Marking two decades since Guitar Hero debuted across the Atlantic, providing players everywhere the means to become rock legends. Not literally, though you'd be hard-pressed convincing someone who has mastered the epic four-minute guitar solo in front of an enthusiastic living-room audience.
Created by Harmonix, Guitar Hero provided users with a guitar-shaped controller to follow coloured notes moving along the screen synchronized to a song. Each riff corresponded to specific notes, producing 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 acquired by Activision in 2006. Together, they laid the groundwork for an unlikely billion-dollar franchise which made a remarkable impact on numerous musicians featured, showcasing decades-old bands to millions of younger players.
A former executive, former COO of Harmonix, remembers the early budgetary hurdles of licensing the recordings – despite the fact initial releases primarily featured cover versions.
“We rerecorded all the music because the dollar figure was so high,” he explains. “Despite having the publishing rights by themselves, it was extremely difficult. We couldn’t get bands like the Who – the publisher had virtually no money, and we were fairly certain it would fail. However, when the game became a hit, and record sales airtime were going up, all artists desired to be in.”
He continues: “Among the remarkable aspects was how many parents got in touch expressing gratitude for exposing their kids to the songs they adored. It evolved into an intergenerational phenomenon.”
Classic Rock Gains a New Audience
Northern Irish group the Answer included Never Too Late in the 2008 release Guitar Hero World Tour. Lead musician Paul Mahon remembers how the series revived older hits to the forefront: “The game offered a bigger, new demographic. Generally this had been seen as outdated material, however once it got included in the title young people were finding it, abruptly it was cool. That legitimised it, eliminating the outdated tag. It provided all our music a new life.”
In 2008, the Answer’s first record was still not available in the US, meaning Guitar Hero served as a primary platform of discovery for the group during their US tour supporting AC/DC. “The roadies had on the song during travel, and several knew us thanks to the game,” he notes.
Rock’s Heavyweight Titles Enduring Influence
Rock’s heavyweight names soon capitalised on the game's success, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen featuring in specialized game editions centered around each band’s catalogue and associated lore, imagery and rock’n’roll mythology. In the case of, the Aerosmith edition, reportedly earned the group greater revenue compared to their studio albums. It moved more than 500,000 units in its first week, while demand for their songs saw an increase significantly at a time when the music business was already collapsing.
Guitar Hero still motivates quick-handed dedication among its fans. Recently, a streamer achieved a remarkable feat featuring Through the Fire and Flames – an infamously tough anthem made popular by the game – using a fan-made version, a no-cost alternative with similar gameplay but an array of customisation options. This track is challenging even in expert mode, let alone played at increased tempo and without missing a single one of the thousands of cues. They stated requiring nine months of practice.
“Guitar Hero is a fun, imaginary experience. If you play other games, that doesn’t mean you should pick up a real gun and enlist,” notes DragonForce guitarist Herman Li.
DragonForce previously wrapped up a profitable run when their hit was featured on Guitar Hero III, yet he explains it turned them into a household name. “I remember our distributors informing us that we were records were moving like crazy,” he shares. “Popularity surged when we next toured, and we performed just before the headliners at the event.”
Indeed, the band's visibility from Guitar Hero proved so vast that it threatened to overshadow everything else the band has done. Recently, the song featured in promotional material for Despicable Me 4. “In the past I thought otherwise, but I’ve made peace with it,” Li says. “Should you just listen to one DragonForce song, that's fine – each person has their own musical journey and I'm pleased we’ve been part of people’s lives”.
Enduring Legacy from the Iconic Controller
Top-tier promotion, whether it’s for cars, clothes or games, goes further mere transactions – it evokes a desire. Did Guitar Hero 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 there’s an instinctive urge to make music, and their goal was to leverage innovation to allow people to do it”.
The majority installments came out over a mere five-year period between 2005 and 2010, including derivative titles like DJ Hero, complete with a spinning deck, and Band Hero. After that, the publisher’s interest on peripherals died down, except for a short-lived revival in 2015.
Titles such as Clone Hero and newer releases have maintained the community active, with expectations of a new product from the founders in development. A new studio has entered work on its debut music game. Original co-founders are participating in advisory roles. Are gamers ready to embrace a new entry following the classic?
“Our team believed those games could be similar to sports games allowing annual releases,” he remarks. “With abundant new music that it could be perennially popular, thus I remain optimistic. There’s no reason why it can’t persist for future fans.”
