It has been 20 years since the legendary game first launched in North America, providing everyday gamers the tools to feel like rock legends. Not literally, though you'd be hard-pressed convincing anyone who's mastered the epic lengthy guitar solo in front of a packed crowd of friends.
Created by Harmonix, the game gave players a plastic guitar peripheral to match on-screen cues scrolling down the display synchronized to a song. Every sequence corresponded to specific notes, producing the sensation of an authentic live show.
Harmonix previously experimented in the music genre prior to teaming up with the publisher, which was acquired by the gaming giant in 2006. Collaboratively, they laid the foundations for an unlikely massively profitable series that had a remarkable impact on numerous musicians included, introducing decades-old bands to a new generation of younger players.
Michael Dornbrook, former COO of Harmonix, recalls the initial budgetary hurdles in securing the songs – even though the first two games primarily featured cover versions.
“We rerecorded every song because the cost prohibitive,” he explains. “Despite having the publishing rights alone, it was extremely difficult. We couldn’t get bands like the Who – the publisher had virtually no money, and our team was fairly certain it would fail. But once the game became a hit, and record sales and radio play increased, everyone wanted to participate.”
He continues: “Among the amazing things was how many mothers and fathers got in touch expressing gratitude for introducing their kids to the songs they loved. It evolved into an intergenerational phenomenon.”
Classic Rock Gains a New Audience
Northern Irish group one featured act included Never Too Late in the 2008 release the popular installment. Lead musician the artist remembers the way the game revived older hits to the forefront: “Guitar Hero provided a bigger, new demographic. Typically such music was considered outdated material, but then once it got featured on the game young people discovered it, suddenly it became trendy. This validated it, eliminating the outdated tag. It gave our catalog a new life.”
At that time, the band's debut album was still unreleased stateside, so the game served as a primary platform for exposure for the group as they went on a North American tour supporting the rock giants. “The roadies were playing Never Too Late on the tour bus, and some of them knew us from Guitar Hero,” he notes.
Rock’s Heavyweight Spin-offs and Lasting Impact
Rock’s biggest acts soon took advantage of the game's success, with Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen starring in dedicated game editions centered around their music collections and associated lore, imagery and rock’n’roll mythology. In the case of, the Aerosmith edition, reportedly earned the group more money than any of their records. It sold more than 500,000 copies in its first week, and demand for their songs rose significantly at a time when the music business was already collapsing.
The series still motivates nimble-fingered fanaticism among its fans. Earlier this year, a streamer completed a remarkable feat featuring Through the Fire and Flames – a notoriously difficult power-metal song made popular by Guitar Hero – on Clone Hero, a no-cost alternative with almost identical gameplay but an array of personalization features. The song is challenging enough on expert mode, let alone performed at increased tempo and without missing a single one of its near 4,000 notes. The streamer claimed it took nine months of practice.
“Guitar Hero is a fun, imaginary experience. Just as with other games, it doesn't imply you should use a real gun and go to war,” says musician Herman Li.
DragonForce previously wrapped up a profitable run when their hit appeared in the third game, yet he explains it turned them into a household name. “I remember the record label calling to tell me that we were records were moving like crazy,” he shares. “It exploded on the subsequent tour, and we were playing just before top acts at the event.”
In fact, the band's visibility from Guitar Hero proved so vast that it has risked overshadow everything else accomplishments. Last year, the song was used in a trailer for Despicable Me 4. “Previously I felt otherwise, but I’ve made peace with it,” he admits. “Should you just hear one DragonForce song, that's fine – everyone’s got a unique musical journey and I’m glad we’ve been part of people’s lives”.
Enduring Legacy of a Plastic Guitar
Top-tier marketing, be it for cars, clothes or games, extends beyond mere transactions – it inspires a longing. Did Guitar Hero tap into that? “Precisely what we were trying to create,” Dornbrook says. “That thrill of being a music icon on the stage. From day one, the co-founders believed humans have a natural human desire to make music, and their goal was to leverage innovation to enable everyone to participate”.
Most of Guitar Hero games were released over a mere five-year period between 2005 and 2010, featuring spin-offs such as DJ Hero, complete with a turntable controller, and the band-focused game. After that, corporate focus in plastic instruments waned, except for a short-lived revival several years later.
Games such as Clone Hero and newer releases have kept the scene alive, and there’s expectations of something from the founders in development. A new studio has begun production on its debut music game. Original co-founders are both involved in advisory roles. Are gamers prepared to welcome another game following Guitar Hero?
“We thought those games might become similar to sports games allowing annual releases,” he remarks. “There’s so much new music that it could be perennially popular, thus I remain hopeful. There’s no reason for it to persist with new generations.”
