they laid the foundations for a surprising billion-dollar series that had a significant impact for many musicians featured, showcasing classic groups 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 initial releases mostly used cover versions.
“We rerecorded every song because the cost was so high,” he explains. “Despite having the necessary permissions alone, it proved nearly impossible. We failed to secure acts such as legendary groups – RedOctane was operating on a shoestring budget, and we were fairly certain it would fail. But once the game took off, and record sales and radio play were going up, all artists desired to be in.”
He continues: “Among the remarkable aspects was the number of parents got in touch and thanked us for exposing their kids to the songs they adored. It became an intergenerational phenomenon.”
Classic Rock Finds Younger Fans
Northern Irish group one featured act included their track in the 2008 release Guitar Hero World Tour. Lead musician Paul Mahon remembers the way the game brought classic rock to the forefront: “The game offered a larger, younger audience. Generally such music was considered outdated material, but then once it got included in the title young people were finding it, abruptly it was cool. That legitimised it, and got rid of the outdated label.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 a new life.”
In 2008, the band's first record was still unreleased stateside, meaning Guitar Hero was a key medium for exposure for the group during their a North American tour supporting the rock giants. “The roadies were playing the song on the tour bus, and several knew us from Guitar Hero,” Mahon says.
Major Band Spin-offs Enduring Impact
Rock’s biggest acts soon took advantage of the series’ popularity, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and others featuring in dedicated spin-off titles that focused on each band’s catalogue and associated lore, visuals and rock’n’roll mythology. In the case of, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, reportedly to have made the group greater revenue than any of their records. It sold well over 500,000 copies in its first week, while sales of their songs rose of up to 40% at a time as the industry was already collapsing.
Guitar Hero continues to inspire quick-handed dedication among its fans. Earlier this year, a streamer achieved a remarkable feat featuring the challenging track – a notoriously difficult power-metal song popularized through the game – using a fan-made version, a freeware game with similar mechanics but an array of customisation options. This track is challenging enough on the hardest setting, let alone played at increased tempo and without missing every one of its near 4,000 notes. They stated requiring months of practice to accomplish.
“Guitar Hero offers a, imaginary experience. If you play other games, it doesn't imply you ought to use actual weapons and enlist,” says DragonForce guitarist Herman Li.
The band previously completed a profitable run when Through the Fire and Flames was featured in the third game, but Li says it made them a household name. “I recall the record label informing us that our records were moving like crazy,” he shares. “Popularity surged on the subsequent tour, and we were playing right ahead of the headliners on the Mayhem festival.”
Indeed, DragonForce’s exposure from Guitar Hero proved so vast that it has risked eclipsing everything else the band has done. Recently, the song featured in a trailer for a major film. “Previously I felt otherwise, but I’ve made peace with it,” he admits. “If you only hear one DragonForce song, it’s totally cool – everyone’s got their own path in music and I'm pleased we’ve been part of people’s lives”.
The Lasting Impact from the Plastic Guitar
The best promotion, be it for cars, clothes or games, extends beyond than selling something – it inspires a longing. Was the game able to harness this? “That’s exactly what we were trying to create,” Dornbrook says. “That thrill of being a rock star in the spotlight. Since the beginning, the creators felt that humans have a natural human desire to make music, and they wanted to leverage innovation to enable everyone to do it”.
Most installments came out in just a five-year period between 2005 and 2010, including spin-offs like the DJ version, including a turntable controller, and Band Hero. Subsequently, corporate focus in plastic instruments waned, aside from a brief comeback in 2015.
Games like the fan project and newer releases have maintained the scene alive, and there’s expectations of a new product from the founders in development. Recently formed developers has begun work on their first rhythm-based title. Original co-founders are both involved in advisory roles. Is the world prepared to welcome another game following Guitar Hero?
“Our team believed those games could be like Madden allowing annual update every year,” he remarks. “There’s so much new music it could remain perennially popular, so I’ve always been hopeful. There’s no reason for it to continue for future fans.”
