It has been 20 years since Guitar Hero hit the market in North America, giving everyday gamers the tools to feel like a rock star. Not literally, but try telling that someone who's nailed the epic lengthy guitar solo in front of an enthusiastic living-room audience.
Developed by Harmonix, the game provided users with a plastic guitar peripheral to match on-screen cues moving along the display in time with the music. Every sequence mimicked particular chords, creating the sensation of a genuine live show.
Harmonix previously tried its hand with rhythm games before partnering with RedOctane, which was purchased by the gaming giant during the mid-2000s. Together, they established the foundations for a surprising billion-dollar series which made a significant influence for many musicians included, showcasing decades-old bands to a new generation of younger players.
A former executive, former COO of Harmonix, recalls the early financial challenges of licensing the recordings – despite the fact initial releases mostly used rerecorded tracks.
“We rerecorded all the music since the cost prohibitive,” he says. “Despite having the necessary permissions by themselves, it proved extremely difficult. We failed to secure acts such as legendary groups – RedOctane had virtually no money, and we were pretty convinced it would fail. But once Guitar Hero became a hit, and record sales airtime increased, all artists desired to participate.”
He continues: “One of the amazing things was how many mothers and fathers got in touch and thanked us for exposing their children to the music they adored. It became a multigenerational phenomenon.”
Classic Rock Gains a New Audience
Northern Irish group one featured act had their track on the 2008 game the popular installment. Lead musician the artist remembers how the series brought classic rock back into vogue: “The game offered a larger, younger audience. Typically such music was considered music that was past it, however when it was featured on the title young people discovered it, suddenly it became trendy. That legitimised the genre, eliminating the outdated tag. It gave our catalog renewed popularity.”
At that time, the band's debut album remained not available in the US, so the game served as a primary platform for exposure for the band as they went on US tour supporting AC/DC. “Their crew had on the song during travel, and some of them knew us thanks to the game,” he notes.
Rock’s Heavyweight Spin-offs and Lasting Influence
Rock’s heavyweight names soon capitalised on the game's success, with Aerosmith, Metallica and others starring in dedicated game editions centered around their music collections and associated stories, imagery and legendary status. In the case of, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, it was said to have made the group greater revenue compared to their studio albums. It moved well over 500,000 units upon release, and demand for Aerosmith’s music rose significantly at a time as the industry was already collapsing.
The series continues to inspire nimble-fingered fanaticism within the community. Earlier this year, a streamer achieved an impressive attempt featuring Through the Fire and Flames – an infamously tough power-metal song made popular by the game – using a fan-made version, a no-cost alternative with similar gameplay and extensive personalization features. The song is challenging enough on the hardest setting, not to mention performed at increased tempo and without missing a single one of the thousands of cues. They stated requiring nine months of practice.
“Guitar Hero is a fun, imaginary experience. Just as with other games, it doesn't imply you should pick up actual weapons and go to war,” notes musician Herman Li.
DragonForce previously wrapped up a profitable run before Through the Fire and Flames appeared 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 like crazy,” he shares. “Popularity surged on the subsequent tour, and we were playing just before top acts at the event.”
Indeed, DragonForce’s exposure via the game was so immense that it has threatened to eclipsing everything else accomplishments. Last year, the song was used in promotional material for a major film. “Previously I thought differently, but I’ve made peace with it,” Li says. “Should you just hear one DragonForce song, that's fine – everyone’s got their own musical journey and I’m glad we played a role in fans' experiences”.
Enduring Impact from the Iconic Controller
Top-tier promotion, be it for cars, clothes or games, goes further than selling something – it inspires a desire. Did Guitar Hero tap into that? “That’s exactly what our team trying to create,” Dornbrook says. “That thrill of being a music icon in the spotlight. Since the beginning, the creators believed humans have a natural urge to make music, and they wanted to use technology to allow people to do it”.
Most of Guitar Hero games were released in just a half-decade between 2005 and 2010, including spin-offs like the DJ version, including a spinning deck, and Band Hero. After that, corporate focus on peripherals died down, except for a brief comeback in 2015.
Games like the fan project and Fortnite Festival have kept the scene active, and there’s set to be a new product from the original publisher on the way. A new studio has begun production on its debut music game. Original co-founders are participating in advisory roles. Is the world prepared to welcome another game following Guitar Hero?
“We thought those games might become like Madden allowing annual update every year,” Dornbrook says. “With abundant fresh tracks that it could be perennially popular, thus I remain optimistic. There’s no reason for it to continue with new generations.”
