It has been two decades since Guitar Hero hit the market across the Atlantic, offering everyday gamers the means to feel like a rock star. Figuratively speaking, though you'd be hard-pressed telling that anyone who has mastered the epic lengthy instrumental break before an enthusiastic crowd of friends.
Developed by Harmonix, Guitar Hero gave players a plastic guitar peripheral to match on-screen cues scrolling down the screen synchronized to a song. Every sequence corresponded to particular chords, producing the feel of a genuine live show.
The studio had already tried its hand with rhythm games prior to teaming up with RedOctane, which was acquired by the gaming giant during the mid-2000s. Collaboratively, they established the foundations for a surprising billion-dollar franchise that had a remarkable impact on numerous of the artists included, introducing classic bands to millions of younger players.
A former executive, former COO of Harmonix, recalls the initial budgetary hurdles of licensing the recordings – even though the first two games primarily featured rerecorded tracks.
“We reproduced all the music since the dollar figure was so high,” he explains. “Despite having the necessary permissions by themselves, it proved extremely difficult. We couldn’t get bands like the Who – RedOctane was operating on a shoestring budget, and we were fairly certain it would fail. However, when Guitar Hero took off, and record sales and radio play increased, everyone wanted to participate.”
He continues: “Among the amazing things was the number of mothers and fathers got in touch expressing gratitude for exposing their children to the music they adored. It evolved into a multigenerational phenomenon.”
Timeless Music Finds Younger Fans
Irish group the Answer had Never Too Late on the 2008 game the popular installment. Guitarist Paul Mahon recalls how the series brought older hits back into vogue: “Guitar Hero provided a larger, new demographic. Generally this had been seen as outdated material, but then when it was featured on the title young people were finding it, abruptly it became trendy. That legitimised the genre, eliminating the outdated label. It provided our catalog renewed popularity.”
At that time, the Answer’s first record remained unreleased in the US, meaning the game served as a primary platform for exposure for the band as they went on a North American tour supporting the rock giants. “The roadies had on Never Too Late on the tour bus, and some of them recognized us thanks to the game,” he notes.
Major Band Spin-offs and Lasting Impact
Rock’s heavyweight names quickly capitalised on the game's success, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen starring in dedicated game editions centered around each band’s catalogue and associated lore, visuals and legendary status. For example, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, it was said to have made the band greater revenue than any of their studio albums. It sold well over 500,000 copies in its first week, and sales of their songs saw an increase of up to 40% at a time when the music business was already collapsing.
Guitar Hero continues to inspire quick-handed dedication within the community. Recently, an online personality completed a remarkable feat featuring the challenging track – a notoriously difficult anthem popularized through Guitar Hero – on Clone Hero, a freeware game with almost identical mechanics but an array of customisation options. The song is challenging enough on the hardest setting, not to mention played at increased tempo while hitting a single one of its near 4,000 notes. They stated it took months of practice of practice.
“The game offers a, imaginary experience. If you play Call of Duty, it doesn't imply you should pick up actual weapons and go to war,” notes musician Herman Li.
The band had already completed a successful tour before their hit was featured in the third game, yet he explains it made them a household name. “I remember our distributors informing us that we were records were moving rapidly,” he says. “Popularity surged on the subsequent tour, and we performed just before top acts at the event.”
In fact, DragonForce’s exposure via the game proved so vast that it has threatened to overshadow all other the band has done. Last year, the song featured in promotional material for a major film. “Previously I thought differently, but I’ve made peace with it,” Li says. “Should you just listen to a single track, it’s totally cool – everyone’s got a unique path in music and I'm pleased we played a role in fans' experiences”.
Enduring Legacy of a Plastic Guitar
The best marketing, whether it’s for cars, apparel or video games, goes further mere transactions – it inspires a longing. Was the game able to tap into that? “That’s exactly what our team aiming to achieve,” he confirms. “That thrill of performing as a rock star on the stage. From day one, the creators felt that humans have a natural urge to make music, and their goal was to use technology to enable everyone to participate”.
Most installments were released in just a five-year period between 2005 and 2010, including spin-offs such as DJ Hero, including a turntable controller, and Band Hero. Subsequently, corporate focus in plastic instruments died down, aside from a brief comeback several years later.
Games like the fan project and Fortnite Festival have kept the community active, and there’s set to be something from the original publisher in development. A new studio has entered work on its debut rhythm-based title. The initial creators are participating as special advisers. Is the world prepared to welcome a new entry in the spirit of Guitar Hero?
“Our team believed those games might become similar to sports games where you can releases,” Dornbrook says. “With abundant fresh tracks it could remain evergreen, so I’ve always been optimistic. It's entirely possible for it to persist for future fans.”
