Marking two decades after the legendary game debuted across the Atlantic, giving players everywhere the tools to feel like a rock star. Not in reality, though you'd be hard-pressed telling that someone who's nailed the epic lengthy instrumental break before a packed crowd of friends.
Created by Harmonix, the game provided users with a guitar-shaped controller to match coloured notes scrolling down the screen in time with a song. Each riff corresponded to specific notes, producing the sensation of a genuine live show.
The studio previously experimented with rhythm games before partnering with the publisher, later purchased by Activision during the mid-2000s. Collaboratively, they established the groundwork for a surprising massively profitable series which made a significant impact for many musicians featured, introducing decades-old bands to a new generation of younger players.
Michael Dornbrook, ex-chief operating officer from the developer, remembers the initial budgetary hurdles in securing the recordings – even though initial releases mostly used cover versions.
“We rerecorded all the music since the dollar figure prohibitive,” he explains. “Despite having the necessary permissions by themselves, it was nearly impossible. We couldn’t get bands like legendary groups – RedOctane was operating on a shoestring budget, and our team was pretty convinced the project would flop. But once Guitar Hero became a hit, album purchases and radio play were going up, all artists desired to participate.”
He continues: “One of the amazing things was how many parents reached out expressing gratitude for exposing their children to the songs they adored. It became a multigenerational thing.”
Classic Rock Finds Younger Fans
Irish blues-rock band the Answer had their track in the 2008 release the popular installment. Guitarist Paul Mahon remembers how the series brought older hits back into vogue: “Guitar Hero provided a larger, younger audience. Typically such music was seen as music that was past it, however once it got featured on the title young people were finding it, suddenly it was cool. That legitimised it, eliminating the outdated label. It gave all our music a new life.”
At that time, the band's debut album remained unreleased in the US, meaning the game served as a primary platform for exposure for the group as they went on US tour opening for AC/DC. “Their crew were playing the song during travel, and several recognized us thanks to the game,” he notes.
Major Band Spin-offs Enduring Influence
Music's biggest acts soon took advantage of the series’ popularity, with Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen featuring in specialized spin-off titles that focused on each band’s catalogue and related lore, imagery and rock’n’roll mythology. In the case of, the Aerosmith edition, reportedly earned the band greater revenue compared to their records. It sold well over half a million copies upon release, while sales of their songs saw an increase significantly during an era as the industry faced decline.
The series continues to inspire quick-handed dedication among its fans. Earlier this year, an online personality achieved a remarkable feat featuring the challenging track – a notoriously difficult power-metal song popularized through the game – on Clone Hero, a freeware game with almost identical mechanics but an array of customisation options. This track is challenging enough on the hardest setting, let alone performed at double speed and without missing a single one of the thousands of cues. They stated requiring months of practice of practice.
“Guitar Hero is a fun, fantasy thing. Just as with Call of Duty, that doesn’t mean you should use actual weapons and enlist,” says DragonForce guitarist Herman Li.
DragonForce previously completed a profitable run when Through the Fire and Flames appeared in the third game, but Li says it turned them into a household name. “I remember our distributors informing us that our selling albums like crazy,” he says. “Popularity surged when we next toured, and we performed just before the headliners at the event.”
Indeed, DragonForce’s exposure via the game proved so vast that it risked overshadow all other the band has done. Last year, the song featured in promotional material for a major film. “Previously I felt differently, but now I accept it,” Li says. “Should you just listen to a single track, it’s totally cool – each person has their own path in music and I'm pleased we played a role of people’s lives”.
The Lasting Impact of a Iconic Controller
Top-tier marketing, be it for automobiles, clothes or video games, extends beyond mere transactions – it evokes a longing. Was the game able to harness this? “That’s exactly what we were trying to create,” he confirms. “The excitement of being a music icon in the spotlight. Since the beginning, the creators believed humans have a natural human desire to create songs, and their goal was to use technology to allow people to do it”.
Most of Guitar Hero games came out over a mere five-year period between 2005 and 2010, including derivative titles such as the DJ version, including a turntable controller, and Band Hero. Subsequently, corporate focus on peripherals died down, aside from a brief comeback several years later.
Games such as the fan project and Fortnite Festival have kept the scene alive, and there’s expectations of something from the original publisher in development. Recently formed developers has entered work on their first rhythm-based title. The initial creators are both involved as special advisers. Are gamers prepared to welcome another game following the classic?
“We thought such titles might become like Madden allowing annual releases,” Dornbrook says. “There’s so much fresh tracks that it could be evergreen, so I’ve always been hopeful. It's entirely possible for it to persist with new generations.”
