It has been 20 years since the legendary game hit the market across the Atlantic, offering everyday gamers the opportunity to feel like a rock star. Not in reality, but try telling that anyone who has mastered the epic four-minute instrumental break before an enthusiastic crowd of friends.
Developed by Harmonix, Guitar Hero gave players a plastic guitar peripheral to match coloured notes moving along the display in time with the music. Each riff mimicked particular chords, creating the feel of an authentic performance.
Harmonix previously tried its hand with rhythm games prior to teaming up with the publisher, later acquired by the gaming giant in 2006. Collaboratively, they laid the groundwork for an unlikely massively profitable series which made a significant impact for many of the artists included, introducing decades-old bands to millions of younger players.
A former executive, ex-chief operating officer from the developer, remembers the initial budgetary hurdles in securing the recordings – even though the first two games mostly used rerecorded tracks.
“We reproduced all the music because the cost prohibitive,” he explains. “Even with the necessary permissions by themselves, it proved extremely difficult. We couldn’t get bands like the Who – RedOctane had virtually no money, and our team was fairly certain it would fail. But once Guitar Hero took off, and record sales airtime were going up, everyone wanted to participate.”
He continues: “One of the amazing things was how many parents got in touch expressing gratitude for exposing their children to the music they adored. It evolved into an intergenerational phenomenon.”
Classic Rock Finds Younger Fans
Irish blues-rock band one featured act included Never Too Late on the 2008 game Guitar Hero World Tour. Lead musician Paul Mahon recalls how the series revived older hits back into vogue: “Guitar Hero offered a bigger, new demographic. Typically such music was considered music that was past it, however once it got included in the title young people discovered it, suddenly it became trendy. This validated the genre, and got rid of the ‘dad rock’ label. It gave our catalog renewed popularity.”
At that time, the Answer’s debut album remained not available in the US, meaning Guitar Hero was a key medium for exposure for the group as they went on US tour supporting AC/DC. “The roadies were playing Never Too Late on the tour bus, and some of them knew us from Guitar Hero,” he notes.
Rock’s Heavyweight Titles Enduring Impact
Rock’s biggest acts soon took advantage of the game's success, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen featuring in specialized game editions centered around each band’s catalogue and related lore, imagery and legendary status. For example, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, it was said earned the group greater revenue than any of their studio albums. It sold more than 500,000 units in its first week, while demand for their songs rose significantly at a time when the music business was already collapsing.
The series continues to inspire quick-handed dedication within the community. Earlier this year, a streamer completed an impressive attempt featuring Through the Fire and Flames – a notoriously difficult anthem made popular by the game – using a fan-made version, a freeware game with similar mechanics but an array of customisation options. This track is challenging even in the hardest setting, not to mention played at double speed while hitting every one of its near 4,000 notes. The streamer claimed it took months of practice of practice.
“Guitar Hero is a fun, fantasy thing. Just as with other games, that doesn’t mean you ought to pick up actual weapons and go to war,” notes musician Herman Li.
The band had already completed a successful tour when their hit appeared on Guitar Hero III, yet he explains it turned them into a household name. “I remember the record label calling to tell me that we were selling albums rapidly,” he says. “It exploded when we next toured, and we were playing right ahead of top acts on the Mayhem festival.”
In fact, the band's visibility via the game was so immense that it risked eclipsing all other the band has done. Recently, the track featured in a trailer for a major film. “Previously I felt differently, but now I accept it,” he admits. “If you only hear one DragonForce song, that's fine – everyone’s got their own path in music and I’m glad we’ve been part of people’s lives”.
The Lasting Legacy of a Plastic Guitar
The best marketing, whether it’s for automobiles, clothes or video games, goes further than selling something – it evokes a longing. Did Guitar Hero 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 humans have a natural human desire to create songs, and they wanted to leverage innovation to enable everyone to participate”.
The majority of Guitar Hero games came out over a mere five-year period from 2005 to 2010, featuring spin-offs like DJ Hero, including a turntable controller, and the band-focused game. After that, the publisher’s interest on peripherals died down, aside from a brief comeback several years later.
Titles like the fan project and Fortnite Festival have maintained the community active, and there’s set to be something from the original publisher on the way. Recently formed developers has begun production on their first rhythm-based title. Original co-founders are both involved as special advisers. Are gamers prepared to welcome a new entry following the classic?
“We thought such titles might become similar to sports games allowing annual update every year,” Dornbrook says. “There’s so much fresh tracks that it could be evergreen, so I’ve always been hopeful. It's entirely possible why it can’t persist with new generations.”
