It has been two decades since the legendary game debuted across the Atlantic, providing players everywhere the means to become rock legends. Not in reality, but try telling that someone who's mastered the epic lengthy guitar solo before an enthusiastic living-room audience.
Created by Harmonix, Guitar Hero provided users with a guitar-shaped controller to follow coloured notes scrolling down the screen synchronized to a song. Every sequence mimicked specific notes, creating the sensation of an authentic live show.
The studio previously experimented with rhythm games before partnering with RedOctane, later purchased by the gaming giant during the mid-2000s. Together, they established the groundwork for a surprising massively profitable series that had a remarkable impact for many of the artists featured, showcasing decades-old bands to a new generation of gaming enthusiasts.
Michael Dornbrook, former COO from the developer, recalls the initial budgetary hurdles of licensing the recordings – even though initial releases primarily featured cover versions.
“We rerecorded every song since the cost prohibitive,” he says. “Despite having the publishing rights by themselves, it was nearly impossible. We couldn’t get acts such as the Who – RedOctane had virtually no money, and our team was pretty convinced it would fail. But once Guitar Hero became a hit, album purchases and radio play increased, all artists desired to be in.”
He adds: “Among the remarkable aspects was the number of parents reached out expressing gratitude for exposing their kids to the songs they loved. It evolved into an intergenerational phenomenon.”
Classic Rock Finds a New Audience
Northern Irish group one featured act had their track in the 2008 release Guitar Hero World Tour. Lead musician the artist remembers how the series revived classic rock to the forefront: “Guitar Hero provided a bigger, new demographic. Generally this had been considered music that was past it, but then once it got featured on the title and teenagers discovered it, suddenly it became trendy. That legitimised it, and got rid of the ‘dad rock’ tag. It provided all our music renewed popularity.”
At that time, the Answer’s first record remained not available stateside, so the game served as a primary platform for exposure for the group as they went on US tour supporting AC/DC. “The roadies were playing Never Too Late on the tour bus, and some of them knew us from Guitar Hero,” he notes.
Major Band Titles Enduring Impact
Music's biggest acts quickly capitalised on the game's success, with Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen starring in dedicated spin-off titles centered around their music collections and related lore, imagery and legendary status. In the case of, the Aerosmith edition, it was said earned the band more money compared to their records. It sold well over half a million copies upon release, while demand for Aerosmith’s music rose significantly during an era as the industry faced decline.
The series continues to inspire nimble-fingered dedication among its fans. Recently, a streamer completed an impressive attempt featuring Through the Fire and Flames – a notoriously difficult anthem made popular by Guitar Hero – using a fan-made version, a no-cost alternative with almost identical gameplay and extensive customisation options. This track is challenging even in the hardest setting, not to mention played at increased tempo while hitting a single one of its near 4,000 notes. The streamer stated requiring nine months to accomplish.
“The game is a fun, fantasy thing. Just as with other games, that doesn’t mean you should pick up actual weapons and go to war,” notes musician Herman Li.
The band had already completed a profitable run before Through the Fire and Flames appeared on Guitar Hero III, yet he explains it turned them into widely recognized. “I recall our distributors informing us that we were records were moving like crazy,” he says. “It exploded on the subsequent tour, and we were playing just before top acts at the event.”
In fact, the band's visibility via the game was so immense that it threatened to eclipsing everything else the band has done. Last year, the song was used in promotional material for Despicable Me 4. “Previously I felt otherwise, but now I accept it,” Li says. “If you only listen to a single track, it’s totally cool – each person has a unique path in music and I’m glad we’ve been part in fans' experiences”.
Enduring Impact from the Plastic Guitar
The best promotion, be it for cars, clothes or games, extends beyond than selling something – it evokes a desire. Did Guitar Hero tap into that? “That’s exactly what our team trying to create,” he confirms. “The excitement of performing as a music icon on the stage. From day one, the co-founders felt that humans have a natural urge to create songs, and they wanted to leverage innovation to enable everyone to participate”.
Most installments came out over a mere half-decade from 2005 to 2010, including derivative titles like the DJ version, including a turntable controller, and Band Hero. Subsequently, the publisher’s interest in plastic instruments waned, except for a short-lived revival in 2015.
Games like the fan project and Fortnite Festival have kept the scene active, and there’s expectations of something from the original publisher on the way. A new studio has entered work on their first music game. Original co-founders are participating as special advisers. Is the world prepared to welcome a new entry in the spirit of Guitar Hero?
“We thought those games might become similar to sports games where you can update every year,” Dornbrook says. “There’s so much new music that it could be evergreen, thus I remain optimistic. There’s no reason why it can’t continue with new generations.”
