Marking two decades since Guitar Hero hit the market across the Atlantic, offering players everywhere the tools to become a rock star. Figuratively speaking, but try telling that anyone who has mastered the epic four-minute guitar solo before a packed crowd of friends.
Developed by Harmonix, Guitar Hero gave players a plastic guitar peripheral to follow coloured notes scrolling down the screen synchronized to the music. Every sequence mimicked specific notes, producing the feel of an authentic performance.
Harmonix had already tried its hand in the music genre before partnering with RedOctane, which was acquired by the gaming giant during the mid-2000s. Collaboratively, they established the groundwork for an unlikely massively profitable franchise which made a remarkable impact on numerous musicians included, introducing classic bands to millions of younger players.
A former executive, ex-chief operating officer of Harmonix, remembers the early financial challenges in securing the recordings – despite the fact initial releases primarily featured cover versions.
“We rerecorded all the music because the dollar figure was so high,” he says. “Even with the necessary permissions alone, it was extremely difficult. We failed to secure acts such as legendary groups – RedOctane had virtually no money, and our team was pretty convinced it would fail. However, when the game became a hit, album purchases airtime increased, everyone wanted to be in.”
He adds: “One of the amazing things was how many parents got in touch and thanked us for introducing their children to the music they adored. It became a multigenerational thing.”
Classic Rock Gains Younger Fans
Northern Irish group one featured act had Never Too Late in the 2008 release the popular installment. Lead musician Paul Mahon remembers the way the game revived older hits to the forefront: “Guitar Hero provided a larger, younger audience. Generally such music was considered music that was past it, but then when it was included in the game and teenagers were finding it, suddenly it was cool. That legitimised it, and got rid of the ‘dad rock’ label. It gave all our music renewed popularity.”
At that time, the Answer’s debut album was still unreleased in the US, meaning Guitar Hero was a key medium of discovery for the band as they went on a North American tour supporting AC/DC. “Their crew were playing Never Too Late on the tour bus, and some of them knew us from Guitar Hero,” he notes.
Major Band Titles and Lasting Impact
Music's biggest acts quickly capitalised on the series’ popularity, with Aerosmith, Metallica and others featuring in dedicated spin-off titles that focused on their music collections and associated stories, visuals and legendary status. In the case of, the Aerosmith edition, it was said earned the band greater revenue compared to their studio albums. It sold more than 500,000 units upon release, and sales of Aerosmith’s music rose of up to 40% during an era as the industry faced decline.
Guitar Hero continues to inspire nimble-fingered dedication within the community. Earlier this year, an online personality completed an impressive attempt of DragonForce’s the challenging track – an infamously tough anthem popularized through the game – using a fan-made version, a no-cost alternative with similar gameplay but an array of personalization features. This track is difficult enough on expert mode, not to mention played at double speed while hitting every one of the thousands of cues. The streamer stated it took months of practice of practice.
“Guitar Hero offers a, imaginary experience. If you play Call of Duty, that doesn’t mean you ought to pick up a real gun and go to war,” says DragonForce guitarist the artist.
The band previously wrapped up a profitable run when their hit appeared on Guitar Hero III, yet he explains it turned them into widely recognized. “I remember the record label informing us that we were selling albums like crazy,” he shares. “It exploded on the subsequent tour, and we performed just before top acts on the Mayhem festival.”
Indeed, the band's visibility from Guitar Hero proved so vast that it has risked overshadow everything else accomplishments. Last year, the track featured in a trailer for Despicable Me 4. “In the past I thought otherwise, but I’ve made peace with it,” he admits. “If you only listen to a single track, that's fine – everyone’s got their own musical journey and I’m glad we’ve been part of people’s lives”.
Enduring Legacy from the Plastic Guitar
The best marketing, whether it’s for cars, clothes or video games, extends beyond mere transactions – it evokes a desire. Did Guitar Hero tap into that? “That’s exactly what we were aiming to achieve,” Dornbrook says. “That thrill of being a rock star in the spotlight. Since the beginning, the creators believed there’s an instinctive urge to create songs, and they wanted to leverage innovation to enable everyone to do it”.
The majority of Guitar Hero games came out in just a half-decade between 2005 and 2010, featuring derivative titles like DJ Hero, including a spinning deck, and the band-focused game. After that, the publisher’s interest on peripherals waned, except for a brief comeback several years later.
Titles like the fan project and Fortnite Festival have kept the scene active, with expectations of something from the founders in development. A new studio has entered production on their first rhythm-based title. The initial creators are participating as special advisers. Is the world prepared to welcome another game in the spirit of Guitar Hero?
“Our team believed those games might become similar to sports games allowing annual releases,” Dornbrook says. “There’s so much fresh tracks that it could be evergreen, so I’ve always been hopeful. There’s no reason why it can’t persist with new generations.”
