Marking 20 years since Guitar Hero debuted in North America, offering everyday gamers the means to feel like a rock star. Figuratively speaking, but try convincing anyone who has nailed the epic lengthy instrumental break before a packed living-room audience.
Developed by Harmonix, the game gave players a guitar-shaped controller to follow on-screen cues moving along the display in time with a song. Each riff corresponded to particular chords, producing the feel of an authentic performance.
The studio had already tried its hand in the music genre before partnering with the publisher, which was acquired by the gaming giant in 2006. Together, they laid the foundations for a surprising billion-dollar series which made a significant influence on numerous musicians included, introducing classic groups to a new generation of gaming enthusiasts.
Michael Dornbrook, ex-chief operating officer of Harmonix, recalls the initial budgetary hurdles in securing the songs – even though the first two games mostly used rerecorded tracks.
“We reproduced all the music because the cost was so high,” he explains. “Despite having the necessary permissions by themselves, it proved extremely difficult. We couldn’t get bands like legendary groups – RedOctane had virtually no money, and our team was pretty convinced it would fail. However, when Guitar Hero took off, album purchases airtime increased, all artists desired to be in.”
He adds: “One of the remarkable aspects was the number of mothers and fathers got in touch expressing gratitude for introducing their kids to the songs they loved. It evolved into a multigenerational thing.”
Classic Rock Gains a New Audience
Northern Irish blues-rock band one featured act had their track on the 2008 game Guitar Hero World Tour. Guitarist Paul Mahon remembers how the series revived older hits to the forefront: “Guitar Hero provided a bigger, younger audience. Generally such music was seen as music that was past it, but then once it got included in the game young people discovered it, abruptly it became trendy. That legitimised the genre, and got rid of the ‘dad rock’ tag. It provided all our music a new life.”
At that time, the band's debut album remained unreleased in the US, so Guitar Hero served as a primary platform for exposure for the group as they went on US tour opening for AC/DC. “The roadies were playing Never Too Late during travel, and some of them recognized us from Guitar Hero,” Mahon says.
Rock’s Heavyweight Titles and Lasting Impact
Rock’s heavyweight names soon took advantage of the game's success, with Aerosmith, Metallica and others featuring in specialized spin-off titles that focused on their music collections and associated lore, imagery and legendary status. For example, the Aerosmith edition, it was said earned the group greater revenue than any of their studio albums. It sold well over 500,000 copies upon release, while demand for their songs rose significantly during an era as the industry faced decline.
Guitar Hero still motivates quick-handed dedication among its fans. Earlier this year, an online personality achieved an impressive attempt featuring the challenging track – an infamously tough anthem made popular by the game – on Clone Hero, a freeware game with similar gameplay but an array of customisation options. The song is difficult even in expert mode, not to mention performed at double speed and without missing a single one of the thousands of cues. They claimed it took months of practice to accomplish.
“Guitar Hero is a fun, fantasy thing. Just as with Call of Duty, that doesn’t mean you should use a real gun and go to war,” says musician Herman Li.
DragonForce previously wrapped up a successful tour when their hit appeared in the third game, yet he explains it turned them into a household name. “I remember our distributors calling to tell me that our selling albums like crazy,” he shares. “It exploded when we next toured, 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. Recently, the song featured in a trailer for a major film. “In the past I thought differently, but I’ve made peace with it,” Li says. “If you only hear one DragonForce song, it’s totally cool – each person has their own musical journey and I’m glad we played a role of people’s lives”.
Enduring Legacy from the Iconic Controller
Top-tier marketing, be it for automobiles, apparel or games, goes further mere transactions – it inspires a desire. Was the game able to harness this? “That’s exactly what our team trying to create,” Dornbrook says. “That thrill of performing as a rock star in the spotlight. Since the beginning, the creators believed there’s an instinctive urge to create songs, and their goal was to leverage innovation to enable everyone to do it”.
Most installments were released over a mere half-decade from 2005 to 2010, featuring derivative titles such as the DJ version, complete with a turntable controller, and Band Hero. Subsequently, corporate focus on peripherals waned, aside from a short-lived revival in 2015.
Titles like Clone Hero and newer releases have maintained the community active, with set to be a new product from the original publisher in development. A new studio has begun work on their first rhythm-based title. Original co-founders are participating as special advisers. Is the world ready to embrace a new entry in the spirit of Guitar Hero?
“We thought such titles could be like Madden allowing annual update every year,” Dornbrook says. “With abundant new music it could remain perennially popular, thus I remain optimistic. There’s no reason for it to continue for future fans.”
