Marking two decades after Guitar Hero debuted in North America, giving everyday gamers the opportunity to become a rock star. Not in reality, but try convincing someone who has nailed the epic four-minute guitar solo in front of a packed living-room audience.
Developed by Harmonix, Guitar Hero gave players a plastic guitar peripheral to follow coloured notes moving along the screen in time with the music. Each riff corresponded to specific notes, producing the sensation of a genuine performance.
Harmonix had already tried its hand in the music genre before partnering with RedOctane, which was acquired by the gaming giant during the mid-2000s. Together, they laid the groundwork for a surprising massively profitable franchise which made a remarkable impact on numerous musicians featured, showcasing classic groups to millions of younger players.
Michael Dornbrook, former COO from the developer, recalls the early financial challenges in securing the songs – even though initial releases primarily featured rerecorded tracks.
“We reproduced every song because the dollar figure was so high,” he explains. “Even with the publishing rights alone, it was nearly impossible. We couldn’t get bands like legendary groups – the publisher had virtually no money, and we were fairly certain the project would flop. However, when the game became a hit, album purchases and radio play were going up, everyone wanted to participate.”
He continues: “One of the amazing things was how many parents reached out and thanked us for introducing their children to the songs they loved. It evolved into a multigenerational phenomenon.”
Timeless Music Gains Younger Fans
Irish blues-rock band one featured act included Never Too Late in the 2008 release the popular installment. Guitarist Paul Mahon recalls how the series brought older hits to the forefront: “Guitar Hero provided a bigger, younger audience. Typically such music was seen as outdated material, however when it was included in the title young people were finding it, suddenly it became trendy. That legitimised the genre, eliminating the outdated tag. It provided our catalog renewed popularity.”
At that time, the Answer’s debut album was still unreleased stateside, so Guitar Hero was a key medium of discovery for the band during their a North American tour opening for the rock giants. “The roadies had on the song on the tour bus, and several knew us from Guitar Hero,” he notes.
Major Band Spin-offs Enduring Influence
Music's heavyweight names quickly took advantage of the game's success, with Aerosmith, Metallica and others starring in specialized game editions that focused on their music collections and associated lore, imagery and legendary status. For example, the Aerosmith edition, it was said earned the band more money than any of their studio albums. It moved well over 500,000 copies upon release, while sales of their songs rose of up to 40% at a time when the music business faced decline.
The series continues to inspire quick-handed dedication within the community. Recently, a streamer completed an impressive attempt featuring Through the Fire and Flames – a notoriously difficult power-metal song popularized through Guitar Hero – on Clone Hero, a no-cost alternative with similar mechanics but an array of personalization features. This track is difficult even in expert mode, not to mention performed at increased tempo and without missing a single one of the thousands of cues. The streamer stated it took months of practice of practice.
“Guitar Hero is a fun, fantasy thing. If you play other games, that doesn’t mean you should use actual weapons and go to war,” notes musician Herman Li.
The band previously completed a successful tour before Through the Fire and Flames appeared on Guitar Hero III, but Li says it turned them into a household name. “I remember the record label calling to tell me that we were records were moving like crazy,” he shares. “It exploded when we next toured, and we were playing just before top acts on the Mayhem festival.”
Indeed, the band's visibility via the game proved so vast that it threatened to overshadow everything else the band has done. Last year, the track was used in promotional material for Despicable Me 4. “Previously I felt otherwise, but now I accept it,” he admits. “If you only listen to a single track, that's fine – each person has their own musical journey and I’m glad we played a role in fans' experiences”.
The Lasting Legacy of a Plastic Guitar
The best promotion, be it for cars, apparel or games, extends beyond than selling something – it inspires a longing. Was the game able to harness this? “That’s exactly what our team aiming to achieve,” he confirms. “The excitement of performing as a music icon on the stage. From day one, the co-founders believed there’s an instinctive urge to create songs, and their goal was to use technology to allow people to do it”.
Most of Guitar Hero games were released over a mere half-decade from 2005 to 2010, including spin-offs such as the DJ version, complete with a turntable controller, and the band-focused game. Subsequently, the publisher’s interest in plastic instruments died down, aside from a brief comeback several years later.
Games such as the fan project and newer releases have maintained the community active, with expectations of a new product from the founders in development. Recently formed developers has entered production on their first rhythm-based title. Original co-founders are both involved as special advisers. Are gamers prepared to welcome another game in the spirit of the classic?
“We thought those games could be like Madden where you can update every year,” he remarks. “There’s so much fresh tracks it could remain perennially popular, thus I remain hopeful. There’s no reason why it can’t persist for future fans.”
