It has been 20 years after Guitar Hero first launched across the Atlantic, giving everyday gamers the opportunity to feel like rock legends. Not in reality, though you'd be hard-pressed convincing someone who's mastered the epic four-minute instrumental break in front of a packed crowd of friends.
Developed by the developers, Guitar Hero provided users with a plastic guitar peripheral to match coloured notes moving along the display synchronized to the music. Each riff corresponded to specific notes, creating the feel of an authentic live show.
Harmonix previously experimented in the music genre prior to teaming up with RedOctane, later acquired by Activision in 2006. Together, they established the groundwork for a surprising billion-dollar franchise that had a significant influence for many of the artists featured, showcasing classic groups to a new generation of younger players.
Michael Dornbrook, ex-chief operating officer from the developer, recalls the early financial challenges in securing the songs – even though initial releases mostly used rerecorded tracks.
“We reproduced every song since the dollar figure prohibitive,” he explains. “Despite having the necessary permissions alone, it proved nearly impossible. We failed to secure bands like legendary groups – the publisher was operating on a shoestring budget, and we were fairly certain the project would flop. However, when Guitar Hero became a hit, album purchases and radio play were going up, all artists desired to be in.”
He adds: “One of the remarkable aspects was how many mothers and fathers reached out and thanked us for exposing their children to the music they adored. It became a multigenerational phenomenon.”
Timeless Music Finds a New Audience
Northern Irish group one featured act included their track on the 2008 game Guitar Hero World Tour. Lead musician Paul Mahon remembers how the series brought classic rock back into vogue: “Guitar Hero offered a bigger, new demographic. Generally such music was considered music that was past it, however when it was included in the title young people discovered it, suddenly it became trendy. That legitimised it, eliminating the ‘dad rock’ tag. It provided all our music renewed popularity.”
In 2008, the Answer’s debut album was still unreleased stateside, meaning the game was a key medium for exposure for the group during their US tour opening for AC/DC. “Their crew had on Never Too Late during travel, and some of them recognized us from Guitar Hero,” Mahon says.
Major Band Spin-offs Enduring Impact
Music's heavyweight names soon capitalised on the series’ popularity, with Aerosmith, Metallica and others starring in dedicated game editions 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 than any of their studio albums. It sold more than half a million units upon release, while demand for Aerosmith’s music rose of up to 40% during an era when the music business faced decline.
Guitar Hero still motivates nimble-fingered fanaticism among its fans. Recently, an online personality achieved an impressive attempt of DragonForce’s Through the Fire and Flames – a notoriously difficult anthem made popular by the game – using a fan-made version, a freeware game with similar gameplay but an array of personalization features. The song is difficult enough on expert mode, let alone performed at double speed and without missing every one of the thousands of cues. They stated it took months of practice to accomplish.
“The game offers a, imaginary experience. Just as with other games, it doesn't imply you ought to use a real gun and go to war,” notes musician Herman Li.
The band had already completed a profitable run before their hit was featured on Guitar Hero III, yet he explains it turned them into widely recognized. “I recall the record label informing us that our selling albums like crazy,” he shares. “It exploded on the subsequent tour, and we were playing right ahead of top acts on the Mayhem festival.”
In fact, DragonForce’s exposure via the game was so immense that it threatened to eclipsing everything else the band has done. Recently, the track was used in promotional material for a major film. “In the past I felt otherwise, but now I accept it,” he admits. “If you only listen to one DragonForce song, that's fine – everyone’s got a unique path in music and I’m glad we’ve been part in fans' experiences”.
The Lasting Impact from the Iconic Controller
The best marketing, whether it’s for cars, apparel or video games, goes further mere transactions – it inspires a desire. Did Guitar Hero harness this? “Precisely what our team trying to create,” he confirms. “The excitement of performing as a rock star on the stage. Since the beginning, the creators believed humans have a natural urge to make music, and their goal was to use technology to enable everyone to do it”.
Most of Guitar Hero games came out over a mere half-decade from 2005 to 2010, including derivative titles such as DJ Hero, including a spinning deck, and Band Hero. After that, corporate focus on peripherals waned, aside from a short-lived revival in 2015.
Titles like the fan project and newer releases have kept the scene active, and there’s expectations of something from the original publisher in development. A new studio has begun production on its debut rhythm-based title. The initial creators are participating as special advisers. Is the world ready to embrace another game following the classic?
“Our team believed such titles could be similar to sports games allowing annual releases,” Dornbrook says. “There’s so much new music it could remain evergreen, so I’ve always been optimistic. It's entirely possible why it can’t continue for future fans.”
