It has been two decades since Guitar Hero debuted in North America, providing everyday gamers the opportunity to feel like rock legends. Not literally, though you'd be hard-pressed telling that anyone who has nailed Free Bird’s lengthy guitar solo before an enthusiastic living-room audience.
Developed by Harmonix, Guitar Hero provided users with a guitar-shaped controller to match on-screen cues moving along the screen in time with the music. Every sequence corresponded to specific notes, producing the feel of a genuine performance.
The studio had already experimented in the music genre before partnering with the publisher, later acquired by the gaming giant in 2006. Together, they laid the foundations for an unlikely billion-dollar series which made a remarkable impact on numerous of the artists included, introducing decades-old bands to millions of younger players.
Michael Dornbrook, ex-chief operating officer of Harmonix, remembers the early budgetary hurdles in securing the songs – even though the first two games mostly used cover versions.
“We rerecorded every song since the dollar figure was so high,” he explains. “Despite having the necessary permissions by themselves, it was extremely difficult. We couldn’t get bands like legendary groups – the publisher was operating on a shoestring budget, and we were pretty convinced the project would flop. But once 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 reached out expressing gratitude for exposing their kids to the music they loved. It became a multigenerational phenomenon.”
Timeless Music Finds Younger Fans
Irish blues-rock band one featured act had their track in the 2008 release the popular installment. Lead musician Paul Mahon remembers how the series revived classic rock to the forefront: “The game offered a bigger, younger audience. Generally this had been seen as music that was past it, but then when it was included in the game and teenagers discovered it, suddenly it became trendy. That legitimised it, and got rid of the ‘dad rock’ tag. It provided all our music a new life.”
At that time, the Answer’s debut album remained not available stateside, meaning Guitar Hero served as a primary platform for exposure for the group as they went on US tour opening for the rock giants. “Their crew had on Never Too Late during travel, and some of them knew us from Guitar Hero,” he notes.
Major Band Titles Enduring Influence
Rock’s biggest acts quickly took advantage of the game's success, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen featuring in specialized spin-off titles centered around each band’s catalogue and associated lore, visuals and legendary status. In the case of, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, reportedly earned the group more money compared to their studio albums. It sold well over 500,000 copies in its first week, and sales of Aerosmith’s music rose of up to 40% at a time as the industry faced decline.
Guitar Hero continues to inspire nimble-fingered fanaticism among its fans. Earlier this year, an online personality achieved an impressive attempt of DragonForce’s the challenging track – a notoriously difficult power-metal song made popular by Guitar Hero – using a fan-made version, a freeware game with almost identical gameplay but an array of personalization features. This track is difficult even in expert mode, not to mention played at double speed and without missing a single one of its near 4,000 notes. The streamer claimed it took months of practice to accomplish.
“The game offers a, fantasy thing. If you play other games, it doesn't imply you ought to use actual weapons and enlist,” says DragonForce guitarist the artist.
The band had already completed a profitable run before Through the Fire and Flames was featured on Guitar Hero III, yet he explains it turned them into a household name. “I recall our distributors calling to tell me that our records were moving like crazy,” he shares. “Popularity surged when we next toured, and we performed just before top acts on the Mayhem festival.”
In fact, DragonForce’s exposure from Guitar Hero was so immense that it threatened to eclipsing all other accomplishments. Recently, the song featured in a trailer for Despicable Me 4. “Previously I felt otherwise, but I’ve made peace with it,” he admits. “If you only listen to a single track, it’s totally cool – each person has their own path in music and I’m glad we played a role in fans' experiences”.
The Lasting Impact from the Plastic Guitar
Top-tier promotion, whether it’s for automobiles, apparel or video games, extends beyond mere transactions – it evokes a desire. Was the game able to tap into that? “Precisely what we were aiming to achieve,” Dornbrook says. “That thrill of performing as a music icon on the stage. From day one, the creators believed there’s an instinctive urge to make music, and they wanted to use technology to enable everyone to participate”.
The majority of Guitar Hero games were released in just a half-decade from 2005 to 2010, featuring spin-offs like the DJ version, complete with a turntable controller, and the band-focused game. Subsequently, the publisher’s interest on peripherals died down, except for a brief comeback in 2015.
Games such as Clone Hero and newer releases have maintained the scene alive, and there’s set to be something from the founders in development. Recently formed developers has begun work on its debut rhythm-based title. The initial creators are participating as special advisers. Are gamers prepared to welcome another game in the spirit of the classic?
“We thought those games could be similar to sports games where you can update every year,” he remarks. “With abundant new music it could remain evergreen, thus I remain hopeful. There’s no reason for it to continue for future fans.”