It has been two decades since Guitar Hero first launched in North America, providing players everywhere the opportunity to feel like a rock star. Figuratively speaking, though you'd be hard-pressed convincing someone who has nailed Free Bird’s four-minute guitar solo before an enthusiastic crowd of friends.
Developed by the developers, Guitar Hero provided users with a guitar-shaped controller to follow on-screen cues moving along the display in time with a song. Each riff corresponded to specific notes, producing the sensation of a genuine live show.
The studio previously tried its hand in the music genre prior to teaming up with the publisher, later purchased by Activision in 2006. Together, they established the foundations for an unlikely billion-dollar series that had a significant impact for many of the artists included, showcasing classic bands to a new generation of younger players.
Michael Dornbrook, former COO of Harmonix, recalls the initial financial challenges in securing the recordings – even though initial releases mostly used cover versions.
“We reproduced all the music because the cost prohibitive,” he explains. “Even with the publishing rights by themselves, it was extremely difficult. 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 became a hit, album purchases and radio play increased, all artists desired to participate.”
He adds: “Among the remarkable aspects was how many parents reached out and thanked us for exposing their children to the music they loved. It evolved into a multigenerational thing.”
Timeless Music Finds Younger Fans
Northern Irish group the Answer included Never Too Late on the 2008 game the popular installment. Guitarist the artist recalls how the series brought older hits to the forefront: “Guitar Hero offered a bigger, younger audience. Generally this had been considered music that was past it, but then when it was featured on the title young people discovered it, abruptly it was cool. This validated it, and got rid of the outdated label. It gave all our music renewed popularity.”
In 2008, the band's first record remained unreleased in the US, so Guitar Hero was a key medium of discovery for the group during their US tour opening for AC/DC. “Their crew had on the song on the tour bus, and some of them knew us from Guitar Hero,” Mahon says.
Rock’s Heavyweight Titles and Lasting Impact
Music's heavyweight names quickly took advantage of the game's success, with Aerosmith, Metallica and others starring in dedicated game editions centered around each band’s catalogue and associated lore, imagery and rock’n’roll mythology. In the case of, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, reportedly to have made the group greater revenue compared to their records. It moved well over half a million copies upon release, while sales of their songs saw an increase significantly during an era as the industry was already collapsing.
Guitar Hero continues to inspire quick-handed dedication among its fans. Earlier this year, a streamer completed a remarkable feat of DragonForce’s the challenging track – an infamously tough power-metal song popularized through Guitar Hero – using a fan-made version, a freeware game with almost identical gameplay and extensive personalization features. This track is difficult enough on expert mode, let alone played at increased tempo while hitting a single one of its near 4,000 notes. They stated it took nine months to accomplish.
“The game is a fun, fantasy thing. If you play other games, it doesn't imply you should pick up actual weapons and go to war,” says DragonForce guitarist the artist.
The band previously wrapped up a successful tour when their hit was featured on Guitar Hero III, but Li says it made them a household name. “I remember the record label informing us that we were selling albums like crazy,” he says. “It exploded when we next toured, and we performed right ahead of top acts on the Mayhem festival.”
Indeed, the band's visibility via the game was so immense that it threatened to eclipsing all other accomplishments. Recently, the song featured in a trailer for a major film. “Previously I felt differently, but now I accept it,” Li says. “Should you just hear one DragonForce song, that's fine – each person has their own path in music and I'm pleased we’ve been part of people’s lives”.
Enduring Impact from the Iconic Controller
The best marketing, whether it’s for cars, clothes or video games, extends beyond than selling something – it inspires a desire. Was the game able to harness this? “Precisely what we were trying to create,” Dornbrook says. “That thrill of performing as a rock star in the spotlight. From day one, the co-founders believed there’s an instinctive human desire to create songs, and their goal was to leverage innovation to allow people to participate”.
Most installments were released in just a half-decade between 2005 and 2010, including derivative titles such as DJ Hero, including a spinning deck, and the band-focused game. After that, corporate focus in plastic instruments died down, aside from a brief comeback several years later.
Games such as Clone Hero and Fortnite Festival have kept the community alive, and there’s expectations of something from the founders in development. A new studio has entered work on their first rhythm-based title. The initial creators are both involved in advisory roles. Is the world prepared to welcome a new entry following Guitar Hero?
“Our team believed such titles could be similar to sports games where you can releases,” he remarks. “With abundant fresh tracks it could remain perennially popular, thus I remain optimistic. It's entirely possible why it can’t persist with new generations.”
