Marking two decades after Guitar Hero first launched in North America, offering players everywhere the tools to feel like rock legends. Not in reality, but try convincing anyone who's mastered the epic four-minute guitar solo in front of a packed crowd of friends.
Created by the developers, Guitar Hero provided users with a plastic guitar peripheral to match on-screen cues scrolling down the display in time with a song. Every sequence corresponded to specific notes, creating the feel of an authentic live show.
Harmonix had already experimented with rhythm games prior to teaming up with the publisher, which was purchased by the gaming giant in 2006. Together, they established the groundwork for an unlikely billion-dollar series that had a remarkable influence for many musicians featured, showcasing classic groups to a new generation of younger players.
Michael Dornbrook, ex-chief operating officer of Harmonix, remembers the early budgetary hurdles in securing the songs – despite the fact initial releases mostly used rerecorded tracks.
“We rerecorded all the music because the cost was so high,” he explains. “Even with the necessary permissions alone, it proved extremely difficult. We couldn’t get acts such as the Who – the publisher had virtually no money, and we were pretty convinced it would fail. However, when Guitar Hero took off, album purchases and radio play were going up, all artists desired to participate.”
He continues: “Among the remarkable aspects was the number of parents got in touch and thanked us for exposing their children to the songs they loved. It evolved into a multigenerational phenomenon.”
Classic Rock Finds Younger Fans
Irish group the Answer had their track in the 2008 release the popular installment. Lead musician Paul Mahon recalls the way the game revived older hits back into vogue: “The game offered a bigger, new demographic. Generally such music was seen as outdated material, but then when it was featured on the game and teenagers discovered it, suddenly it became trendy. That legitimised the genre, and got rid of the ‘dad rock’ label. It provided all our music renewed popularity.”
At that time, the band's debut album remained not available stateside, meaning the game was a key medium of discovery for the group as they went on a North American tour supporting AC/DC. “Their crew were playing Never Too Late during travel, and some of them recognized us from Guitar Hero,” Mahon says.
Major Band Titles and Lasting Influence
Rock’s heavyweight names quickly took advantage of the series’ popularity, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and others featuring in dedicated game editions centered around their music collections and associated stories, visuals and legendary status. For example, the Aerosmith edition, it was said earned the group more money compared to their studio albums. It sold well over half a million copies upon release, and sales of Aerosmith’s music rose significantly during an era as the industry faced decline.
The series still motivates nimble-fingered dedication within the community. Recently, an online personality achieved a remarkable feat of DragonForce’s the challenging track – a notoriously difficult anthem made popular by the game – using a fan-made version, a no-cost alternative with similar mechanics but an array of customisation options. This track is difficult even in expert mode, not to mention played at increased tempo and without missing every one of the thousands of cues. The streamer stated requiring nine months to accomplish.
“Guitar Hero offers a, imaginary experience. Just as with other games, that doesn’t mean you ought to pick up a real gun and go to war,” notes DragonForce guitarist the artist.
The band previously completed a profitable run before their hit was featured in the third game, yet he explains it turned them into widely recognized. “I remember the record label calling to tell me that our records were moving rapidly,” he shares. “Popularity surged on the subsequent tour, and we were playing just before the headliners on the Mayhem festival.”
In fact, DragonForce’s exposure from Guitar Hero was so immense that it has risked eclipsing all other accomplishments. Last year, the track was used in promotional material for a major film. “Previously I thought differently, but now I accept it,” he admits. “If you only listen to one DragonForce song, it’s totally cool – everyone’s got their own musical journey and I’m glad we played a role of people’s lives”.
Enduring Legacy of a Iconic Controller
The best marketing, be it for automobiles, clothes or video games, extends beyond mere transactions – it evokes a desire. Was the game able to harness this? “That’s exactly what we were aiming to achieve,” Dornbrook says. “The excitement of performing as a music icon on the stage. Since the beginning, the creators believed humans have a natural urge to make music, and their goal was to leverage innovation to allow people to participate”.
The majority of Guitar Hero games were released in just a half-decade between 2005 and 2010, including spin-offs like the DJ version, including a turntable controller, and Band Hero. After that, corporate focus on peripherals waned, aside from a brief comeback several years later.
Titles like the fan project and newer releases have maintained the community alive, and there’s set to be a new product from the original publisher on the way. A new studio has entered production on their first rhythm-based title. Original co-founders are both involved in advisory roles. Is the world prepared to welcome another game following Guitar Hero?
“Our team believed such titles might become like Madden allowing annual update every year,” he remarks. “With abundant new music that it could be evergreen, thus I remain hopeful. It's entirely possible why it can’t persist with new generations.”
