It has been 20 years after Guitar Hero first launched in North America, providing players everywhere the opportunity to feel like a rock star. Not literally, but try telling that anyone who has nailed the epic four-minute instrumental break in front of a packed crowd of friends.
Developed by Harmonix, Guitar Hero provided users with a plastic guitar peripheral to follow coloured notes moving along the screen in time with the music. Each riff mimicked particular chords, producing the feel of an authentic live show.
Harmonix previously tried its hand with rhythm games prior to teaming up with the publisher, later purchased by Activision during the mid-2000s. Together, they laid the foundations for an unlikely billion-dollar franchise that had a significant impact for many musicians included, introducing decades-old groups to a new generation of younger players.
Michael Dornbrook, former COO from the developer, recalls the early budgetary hurdles of licensing the recordings – despite the fact the first two games primarily featured cover versions.
“We reproduced every song because the cost was so high,” he explains. “Even with the publishing rights alone, it proved extremely difficult. We failed to secure acts such as legendary groups – RedOctane had virtually no money, and we were fairly certain it would fail. But once the game took off, and record sales and radio play increased, all artists desired to be in.”
He continues: “Among the amazing things was the number of mothers and fathers reached out expressing gratitude for introducing their children to the music they loved. It became a multigenerational thing.”
Timeless Music Gains Younger Fans
Northern Irish group the Answer included their track in the 2008 release Guitar Hero World Tour. Lead musician the artist remembers the way the game brought classic rock back into vogue: “The game provided a bigger, younger audience. Typically this had been considered outdated material, but then when it was featured on the game and teenagers discovered it, abruptly it was cool. This validated it, and got rid of the ‘dad rock’ tag. It gave our catalog a new life.”
At that time, the Answer’s debut album was still not available stateside, so the game served as a primary platform for exposure for the band as they went on US tour opening for AC/DC. “Their crew were playing the song during travel, and some of them recognized us thanks to the game,” he notes.
Rock’s Heavyweight Spin-offs Enduring Impact
Rock’s biggest acts soon took advantage of the series’ popularity, with Aerosmith, Metallica and others featuring in dedicated spin-off titles centered around their music collections and associated lore, visuals and rock’n’roll mythology. In the case of, the Aerosmith edition, it was said earned the group greater revenue compared to their studio albums. It sold more than 500,000 copies in its first week, and demand for Aerosmith’s music rose significantly during an era as the industry faced decline.
The series continues to inspire quick-handed dedication among its fans. Earlier this year, a streamer achieved an impressive attempt of DragonForce’s the challenging track – a notoriously difficult power-metal song made popular by Guitar Hero – on Clone Hero, a freeware game with similar mechanics but an array of customisation options. This track is challenging enough on the hardest setting, let alone played at increased tempo and without missing every one of the thousands of cues. They stated requiring months of practice of practice.
“The game is a fun, imaginary experience. Just as with Call of Duty, that doesn’t mean you should pick up actual weapons and enlist,” notes DragonForce guitarist Herman Li.
The band had already wrapped up a profitable run before their hit appeared in the third game, yet he explains it turned them into widely recognized. “I recall our distributors calling to tell me that we were selling albums rapidly,” he says. “Popularity surged when we next toured, and we performed right ahead of the headliners on the Mayhem festival.”
Indeed, DragonForce’s exposure via the game was so immense that it threatened to eclipsing everything else the band has done. Last year, the song featured in promotional material for Despicable Me 4. “In the past I felt otherwise, but I’ve made peace with it,” Li says. “Should you just hear one DragonForce song, that's fine – everyone’s got their own musical journey and I’m glad we’ve been part in fans' experiences”.
Enduring Impact of a Iconic Controller
Top-tier marketing, be it for cars, clothes or games, extends beyond mere transactions – it evokes a desire. Was the game able to tap into that? “Precisely what we were trying to create,” he confirms. “That thrill of being a rock star on the stage. From day one, the co-founders felt that humans have a natural human desire to make music, and their goal was to use technology to enable everyone to do it”.
The majority installments were released over a mere half-decade between 2005 and 2010, featuring spin-offs such as DJ Hero, including a spinning deck, and Band Hero. Subsequently, corporate focus in plastic instruments died down, aside from a brief comeback in 2015.
Titles like the fan project and Fortnite Festival have kept the scene active, and there’s expectations of something from the founders on the way. A new studio has begun production on its debut rhythm-based title. Original co-founders are participating in advisory roles. Are gamers prepared to welcome another game in the spirit of Guitar Hero?
“Our team believed such titles could be like Madden where you can releases,” Dornbrook says. “There’s so much fresh tracks it could remain perennially popular, so I’ve always been optimistic. It's entirely possible why it can’t persist for future fans.”
