Marking 20 years since Guitar Hero first launched across the Atlantic, offering everyday gamers the tools to feel like rock legends. Not literally, but try convincing anyone who has mastered the epic lengthy instrumental break before a packed crowd of friends.
Created by the developers, Guitar Hero gave players a guitar-shaped controller to follow coloured notes scrolling down the display in time with a song. Every sequence corresponded to particular chords, creating the feel of an authentic live show.
Harmonix previously 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 an unlikely billion-dollar series which made a significant impact for many of the artists included, showcasing classic groups to millions of younger players.
Michael Dornbrook, former COO from the developer, remembers the early financial challenges in securing the songs – despite the fact initial releases primarily featured rerecorded tracks.
“We rerecorded all the music because the dollar figure prohibitive,” he says. “Despite having the necessary permissions alone, it proved extremely difficult. We failed to secure acts such as legendary groups – the publisher was operating on a shoestring budget, and our team was fairly certain it would fail. But once the game became a hit, album purchases airtime increased, all artists desired to be in.”
He adds: “Among the remarkable aspects was the number of mothers and fathers got in touch expressing gratitude for introducing their kids to the music they loved. It evolved into an intergenerational thing.”
Classic Rock Gains Younger Fans
Northern Irish blues-rock band one featured act had their track in the 2008 release Guitar Hero World Tour. Guitarist the artist recalls how the series brought classic rock back into vogue: “The game provided a bigger, younger audience. Typically this had been seen as music that was past it, but then when it was featured on the title young people were finding it, suddenly it was cool. That legitimised it, eliminating the ‘dad rock’ tag. It gave all our music a new life.”
At that time, the band's first record was still not available in the US, so the game served as a primary platform of discovery for the group as they went on US tour supporting the rock giants. “Their crew had on Never Too Late on the tour bus, and some of them knew us from Guitar Hero,” he notes.
Major Band Spin-offs and Lasting Influence
Music's heavyweight names soon took advantage of the game's success, with Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen featuring in specialized spin-off titles that focused on each band’s catalogue and related lore, visuals and rock’n’roll mythology. In the case of, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, reportedly to have made the group more money compared to their records. It sold well over 500,000 copies in its first week, while demand for their songs rose of up to 40% at a time when the music business faced decline.
Guitar Hero continues to inspire nimble-fingered fanaticism within the community. Recently, a streamer achieved a remarkable feat featuring Through the Fire and Flames – an infamously tough power-metal song made popular by Guitar Hero – on Clone Hero, a freeware game with similar mechanics and extensive personalization features. The song is challenging even in expert mode, not to mention played at increased tempo and without missing every one of its near 4,000 notes. They claimed requiring months of practice of practice.
“The game offers a, fantasy thing. If you play Call of Duty, it doesn't imply you should use a real gun and enlist,” says DragonForce guitarist the artist.
The band previously wrapped up a successful tour before Through the Fire and Flames was featured in the third game, but Li says it turned them into a household name. “I recall our distributors calling to tell me that we were selling albums rapidly,” he says. “It exploded on the subsequent tour, and we performed right ahead of the headliners on the Mayhem festival.”
In fact, DragonForce’s exposure from Guitar Hero was so immense that it risked eclipsing all other accomplishments. Recently, the track was used in promotional material for a major film. “Previously I felt differently, but I’ve made peace with it,” he admits. “If you only hear a single track, it’s totally cool – each person has a unique musical journey and I'm pleased we’ve been part of people’s lives”.
The Lasting Legacy from the Iconic Controller
The best promotion, be it for automobiles, apparel or games, goes further mere transactions – it inspires a desire. Did Guitar Hero tap into that? “Precisely what we were trying to create,” Dornbrook says. “The excitement of being a rock star in the spotlight. Since the beginning, the creators felt that humans have a natural urge to make music, and they wanted to use technology to allow people to participate”.
Most installments were released in just a half-decade from 2005 to 2010, including spin-offs such as the DJ version, including a spinning deck, and Band Hero. Subsequently, the publisher’s interest in plastic instruments died down, aside from a brief comeback in 2015.
Titles such as Clone Hero 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 entered production on its debut rhythm-based title. The initial creators are both involved in advisory roles. Is the world ready to embrace a new entry following Guitar Hero?
“Our team believed those games could be similar to sports games where you can releases,” Dornbrook says. “With abundant fresh tracks it could remain perennially popular, thus I remain hopeful. There’s no reason for it to persist with new generations.”
