Marking two decades since the legendary game hit the market in North America, giving players everywhere the tools to feel like rock legends. Not literally, though you'd be hard-pressed convincing someone who's nailed the epic lengthy instrumental break before an enthusiastic crowd of friends.
Created by the developers, the game gave players a guitar-shaped controller to match on-screen cues moving along the screen synchronized to the music. Every sequence corresponded to specific notes, creating the sensation of a genuine live show.
The studio previously tried its hand with rhythm games before partnering with RedOctane, which was purchased by the gaming giant in 2006. Together, they laid the groundwork for an unlikely massively profitable series that had a significant influence for many of the artists included, introducing decades-old bands to a new generation of gaming enthusiasts.
Michael Dornbrook, former COO of Harmonix, remembers the early financial challenges of licensing the recordings – despite the fact the first two games mostly used cover versions.
“We reproduced every song since the cost was so high,” he explains. “Despite having the necessary permissions by themselves, it proved nearly impossible. We couldn’t get acts such as the Who – RedOctane had virtually no money, and we were fairly certain the project would flop. But once the game took off, and record sales and radio play increased, all artists desired to be in.”
He adds: “One of the remarkable aspects was the number of parents reached out expressing gratitude for introducing their kids to the music they loved. It became a multigenerational phenomenon.”
Classic Rock Gains a New Audience
Northern Irish group one featured act included their track in the 2008 release Guitar Hero World Tour. Lead musician the artist remembers the way the game revived older hits back into vogue: “Guitar Hero provided a bigger, younger audience. Generally such music was seen as outdated material, but then when it was featured on the game young people discovered it, abruptly it became trendy. This validated the genre, eliminating the ‘dad rock’ label. It gave all our music renewed popularity.”
In 2008, the band's first record remained not available stateside, so the game was a key medium of discovery for the band as they went on US tour opening for the rock giants. “Their crew had on the song on the tour bus, and some of them recognized us thanks to the game,” he notes.
Rock’s Heavyweight Spin-offs Enduring Impact
Rock’s biggest acts quickly capitalised on the game's success, with Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen starring in dedicated spin-off titles centered around their music collections and associated lore, visuals and legendary status. In the case of, the Aerosmith edition, reportedly earned the band more money than any of their studio albums. It sold well over half a million 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 nimble-fingered fanaticism among its fans. Earlier this year, an online personality achieved an impressive attempt of DragonForce’s the challenging track – an infamously tough power-metal song popularized through the game – using a fan-made version, a no-cost alternative with almost identical gameplay but an array of customisation options. This track is difficult enough on the hardest setting, not to mention performed at increased tempo and without missing every one of the thousands of cues. They claimed requiring months of practice of practice.
“The game offers a, fantasy thing. If you play Call of Duty, that doesn’t mean you should pick up a real gun and go to war,” says DragonForce guitarist Herman Li.
DragonForce had already completed a successful tour when their hit appeared in the third game, but Li says it turned them into widely recognized. “I remember the record label informing us that we were records were moving rapidly,” he says. “Popularity surged on the subsequent tour, and we performed just before the headliners on the Mayhem festival.”
In fact, DragonForce’s exposure via the game proved so vast that it has threatened to overshadow all other accomplishments. Last year, the song was used in a trailer for Despicable Me 4. “In the past I felt differently, but I’ve made peace with it,” Li says. “Should you just listen to a single track, that's fine – each person has a unique musical journey and I'm pleased we played a role in fans' experiences”.
Enduring Legacy of a Iconic Controller
Top-tier promotion, be it for automobiles, clothes or video games, extends beyond mere transactions – it evokes a desire. Was the game able to harness this? “That’s exactly what our team aiming to achieve,” he confirms. “That thrill of performing as a music icon on the stage. From day one, the creators believed humans have a natural urge to create songs, and they wanted to leverage innovation to enable everyone to participate”.
The majority installments came out over a mere five-year period between 2005 and 2010, featuring spin-offs like DJ Hero, complete with a turntable controller, and Band Hero. Subsequently, the publisher’s interest in plastic instruments waned, except for a short-lived revival several years later.
Titles such as Clone Hero and Fortnite Festival have maintained the scene active, and there’s set to be something from the founders on the way. Recently formed developers has entered production on its debut music game. Original co-founders are both involved as special advisers. Are gamers ready to embrace another game following Guitar Hero?
“Our team believed those games could be similar to sports games allowing annual update every year,” Dornbrook says. “With abundant new music that it could be evergreen, thus I remain optimistic. There’s no reason for it to continue with new generations.”
