It has been 20 years since Guitar Hero first launched in North America, offering players everywhere the tools to feel like a rock star. Figuratively speaking, but try telling that someone who's mastered the epic four-minute instrumental break in front of an enthusiastic crowd of friends.
Created by Harmonix, the game provided users with a plastic guitar peripheral to match coloured notes scrolling down the screen synchronized to the music. Every sequence mimicked particular chords, producing the feel of an authentic live show.
The studio had already tried its hand with rhythm games prior to teaming up with RedOctane, which was purchased by Activision during the mid-2000s. Together, they established the foundations for a surprising massively profitable franchise that had a significant impact on numerous musicians featured, introducing decades-old groups to a new generation of younger players.
A former executive, former COO from the developer, remembers the early budgetary hurdles in securing the songs – even though initial releases primarily featured rerecorded tracks.
“We reproduced all the music because the cost prohibitive,” he says. “Despite having the necessary permissions alone, it was nearly impossible. We couldn’t get bands like legendary groups – RedOctane had virtually no money, and our team was pretty convinced it would fail. But once Guitar Hero took off, album purchases airtime were going up, everyone wanted to be in.”
He adds: “Among the amazing things was the number of parents reached out expressing gratitude for exposing their children to the music they loved. It became a multigenerational phenomenon.”
Timeless Music Gains Younger Fans
Northern Irish blues-rock band the Answer had their track in the 2008 release the popular installment. Guitarist Paul Mahon remembers how the series brought classic rock back into vogue: “Guitar Hero offered a bigger, new demographic. Generally this had been seen as outdated material, however once it got featured on the title and teenagers were finding it, suddenly it became trendy. That legitimised it, and got rid of the ‘dad rock’ tag. It gave all our music a new life.”
In 2008, the band's first record was still not available in the US, so Guitar Hero served as a primary platform of discovery for the group during their a North American tour supporting AC/DC. “Their crew were playing Never Too Late on the tour bus, and several recognized us thanks to the game,” he notes.
Major Band Titles Enduring Impact
Music's biggest acts soon capitalised on the series’ popularity, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen featuring in dedicated game editions centered around each band’s catalogue and associated lore, visuals and legendary status. In the case of, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, it was said to have made the group greater revenue than any of their studio albums. It sold well over 500,000 units upon release, and demand for their songs rose significantly during an era when the music business faced decline.
Guitar Hero continues to inspire quick-handed fanaticism within the community. Earlier this year, a streamer achieved a remarkable feat of DragonForce’s the challenging track – an infamously tough power-metal song made popular by Guitar Hero – using a fan-made version, a freeware game with similar mechanics but an array of personalization features. The song is difficult even in the hardest setting, let alone performed at increased tempo while hitting every one of its near 4,000 notes. The streamer claimed requiring months of practice of practice.
“The game is a fun, imaginary experience. If you play other games, it doesn't imply you should use a real gun and go to war,” notes musician Herman Li.
The band previously wrapped up a profitable run before their hit was featured in the third game, but Li says it made them widely recognized. “I remember our distributors informing us that we were records were moving rapidly,” he shares. “Popularity surged on the subsequent tour, and we were playing just before the headliners at the event.”
In fact, DragonForce’s exposure from Guitar Hero was so immense that it threatened to overshadow everything else the band has done. Last year, the track featured in promotional material for a major film. “Previously I felt differently, but I’ve made peace with it,” Li says. “If you only hear one DragonForce song, it’s totally cool – each person has their own path in music and I'm pleased we’ve been part in fans' experiences”.
The Lasting Legacy from the Plastic Guitar
The best marketing, whether it’s for cars, clothes or games, extends beyond mere transactions – it inspires a desire. Was the game able to tap into that? “That’s exactly what our team trying to create,” Dornbrook says. “The excitement of performing as 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 use technology to allow people to do it”.
Most installments were released in just a half-decade from 2005 to 2010, including spin-offs like DJ Hero, complete with a spinning deck, and Band Hero. Subsequently, corporate focus on peripherals waned, except for a short-lived revival in 2015.
Titles like the fan project and Fortnite Festival have maintained the scene active, and there’s set to be something from the original publisher on the way. A new studio has entered work on their first music game. The initial creators are both involved as special advisers. Are gamers ready to embrace another game following Guitar Hero?
“We thought those games could be like Madden where you can releases,” he remarks. “With abundant fresh tracks it could remain perennially popular, thus I remain optimistic. There’s no reason for it to persist with new generations.”
