Marking two decades after Guitar Hero first launched across the Atlantic, giving players everywhere the opportunity to feel like rock legends. Not in reality, but try convincing someone who's mastered the epic lengthy guitar solo before a packed living-room audience.
Created by Harmonix, Guitar Hero provided users with a guitar-shaped controller to follow on-screen cues moving along the display in time with a song. Every sequence corresponded to particular chords, creating the feel of a genuine live show.
The studio previously experimented in the music genre before partnering with the publisher, which was purchased by the gaming giant during the mid-2000s. Collaboratively, they established the foundations for an unlikely billion-dollar franchise that had a significant influence for many of the artists included, showcasing decades-old bands to millions of gaming enthusiasts.
A former executive, former COO from the developer, recalls the initial financial challenges of licensing the recordings – even though initial releases primarily featured rerecorded tracks.
“We rerecorded all the music since the cost prohibitive,” he explains. “Even with the necessary permissions alone, it was nearly impossible. We failed to secure bands like the Who – RedOctane was operating on a shoestring budget, and our team was fairly certain it would fail. But once the game became a hit, and record sales airtime were going up, all artists desired to be in.”
He continues: “Among the remarkable aspects was how many mothers and fathers got in touch expressing gratitude for introducing their children to the songs they loved. It evolved into an intergenerational phenomenon.”
Classic Rock Finds Younger Fans
Northern Irish blues-rock band the Answer included Never Too Late on the 2008 game the popular installment. Lead musician Paul Mahon recalls the way the game brought classic rock to the forefront: “The game offered a larger, younger audience. Typically this had been considered outdated material, but then once it got featured on the game young people were finding it, suddenly it became trendy. This validated it, and got rid of the outdated tag. It gave our catalog renewed popularity.”
At that time, the Answer’s debut album remained unreleased stateside, so Guitar Hero was a key medium of discovery for the band as they went on US tour opening for AC/DC. “Their crew were playing the song during travel, and several knew us from Guitar Hero,” he notes.
Major Band Titles and Lasting Impact
Rock’s biggest acts soon took advantage of the series’ popularity, with Aerosmith, Metallica and others starring in dedicated game editions centered around each band’s catalogue and associated lore, imagery and legendary status. In the case of, the Aerosmith edition, it was said earned the group more money than any of their studio albums. It sold more than half a million units in its first week, while demand for Aerosmith’s music saw an increase of up to 40% at a time when the music business was already collapsing.
The series still motivates quick-handed fanaticism within the community. Earlier this year, a streamer completed a remarkable feat featuring Through the Fire and Flames – a notoriously difficult power-metal song popularized through the game – on Clone Hero, a freeware game with similar mechanics and extensive customisation options. The song is challenging enough on the hardest setting, not to mention performed at increased tempo while hitting every one of its near 4,000 notes. They claimed requiring months of practice to accomplish.
“The game offers a, fantasy thing. Just as with Call of Duty, that doesn’t mean you ought to pick up actual weapons and go to war,” notes musician the artist.
DragonForce previously wrapped up a profitable run when their hit appeared on Guitar Hero III, but Li says it made them a household name. “I remember the record label informing us that our records were moving rapidly,” he says. “Popularity surged when we next toured, and we were playing right ahead of the headliners on the Mayhem festival.”
In fact, DragonForce’s exposure from Guitar Hero was so immense that it has threatened to overshadow everything else the band has done. Last year, the song was used in promotional material for a major film. “In the past I felt otherwise, but I’ve made peace with it,” Li says. “If you only hear a single track, it’s totally cool – each person has their own musical journey and I'm pleased we played a role in fans' experiences”.
Enduring Legacy from the Iconic Controller
Top-tier promotion, be it for cars, clothes or video games, extends beyond than selling something – it inspires a desire. Did Guitar Hero harness this? “That’s exactly what we were trying to create,” Dornbrook says. “The excitement of being a music icon on the stage. From day one, the creators felt that humans have a natural urge to make music, and their goal was to leverage innovation to enable everyone to participate”.
Most installments came out in just a five-year period from 2005 to 2010, including spin-offs such as the DJ version, including a spinning deck, and Band Hero. Subsequently, the publisher’s interest on peripherals died down, except for a brief comeback several years later.
Games such as the fan project and newer releases have kept the scene active, with set to be something from the original publisher in development. Recently formed developers has entered production on their first rhythm-based title. Original co-founders are both involved in advisory roles. Are gamers ready to embrace a new entry following Guitar Hero?
“Our team believed those games could be like Madden allowing annual releases,” he remarks. “With abundant fresh tracks it could remain evergreen, so I’ve always been hopeful. It's entirely possible why it can’t persist for future fans.”
