It has been 20 years since Guitar Hero hit the market in North America, giving everyday gamers the opportunity to become rock legends. Not literally, though you'd be hard-pressed telling that someone who's nailed Free Bird’s four-minute guitar solo before an enthusiastic crowd of friends.
Created by Harmonix, the game gave players a guitar-shaped controller to match coloured notes scrolling down the display in time with a song. Each riff corresponded to specific notes, creating the feel of a genuine live show.
Harmonix had already tried its hand in the music genre before partnering with the publisher, later purchased by the gaming giant in 2006. Collaboratively, they established the foundations for a surprising billion-dollar series which made a significant influence for many musicians included, introducing classic groups to millions of younger players.
Michael Dornbrook, ex-chief operating officer of Harmonix, remembers the initial financial challenges in securing the songs – even though the first two games mostly used rerecorded tracks.
“We rerecorded every song because the cost was so high,” he explains. “Despite having the publishing rights by themselves, it proved nearly impossible. We failed to secure acts such as legendary groups – the publisher was operating on a shoestring budget, and our team was fairly certain the project would flop. But once the game took off, album purchases airtime increased, everyone wanted to be in.”
He continues: “One of the remarkable aspects was how many parents reached out expressing gratitude for introducing their kids to the music they loved. It became a multigenerational phenomenon.”
Classic Rock Finds a New Audience
Irish blues-rock band one featured act had Never Too Late on the 2008 game Guitar Hero World Tour. Guitarist the artist recalls the way the game revived older hits back into vogue: “Guitar Hero offered a bigger, new demographic. Generally such music was seen as outdated material, but then when it was featured on the game young people were finding it, suddenly it became trendy. That legitimised the genre, and got rid of the outdated tag. It gave our catalog renewed popularity.”
At that time, the band's first record was still unreleased stateside, so Guitar Hero was a key medium of discovery for the band as they went on US tour supporting the rock giants. “The roadies were playing the song on the tour bus, and several knew us from Guitar Hero,” he notes.
Rock’s Heavyweight Titles and Lasting Influence
Music's biggest acts soon capitalised on the series’ popularity, with Aerosmith, Metallica and others starring in specialized game editions that focused on their music collections and related lore, imagery and legendary status. In the case of, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, reportedly to have made the group more money than any of their records. It sold more than half a million units in its first week, while sales of their songs saw an increase of up to 40% at a time as the industry faced decline.
Guitar Hero continues to inspire nimble-fingered fanaticism within the community. Earlier this year, a streamer completed a remarkable feat of DragonForce’s Through the Fire and Flames – an infamously tough power-metal song made popular by Guitar Hero – on Clone Hero, a no-cost alternative with almost identical mechanics but an array of customisation options. The song is challenging even in the hardest setting, not to mention performed at double speed and without missing a single one of its near 4,000 notes. They stated it took nine months to accomplish.
“The game offers a, fantasy thing. If you play other games, it doesn't imply you ought to pick up actual weapons and go to war,” notes DragonForce guitarist the artist.
DragonForce had already wrapped up a successful tour when Through the Fire and Flames appeared in the third game, yet he explains it turned them into a household name. “I recall our distributors calling to tell me that we were selling albums rapidly,” he shares. “Popularity surged on the subsequent tour, and we performed just before top acts at the event.”
Indeed, DragonForce’s exposure via the game was so immense that it has threatened to overshadow everything else the band has done. Recently, the track featured in a trailer for Despicable Me 4. “Previously I felt differently, but now I accept it,” he admits. “Should you just hear one DragonForce song, it’s totally cool – each person has their own path in music and I’m glad we played a role of people’s lives”.
The Lasting Impact from the Iconic Controller
The best marketing, whether it’s for automobiles, apparel or games, goes further mere transactions – it evokes a desire. Was the game able to harness this? “That’s exactly what our team trying to create,” Dornbrook says. “The excitement of being a rock star on the stage. Since the beginning, the co-founders believed humans have a natural urge to make music, and they wanted to leverage innovation to allow people to do it”.
The majority installments were released in just a half-decade between 2005 and 2010, featuring derivative titles like the DJ version, complete with a turntable controller, and Band Hero. After that, corporate focus on peripherals waned, aside from a short-lived revival in 2015.
Games like the fan project and newer releases have maintained the community active, with expectations of something from the original publisher in development. A new studio has entered work on its debut rhythm-based title. The initial creators are participating in advisory roles. Is the world prepared to welcome another game following the classic?
“Our team believed those games might become similar to sports games allowing annual releases,” he remarks. “There’s so much new music it could remain perennially popular, so I’ve always been hopeful. It's entirely possible for it to persist for future fans.”
