It has been 20 years since the legendary game debuted across the Atlantic, providing players everywhere the tools to become a rock star. Not literally, but try telling that someone who has nailed the epic four-minute guitar solo before a packed crowd of friends.
Developed by Harmonix, the game gave players a plastic guitar peripheral to match on-screen cues scrolling down the screen synchronized to a song. Each riff mimicked specific notes, creating the feel of a genuine live show.
The studio had already experimented in the music genre prior to teaming up with RedOctane, which was acquired by Activision in 2006. Collaboratively, they laid the foundations for an unlikely massively profitable series which made a significant impact on numerous musicians featured, showcasing decades-old 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 the first two games primarily featured rerecorded tracks.
“We reproduced all the music since the dollar figure prohibitive,” he explains. “Even with the necessary permissions alone, it proved nearly impossible. We failed to secure acts such as legendary groups – RedOctane had virtually no money, and our team was pretty convinced the project would flop. But once Guitar Hero became a hit, album purchases airtime increased, all artists desired to be in.”
He continues: “One of the remarkable aspects was the number of parents reached out expressing gratitude for exposing their kids to the music they adored. It became a multigenerational phenomenon.”
Timeless Music Finds Younger Fans
Irish group the Answer had Never Too Late on the 2008 game Guitar Hero World Tour. Guitarist the artist remembers how the series revived classic rock back into vogue: “The game offered a larger, new demographic. Typically such music was seen as outdated material, but then once it got included in the game young people discovered it, abruptly it was cool. That legitimised it, eliminating the ‘dad rock’ label. It provided all our music renewed popularity.”
In 2008, the Answer’s debut album was still unreleased in the US, so the game was a key medium of discovery for the group during their US tour opening for AC/DC. “Their crew had on the song during travel, and several recognized us thanks to the game,” he notes.
Major Band Spin-offs Enduring Impact
Music's biggest acts quickly took advantage of the series’ popularity, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen featuring in dedicated game editions that focused on their music collections and related lore, visuals and legendary status. In the case of, the Aerosmith edition, reportedly to have made the band greater revenue than any of their records. It sold more than 500,000 units upon release, while sales of Aerosmith’s music saw an increase of up to 40% during an era when the music business was already collapsing.
The series still motivates quick-handed dedication within the community. Recently, a streamer completed a remarkable feat of DragonForce’s the challenging track – an infamously tough anthem popularized through Guitar Hero – on Clone Hero, a no-cost alternative with similar mechanics but an array of personalization features. The song is difficult enough on the hardest setting, let alone played at increased tempo and without missing a single one of its near 4,000 notes. The streamer stated requiring nine months to accomplish.
“Guitar Hero offers a, imaginary experience. If you play Call of Duty, it doesn't imply you should use actual weapons and go to war,” notes musician the artist.
The band previously completed a profitable run when their hit appeared on Guitar Hero III, yet he explains it made them widely recognized. “I recall the record label calling to tell me that we were selling albums like crazy,” he says. “Popularity surged when we next toured, and we were playing just before top acts on the Mayhem festival.”
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 was used in promotional material for Despicable Me 4. “Previously I felt otherwise, but I’ve made peace with it,” he admits. “Should you just hear a single track, that's fine – everyone’s got their own musical journey and I'm pleased we’ve been part in fans' experiences”.
Enduring Legacy of a Iconic Controller
The best marketing, be it for automobiles, clothes or video games, goes further than selling something – it inspires a desire. Was the game able to tap into that? “That’s exactly what we were trying to create,” Dornbrook says. “That thrill of being a rock star in the spotlight. Since the beginning, the creators believed there’s an instinctive human desire to create songs, and their goal was to use technology to enable everyone to participate”.
The majority of Guitar Hero games came out over a mere half-decade from 2005 to 2010, featuring derivative titles like DJ Hero, complete with a spinning deck, and the band-focused game. Subsequently, the publisher’s interest in plastic instruments waned, aside from a brief comeback in 2015.
Titles such as Clone Hero and newer releases have kept the community alive, and there’s expectations of a new product from the founders on the way. A new studio has begun work on its debut rhythm-based title. Original co-founders are participating as special advisers. Is the world prepared to welcome another game in the spirit of the classic?
“Our team believed those games might become like Madden allowing annual update every year,” he remarks. “With abundant new music it could remain evergreen, so I’ve always been optimistic. There’s no reason why it can’t persist with new generations.”
