Marking two decades since the legendary game hit the market in North America, giving everyday gamers the tools to feel like rock legends. Figuratively speaking, but try convincing someone who's mastered the epic four-minute instrumental break before a packed living-room audience.
Created by the developers, Guitar Hero provided users with a guitar-shaped controller to follow on-screen cues moving along the display synchronized to the music. Every sequence mimicked specific notes, creating the sensation of an authentic performance.
Harmonix previously tried its hand with rhythm games prior to teaming up with the publisher, later acquired by Activision during the mid-2000s. Together, they established the groundwork for an unlikely massively profitable series which made a remarkable impact for many of the artists included, showcasing classic groups to millions of younger players.
Michael Dornbrook, ex-chief operating officer from the developer, recalls the initial budgetary hurdles in securing the songs – despite the fact initial releases mostly used cover versions.
“We rerecorded every song since the cost prohibitive,” he says. “Despite having the necessary permissions alone, it was extremely difficult. We couldn’t get acts such as legendary groups – the publisher was operating on a shoestring budget, and our team was pretty convinced the project would flop. But once Guitar Hero took off, and record sales and radio play were going up, all artists desired to be in.”
He continues: “Among the remarkable aspects was how many parents got in touch expressing gratitude for exposing their kids to the music they loved. It evolved into an intergenerational phenomenon.”
Timeless Music Finds Younger Fans
Northern Irish group the Answer had their track in the 2008 release the popular installment. Guitarist Paul Mahon remembers how the series brought classic rock back into vogue: “The game provided a larger, younger audience. Typically such music was seen as music that was past it, but then once it got included in the title young people discovered it, abruptly it was cool. That legitimised it, and got rid of the ‘dad rock’ tag. It provided our catalog renewed popularity.”
At that time, the Answer’s first record was still unreleased stateside, so Guitar Hero served as a primary platform for exposure for the group as they went on US tour supporting AC/DC. “The roadies had on Never Too Late on the tour bus, and some of them knew us thanks to the game,” he notes.
Rock’s Heavyweight Titles and Lasting Influence
Music's heavyweight names quickly capitalised on the series’ popularity, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and others featuring in specialized spin-off titles that focused on their music collections and associated lore, imagery and rock’n’roll mythology. For example, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, reportedly to have made the group more money than any of their records. It sold more than 500,000 copies upon release, and sales of Aerosmith’s music rose significantly during an era as the industry was already collapsing.
Guitar Hero continues to inspire nimble-fingered fanaticism among its fans. Recently, an online personality achieved an impressive attempt featuring Through the Fire and Flames – an infamously tough power-metal song made popular by the game – using a fan-made version, a no-cost alternative with almost identical gameplay but an array of personalization features. The song is difficult even in expert mode, let alone played at increased tempo while hitting every one of its near 4,000 notes. They stated it took months of practice to accomplish.
“Guitar Hero is a fun, imaginary experience. If you play other games, that doesn’t mean you ought to pick up actual weapons and go to war,” says DragonForce guitarist the artist.
DragonForce had already completed a successful tour before Through the Fire and Flames was featured on Guitar Hero III, but Li says it turned them into widely recognized. “I recall the record label informing us that our records were moving rapidly,” he says. “Popularity surged on the subsequent tour, and we were playing right ahead of the headliners on the Mayhem festival.”
In fact, DragonForce’s exposure from Guitar Hero was so immense that it risked eclipsing everything else accomplishments. Recently, the song featured in promotional material for a major film. “In the past I felt differently, but now I accept it,” he admits. “Should you just listen to one DragonForce song, it’s totally cool – everyone’s got their own path in music and I’m glad we’ve been part of people’s lives”.
The Lasting Legacy of a Iconic Controller
Top-tier marketing, be it for cars, apparel or video games, goes further mere transactions – it inspires a desire. Was the game able to harness this? “That’s exactly what we were trying to create,” he confirms. “That thrill of being a music icon on the stage. From day one, the co-founders believed humans have a natural human desire to create songs, and they wanted to use technology to enable everyone to participate”.
The majority of Guitar Hero games were released in just a five-year period from 2005 to 2010, including spin-offs such as the DJ version, including a spinning deck, and the band-focused game. Subsequently, the publisher’s interest in plastic instruments died down, except for a brief comeback in 2015.
Titles such as the fan project and Fortnite Festival have kept the scene alive, and there’s expectations of a new product from the founders in development. Recently formed developers has begun production on their first music game. The initial creators are participating as special advisers. Are gamers ready to embrace another game following the classic?
“We thought such titles could be similar to sports games where you can update every year,” Dornbrook says. “With abundant new music that it could be evergreen, thus I remain optimistic. There’s no reason why it can’t continue with new generations.”
