It has been two decades after the legendary game hit the market in North America, providing everyday gamers the means to become rock legends. Not in reality, though you'd be hard-pressed convincing anyone who has mastered the epic lengthy instrumental break before an enthusiastic living-room audience.
Developed by Harmonix, Guitar Hero gave players a plastic guitar peripheral to match on-screen cues scrolling down the display synchronized to the music. Every sequence mimicked particular chords, producing the feel of a genuine performance.
The studio previously experimented with rhythm games prior to teaming up with the publisher, which was purchased by the gaming giant during the mid-2000s. Together, they laid the foundations for an unlikely billion-dollar series which made a remarkable influence for many of the artists featured, introducing decades-old bands to millions of younger players.
Michael Dornbrook, former COO of Harmonix, remembers the early financial challenges of licensing the recordings – despite the fact initial releases primarily featured rerecorded tracks.
“We reproduced all the music since the cost prohibitive,” he says. “Despite having the necessary permissions alone, it was nearly impossible. We failed to secure acts such as the Who – RedOctane was operating on a shoestring budget, and our team was pretty convinced it would fail. However, when Guitar Hero took off, and record sales and radio play increased, all artists desired to be in.”
He adds: “One of the amazing things was how many mothers and fathers got in touch and thanked us for introducing their children to the songs they loved. It evolved into a multigenerational phenomenon.”
Timeless Music Finds a New Audience
Northern Irish blues-rock band one featured act had their track in the 2008 release Guitar Hero World Tour. Lead musician the artist recalls how the series revived older hits back into vogue: “Guitar Hero provided a larger, younger audience. Typically this had been seen as music that was past it, however when it was featured on the title and teenagers were finding it, abruptly it was cool. This validated the genre, eliminating the ‘dad rock’ tag. It provided all our music a new life.”
At that time, the band's debut album remained not available stateside, so the game was a key medium for exposure for the band during their US tour supporting the rock giants. “The roadies were playing Never Too Late on the tour bus, and some of them recognized us thanks to the game,” he notes.
Major Band Titles and Lasting Impact
Rock’s biggest acts quickly took advantage of the game's success, with Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen starring in dedicated spin-off titles that focused on each band’s catalogue and associated lore, visuals and legendary status. In the case of, the Aerosmith edition, reportedly earned the group more money than any of their studio albums. It sold more than 500,000 copies in its first week, while demand for Aerosmith’s music rose significantly at a time as the industry was already collapsing.
Guitar Hero still motivates nimble-fingered fanaticism among its fans. Earlier this year, a streamer completed an impressive attempt of DragonForce’s the challenging track – a notoriously difficult power-metal song popularized through the game – on Clone Hero, a no-cost alternative with almost identical gameplay and extensive customisation options. The song is challenging even in the hardest setting, not to mention performed at double speed while hitting a single one of its near 4,000 notes. They stated requiring months of practice to accomplish.
“Guitar Hero is a fun, fantasy thing. If you play other games, that doesn’t mean you should pick up a real gun and enlist,” says DragonForce guitarist the artist.
DragonForce had already completed a profitable run when Through the Fire and Flames was featured in the third game, but Li says it made them a household name. “I recall our distributors calling to tell me that we were records were moving rapidly,” he shares. “It exploded when we next toured, and we performed just before top acts at the event.”
Indeed, DragonForce’s exposure from Guitar Hero was so immense that it has risked eclipsing everything else accomplishments. Recently, the song was used in a trailer for Despicable Me 4. “Previously I felt otherwise, but I’ve made peace with it,” Li says. “If you only hear one DragonForce song, that's fine – each person has their own path in music and I'm pleased we played a role of people’s lives”.
The Lasting Legacy from the Plastic Guitar
The best promotion, be it for automobiles, clothes or video games, extends beyond mere transactions – it evokes a desire. Was the game able to tap into that? “That’s exactly what we were aiming to achieve,” Dornbrook says. “The excitement of being a rock star in the spotlight. From day one, the creators felt that humans have a natural urge to create songs, and their goal was to leverage innovation to enable everyone to participate”.
The majority installments were released over a mere half-decade between 2005 and 2010, featuring derivative titles such as DJ Hero, including a spinning deck, and the band-focused game. Subsequently, the publisher’s interest on peripherals died down, except for a brief comeback several years later.
Games such as Clone Hero and Fortnite Festival have maintained the scene active, with 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 as special advisers. Are gamers ready to embrace a new entry following the classic?
“We thought such titles could be similar to sports games where you can releases,” Dornbrook says. “With abundant new music that it could be evergreen, so I’ve always been optimistic. It's entirely possible why it can’t persist with new generations.”
