Marking 20 years since Guitar Hero hit the market in North America, providing players everywhere the means to feel like a rock star. Not in reality, but try telling that someone who has mastered the epic lengthy guitar solo before a packed crowd of friends.
Developed by the developers, Guitar Hero gave players a plastic guitar peripheral to match coloured notes scrolling down the display in time with the music. Every sequence mimicked particular chords, producing the sensation of an authentic performance.
Harmonix had already tried its hand in the music genre before partnering with the publisher, later purchased by Activision during the mid-2000s. Together, they established the foundations for a surprising billion-dollar franchise which made a significant impact on numerous of the artists featured, showcasing decades-old bands to millions of gaming enthusiasts.
A former executive, former COO from the developer, remembers the initial budgetary hurdles in securing the songs – despite the fact the first two games mostly used cover versions.
“We reproduced every song because the cost was so high,” he explains. “Despite having the necessary permissions alone, it was nearly impossible. We failed to secure bands like the Who – the publisher was operating on a shoestring budget, and our team was pretty convinced it would fail. But once Guitar Hero took off, and record sales airtime increased, all artists desired to be in.”
He adds: “Among the amazing things was how many parents got in touch and thanked us for introducing their children to the songs they loved. It became a multigenerational phenomenon.”
Classic Rock Gains a New Audience
Northern Irish blues-rock band one featured act had Never Too Late on the 2008 game Guitar Hero World Tour. Lead musician Paul Mahon recalls how the series revived classic rock to the forefront: “Guitar Hero offered a bigger, new demographic. Typically this had been seen as outdated material, however once it got included in the game young people were finding it, suddenly it became trendy. This validated the genre, eliminating the outdated label. It gave our catalog a new life.”
In 2008, the band's debut album remained not available stateside, so the game was a key medium for exposure for the band during their US tour opening for AC/DC. “Their crew had on the song on the tour bus, and several knew us thanks to the game,” Mahon says.
Rock’s Heavyweight Titles Enduring Impact
Rock’s biggest acts soon capitalised on the series’ popularity, with Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen starring in specialized spin-off titles centered around each band’s catalogue and related lore, imagery and legendary status. For example, the Aerosmith edition, reportedly to have made the group greater revenue than any of their records. It moved more than half a million units upon release, and sales of their songs rose of up to 40% at a time as the industry was already collapsing.
The series continues to inspire nimble-fingered dedication among its fans. Earlier this year, a streamer completed an impressive attempt of DragonForce’s Through the Fire and Flames – an infamously tough power-metal song popularized through Guitar Hero – on Clone Hero, a freeware game with almost identical mechanics and extensive personalization features. The song is difficult enough on expert mode, not to mention performed at increased tempo while hitting every one of the thousands of cues. The streamer stated requiring nine months of practice.
“Guitar Hero offers a, fantasy thing. Just as with other games, it doesn't imply you should use actual weapons and enlist,” says musician Herman Li.
DragonForce had already wrapped up a successful tour when Through the Fire and Flames was featured on Guitar Hero III, but Li says it made them a household name. “I remember our distributors calling to tell me that our selling albums rapidly,” 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 threatened to overshadow all other the band has done. Last year, the song was used in a trailer for Despicable Me 4. “Previously I thought otherwise, but now I accept it,” he admits. “If you only listen to one DragonForce song, it’s totally cool – everyone’s got their own path in music and I'm pleased we played a role of people’s lives”.
Enduring Legacy from the Plastic Guitar
Top-tier promotion, whether it’s for cars, clothes or video games, goes further than selling something – it evokes a desire. Did Guitar Hero tap into that? “Precisely what our team aiming to achieve,” Dornbrook says. “The excitement of performing as a music icon on the stage. Since the beginning, the co-founders believed humans have a natural urge to make music, and their goal was to use technology to allow people to do it”.
The majority of Guitar Hero games were released in just a five-year period from 2005 to 2010, featuring derivative titles such as the DJ version, including a spinning deck, and the band-focused game. After that, the publisher’s interest in plastic instruments waned, except for a brief comeback in 2015.
Games such as Clone Hero and Fortnite Festival have kept the community active, with set to be a new product from the original publisher on the way. A new studio has begun work on their first music game. Original co-founders are participating in advisory roles. Are gamers ready to embrace another game following Guitar Hero?
“We thought such titles might become like Madden allowing annual releases,” he remarks. “There’s so much fresh tracks it could remain perennially popular, thus I remain optimistic. It's entirely possible for it to persist with new generations.”
