It has been two decades since Guitar Hero first launched in North America, giving everyday gamers the opportunity to become a rock star. Not literally, but try convincing anyone who's nailed the epic four-minute instrumental break in front of a packed crowd of friends.
Created by Harmonix, Guitar Hero gave players a guitar-shaped controller to match coloured notes moving along the display in time with a song. Each riff corresponded to specific notes, creating the feel of an authentic live show.
The studio had already tried its hand in the music genre prior to teaming up with RedOctane, later purchased by the gaming giant during the mid-2000s. Collaboratively, they laid the groundwork for an unlikely billion-dollar franchise which made a significant impact on numerous musicians featured, showcasing classic groups to a new generation of younger players.
A former executive, ex-chief operating officer of Harmonix, remembers the early budgetary hurdles of licensing the recordings – even though the first two games primarily featured cover versions.
“We reproduced every song because the dollar figure was so high,” he explains. “Despite having the necessary permissions by themselves, it was nearly impossible. We couldn’t get bands like legendary groups – the publisher was operating on a shoestring budget, and we were fairly certain the project would flop. But once the game took off, and record sales and radio play increased, everyone wanted to participate.”
He continues: “Among the remarkable aspects was the number of parents got in touch and thanked us for introducing their kids to the music they loved. It evolved into an intergenerational thing.”
Timeless Music Gains a New Audience
Northern Irish blues-rock band the Answer had their track in the 2008 release Guitar Hero World Tour. Lead musician Paul Mahon remembers how the series revived older hits to the forefront: “The game provided a larger, new demographic. Typically this had been considered music that was past it, however when it was included in the title young people discovered it, abruptly it became trendy. This validated the genre, and got rid of the outdated label. It gave our catalog renewed popularity.”
In 2008, the band's first record was still 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. “The roadies had on the song on the tour bus, and several recognized us thanks to the game,” he notes.
Major Band Titles Enduring Influence
Rock’s heavyweight names quickly took advantage of the series’ popularity, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen starring in specialized game editions that focused on each band’s catalogue and associated lore, visuals and legendary status. For example, the Aerosmith edition, it was said earned the group greater revenue compared to their records. It moved well over 500,000 units upon release, while sales of their songs rose significantly during an era as the industry faced decline.
Guitar Hero still motivates quick-handed dedication within the community. Recently, a streamer achieved a remarkable feat of DragonForce’s the challenging track – a notoriously difficult power-metal song popularized through the game – using a fan-made version, a freeware game with similar gameplay and extensive personalization features. This track is difficult even in the hardest setting, not to mention played at increased tempo and without missing every one of its near 4,000 notes. The streamer claimed it took nine months of practice.
“The game is a fun, fantasy thing. Just as with Call of Duty, that doesn’t mean you ought to use actual weapons and enlist,” notes DragonForce guitarist the artist.
The band had already wrapped up a profitable run before their hit was featured in the third game, but Li says it made them widely recognized. “I recall the record label calling to tell me that we were records were moving like crazy,” he shares. “Popularity surged on the subsequent tour, and we were playing right ahead of top acts at the event.”
Indeed, DragonForce’s exposure via the game was so immense that it has risked overshadow everything else accomplishments. Recently, the track was used in a trailer for Despicable Me 4. “Previously I felt differently, but now I accept it,” Li says. “Should you just hear one DragonForce song, it’s totally cool – everyone’s got their own musical journey and I’m glad we’ve been part of people’s lives”.
The Lasting Legacy from the Iconic Controller
Top-tier promotion, be it for cars, apparel or video games, extends beyond mere transactions – it evokes a longing. Did Guitar Hero tap into that? “That’s exactly what our team aiming to achieve,” he confirms. “The excitement of being a rock star on the stage. Since the beginning, the co-founders felt that humans have a natural urge to make music, and they wanted to use technology to enable everyone to do it”.
The majority of Guitar Hero games came out in just a five-year period between 2005 and 2010, including spin-offs like the DJ version, including a spinning deck, and Band Hero. After that, the publisher’s interest on peripherals waned, except for a brief comeback in 2015.
Games such as the fan project and Fortnite Festival have kept the community active, and there’s expectations of something from the original publisher in development. A new studio has begun work on their first music game. Original co-founders are both involved in advisory roles. Are gamers prepared to welcome another game in the spirit of the classic?
“We thought those games could be like Madden allowing annual releases,” Dornbrook says. “With abundant fresh tracks that it could be perennially popular, thus I remain hopeful. It's entirely possible why it can’t persist with new generations.”
