Marking two decades since Guitar Hero debuted in North America, offering everyday gamers the means to feel like a rock star. Not in reality, though you'd be hard-pressed convincing someone who has mastered Free Bird’s lengthy instrumental break before an enthusiastic crowd of friends.
Created by Harmonix, the game provided users with a guitar-shaped controller to match coloured notes moving along the display synchronized to the music. Each riff mimicked specific notes, producing the sensation of a genuine live show.
Harmonix previously tried its hand in the music genre before partnering with RedOctane, which was acquired by Activision during the mid-2000s. Collaboratively, they established the groundwork for an unlikely billion-dollar series that had a remarkable impact for many of the artists included, showcasing decades-old groups to millions of gaming enthusiasts.
Michael Dornbrook, ex-chief operating officer from the developer, recalls the early budgetary hurdles in securing the recordings – even though initial releases mostly used cover versions.
“We rerecorded every song because the cost was so high,” he says. “Even with the necessary permissions by themselves, it was nearly impossible. We failed to secure bands like the Who – RedOctane had virtually no money, and we were pretty convinced it would fail. However, when Guitar Hero took off, album purchases and radio play increased, all artists desired to be in.”
He adds: “Among the remarkable aspects was how many mothers and fathers reached out expressing gratitude for exposing their children to the music they adored. It evolved into an intergenerational phenomenon.”
Classic Rock Finds a New Audience
Northern Irish blues-rock band one featured act included their track on the 2008 game Guitar Hero World Tour. Guitarist Paul Mahon remembers how the series revived older hits to the forefront: “Guitar Hero offered a bigger, new demographic. Typically such music was seen as outdated material, however when it was included in the title young people were finding it, suddenly it became trendy.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 it, and got rid of the ‘dad rock’ label. It gave all our music a new life.”
At that time, the Answer’s debut album remained not available in the US, so Guitar Hero served as a primary platform of discovery for the band as they went on a North American tour opening for the rock giants. “The roadies had on the song during travel, and several knew us from Guitar Hero,” Mahon says.
Rock’s Heavyweight Spin-offs and Lasting Influence
Music's heavyweight names soon capitalised on the series’ popularity, with Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen starring in specialized spin-off titles that focused on their music collections and associated lore, imagery and legendary status. For example, the Aerosmith edition, reportedly earned the band more money compared to their records. It moved more than half a million copies in its first week, while sales of Aerosmith’s music rose significantly at a time as the industry was already collapsing.
Guitar Hero still motivates nimble-fingered fanaticism within the community. Recently, a streamer completed a remarkable feat featuring the challenging track – a notoriously difficult anthem popularized through Guitar Hero – using a fan-made version, a no-cost alternative with almost identical mechanics and extensive customisation options. This track is difficult enough on expert mode, let alone performed at double speed and without missing every one of the thousands of cues. The streamer claimed it took nine months to accomplish.
“The game is a fun, imaginary experience. Just as with other games, it doesn't imply you should pick up actual weapons and go to war,” says musician Herman Li.
DragonForce had already wrapped up a successful tour before Through the Fire and Flames appeared in the third game, but Li says it turned them into widely recognized. “I recall the record label informing us that our records were moving like crazy,” he shares. “Popularity surged on the subsequent tour, and we were playing right ahead of the headliners at the event.”
In fact, the band's visibility via the game was so immense that it has risked overshadow everything else accomplishments. Last year, the track featured in a trailer for a major film. “In the past I felt otherwise, but I’ve made peace with it,” Li says. “Should you just listen to a single track, it’s totally cool – each person has their own musical journey and I’m glad we’ve been part of people’s lives”.
The Lasting Impact of a Iconic Controller
Top-tier promotion, whether it’s for cars, apparel or video games, extends beyond than selling something – it evokes a longing. Was the game able to harness this? “Precisely what our team trying to create,” he confirms. “That thrill of performing as a rock star on the stage. From day one, the creators felt that humans have a natural human desire to make music, and their goal was to use technology to allow people to participate”.
Most of Guitar Hero games were released in just a five-year period from 2005 to 2010, including spin-offs such as the DJ version, including a turntable controller, and the band-focused game. Subsequently, corporate focus in plastic instruments died down, except for a short-lived revival in 2015.
Titles such as the fan project and Fortnite Festival have maintained the community active, and there’s expectations of a new product from the original publisher in development. A new studio has entered production on their first rhythm-based title. The initial creators are participating as special advisers. Are gamers ready to embrace another game in the spirit of the classic?
“Our team believed those games might become like Madden where you can update every year,” Dornbrook says. “There’s so much new music it could remain evergreen, thus I remain optimistic. It's entirely possible for it to continue with new generations.”
