It has been two decades after Guitar Hero first launched across the Atlantic, offering players everywhere the opportunity to become a rock star. Not literally, though you'd be hard-pressed convincing anyone who has nailed the epic lengthy guitar solo before an enthusiastic living-room audience.
Developed by the developers, Guitar Hero gave players a guitar-shaped controller to match coloured notes scrolling down the display synchronized to a song. Each riff mimicked specific notes, creating the sensation of a genuine live show.
The studio had already tried its hand with rhythm games before partnering with the publisher, which was acquired by Activision during the mid-2000s. Together, they established the foundations for a surprising billion-dollar series that had a significant impact for many of the artists featured, showcasing classic groups to a new generation of younger players.
Michael Dornbrook, ex-chief operating officer of Harmonix, recalls the early budgetary hurdles in securing the recordings – even though initial releases mostly used rerecorded tracks.
“We reproduced every song because the dollar figure was so high,” he explains. “Despite having the necessary permissions by themselves, it was extremely difficult. We failed to secure bands like the Who – the publisher was operating on a shoestring budget, and we were pretty convinced it would fail. But once the game became a hit, and record sales airtime were going up, everyone wanted to participate.”
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.”
Timeless Music Finds Younger Fans
Irish blues-rock band the Answer had Never Too Late in the 2008 release Guitar Hero World Tour. Guitarist Paul Mahon recalls the way the game revived classic rock to the forefront: “The game provided a larger, younger audience. Typically this had been seen as music that was past it, but then once it got included in the title and teenagers discovered it, suddenly it was cool. This validated it, eliminating the outdated tag. It gave all our music a new life.”
In 2008, the Answer’s debut album remained unreleased in the US, so Guitar Hero was a key medium for exposure for the group as they went on US tour supporting the rock giants. “Their crew had on the song during travel, and several knew us from Guitar Hero,” he notes.
Rock’s Heavyweight Spin-offs and Lasting Impact
Rock’s biggest acts quickly took advantage of the game's success, with Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen featuring in dedicated spin-off titles that focused on each band’s catalogue and associated lore, visuals and rock’n’roll mythology. For example, the Aerosmith edition, it was said to have made the band greater revenue compared to their records. It moved well over half a million units upon release, while demand for Aerosmith’s music saw an increase of up to 40% at a time when the music business was already collapsing.
The series continues to inspire nimble-fingered fanaticism within the community. Earlier this year, a streamer completed a remarkable feat featuring Through the Fire and Flames – an infamously tough anthem made popular by the game – on Clone Hero, a no-cost alternative with similar gameplay and extensive customisation options. This track is challenging enough on expert mode, let alone performed at increased tempo and without missing a single one of its near 4,000 notes. They claimed it took nine months of practice.
“The game is a fun, imaginary experience. Just as with Call of Duty, that doesn’t mean you ought to pick up actual weapons and enlist,” notes DragonForce guitarist the artist.
The band had already completed a profitable run before their hit was featured in the third game, yet he explains it turned them into a household name. “I recall our distributors informing us that we were records were moving like crazy,” he shares. “It exploded on the subsequent tour, and we were playing just before the headliners on the Mayhem festival.”
In fact, the band's visibility from Guitar Hero proved so vast that it has risked eclipsing all other accomplishments. Last year, the track was used in a trailer for Despicable Me 4. “Previously I felt differently, but I’ve made peace with it,” he admits. “If you only hear a single track, it’s totally cool – each person has a unique path in music and I’m glad we played a role of people’s lives”.
Enduring Impact from the Iconic Controller
The best marketing, be it for automobiles, apparel or video games, extends beyond mere transactions – it inspires a desire. Was the game able to tap into that? “Precisely what our team aiming to achieve,” Dornbrook says. “The excitement of being a music icon on the stage. Since the beginning, the creators felt that humans have a natural urge to create songs, and they wanted to leverage innovation to enable everyone to do it”.
The majority of Guitar Hero games came out in just a five-year period from 2005 to 2010, featuring derivative titles such as the DJ version, complete with a spinning deck, and Band Hero. After that, the publisher’s interest in plastic instruments died down, aside from a short-lived revival several years later.
Titles such as the fan project and Fortnite Festival have maintained the community active, and there’s expectations of something from the original publisher in development. Recently formed developers has entered production on their first music game. Original co-founders are participating as special advisers. Is the world ready to embrace a new entry in the spirit of the classic?
“We thought those games might become similar to sports games where you can update every year,” Dornbrook says. “With abundant new music it could remain perennially popular, so I’ve always been optimistic. There’s no reason for it to persist with new generations.”
