It has been 20 years since Guitar Hero first launched in North America, offering everyday gamers the opportunity to become rock legends. Figuratively speaking, but try convincing someone who's nailed Free Bird’s lengthy guitar solo in front of a packed living-room audience.
Developed by Harmonix, Guitar Hero gave players a guitar-shaped controller to follow coloured notes scrolling down the screen synchronized to a song. Every sequence mimicked particular chords, creating the sensation of a genuine live show.
Harmonix had already experimented 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 series which made a significant influence for many of the artists featured, showcasing decades-old groups to a new generation of younger players.
Michael Dornbrook, ex-chief operating officer of Harmonix, remembers the initial financial challenges of licensing the songs – despite the fact initial releases mostly used cover versions.
“We rerecorded every song because the cost prohibitive,” he says. “Even with the publishing rights alone, it proved extremely difficult. We couldn’t get bands like the Who – RedOctane had virtually no money, and our team was fairly certain the project would flop. But once Guitar Hero took off, album purchases airtime were going up, all artists desired to be in.”
He continues: “One of the remarkable aspects was how many mothers and fathers got in touch and thanked us for exposing their kids to the music they adored. It evolved into a multigenerational thing.”
Classic Rock Gains a New Audience
Irish group the Answer had their track in the 2008 release Guitar Hero World Tour. Lead musician the artist remembers how the series brought classic rock back into vogue: “Guitar Hero offered a larger, younger audience. Typically this had been considered outdated material, however when it was included in the title young people discovered it, abruptly it was cool. This validated it, and got rid of the outdated label. It gave our catalog renewed popularity.”
In 2008, the Answer’s debut album remained not available stateside, meaning the game was a key medium for exposure for the group as they went on a North American tour opening for AC/DC. “Their crew had on the song on the tour bus, and several recognized us thanks to the game,” Mahon says.
Major Band Titles Enduring Impact
Music's biggest acts quickly took advantage of the game's success, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and others starring in specialized spin-off titles that focused on each band’s catalogue and related stories, imagery and legendary status. For example, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, reportedly to have made the band greater revenue compared to their records. It sold well over half a million units in its first week, while demand for Aerosmith’s music saw an increase of up to 40% during an era as the industry was already collapsing.
The series continues to inspire quick-handed dedication within the community. Recently, a streamer completed a remarkable feat of DragonForce’s the challenging track – a notoriously difficult anthem made popular by the game – on Clone Hero, a no-cost alternative with almost identical gameplay but an array of personalization features. The song is difficult even in the hardest setting, not to mention played at increased tempo and without missing every one of its near 4,000 notes. They stated requiring months of practice to accomplish.
“The game offers a, imaginary experience. If you play Call of Duty, it doesn't imply you ought to pick up a real gun and enlist,” says DragonForce guitarist Herman Li.
The band previously wrapped up a profitable run before their hit appeared on Guitar Hero III, yet he explains it made them widely recognized. “I recall the record label informing us that we were selling albums rapidly,” he says. “Popularity surged on the subsequent tour, and we performed just before top acts on the Mayhem festival.”
In fact, the band's visibility via the game was so immense that it risked overshadow everything else accomplishments. Recently, the song was used in promotional material for a major film. “In the past I thought otherwise, but I’ve made peace with it,” Li says. “Should you just listen to a single track, that's fine – each person has their own path in music and I’m glad we played a role of people’s lives”.
Enduring Legacy from the Plastic Guitar
The best marketing, be it for automobiles, apparel or video games, goes further than selling something – it inspires a desire. Was the game able to harness this? “Precisely what our team aiming to achieve,” he confirms. “That thrill of being a music icon in the spotlight. From day one, the creators felt that humans have a natural urge to make music, and they wanted to leverage innovation to allow people to do it”.
The majority installments came out over a mere five-year period between 2005 and 2010, featuring spin-offs like DJ Hero, including a spinning deck, and the band-focused game. Subsequently, the publisher’s interest on peripherals waned, except for a short-lived revival several years later.
Titles like Clone Hero and newer releases have maintained the community alive, with set to be something from the original publisher on the way. A new studio has begun work on its debut music game. Original co-founders are both involved in advisory roles. Is the world prepared to welcome another game following the classic?
“Our team believed those games could be similar to sports games where you can releases,” Dornbrook says. “With abundant new music that it could be evergreen, thus I remain optimistic. There’s no reason why it can’t persist with new generations.”
