It has been 20 years after the legendary game debuted in North America, providing everyday gamers the opportunity to feel like rock legends. Not literally, but try convincing anyone who's mastered the epic four-minute guitar solo in front of a packed crowd of friends.
Created by Harmonix, the game gave players a guitar-shaped controller to match coloured notes scrolling down the screen synchronized to a song. Every sequence mimicked specific notes, producing the feel of an authentic performance.
Harmonix had already experimented with rhythm games before partnering with RedOctane, which was purchased by the gaming giant during the mid-2000s. Together, they established the groundwork for a surprising billion-dollar franchise that had a significant impact for many of the artists featured, showcasing classic bands to millions of gaming enthusiasts.
A former executive, ex-chief operating officer from the developer, remembers the early budgetary hurdles of licensing the recordings – even though initial releases mostly used rerecorded tracks.
“We reproduced all the music since the cost was so high,” he says. “Despite having the necessary permissions by themselves, it proved nearly impossible. We failed to secure bands like the Who – the publisher had virtually no money, and our team was pretty convinced the project would flop. However, when the game took off, and record sales airtime were going up, everyone wanted to be in.”
He continues: “One of the remarkable aspects was the number of mothers and fathers got in touch expressing gratitude for introducing their children to the songs they loved. It evolved into a multigenerational thing.”
Timeless Music Gains a New Audience
Irish blues-rock band one featured act included their track on the 2008 game Guitar Hero World Tour. Lead musician the artist recalls the way the game brought older hits to the forefront: “The game offered a bigger, younger audience. Generally such music was seen as outdated material, however when it was featured on the title young people discovered it, suddenly it became trendy. This validated it, eliminating the outdated label. It gave all our music renewed popularity.”
At that time, the band's debut album remained not available stateside, so Guitar Hero served as a primary platform for exposure for the band during their US tour supporting AC/DC. “Their crew were playing Never Too Late during travel, and several knew us thanks to the game,” Mahon says.
Rock’s Heavyweight Titles and Lasting Influence
Music's biggest acts soon capitalised on the series’ popularity, with Aerosmith, Metallica and others featuring in specialized game editions centered around each band’s catalogue and associated lore, visuals and legendary status. For example, the Aerosmith edition, it was said to have made the band more money than any of their studio albums. It moved well over 500,000 units in its first week, and demand for their songs rose significantly during an era as the industry faced decline.
Guitar Hero still motivates nimble-fingered dedication within the community. Recently, an online personality achieved an impressive attempt of DragonForce’s Through the Fire and Flames – a notoriously difficult power-metal song made popular by Guitar Hero – on Clone Hero, a freeware game with almost identical mechanics but an array of customisation options. This track is challenging even in expert mode, not to mention performed at increased tempo and without missing every one of its near 4,000 notes. The streamer stated requiring months of practice to accomplish.
“The game is a fun, fantasy thing. Just as with other games, it doesn't imply you ought to pick up a real gun and go to war,” notes DragonForce guitarist Herman Li.
DragonForce had already wrapped up a successful tour before their hit was featured on Guitar Hero III, yet he explains it made them widely recognized. “I remember our distributors informing us that our records were moving like crazy,” he says. “It exploded when we next toured, and we performed right ahead of the headliners at the event.”
Indeed, DragonForce’s exposure from Guitar Hero proved so vast that it threatened to overshadow everything else the band has done. Last year, the song was used in a trailer for Despicable Me 4. “In the past I thought differently, but now I accept it,” he admits. “If you only hear a single track, it’s totally cool – everyone’s got a unique path in music and I’m glad we’ve been part of people’s lives”.
Enduring Legacy from the Iconic Controller
Top-tier promotion, be it for cars, clothes or video games, goes further than selling something – it evokes a longing. Did Guitar Hero tap into that? “Precisely what we were trying to create,” he confirms. “That thrill of performing as a music icon in the spotlight. From day one, the co-founders believed humans have a natural human desire to make music, and they wanted to use technology to enable everyone to do it”.
The majority of Guitar Hero games were released over a mere five-year period from 2005 to 2010, including derivative titles such as the DJ version, including a spinning deck, and Band Hero. After that, corporate focus on peripherals died down, aside from a short-lived revival several years later.
Games like Clone Hero and Fortnite Festival have maintained the scene alive, and there’s set to be something from the original publisher on the way. A new studio has begun work on their first rhythm-based title. Original co-founders are participating as special advisers. Are gamers ready to embrace a new entry following Guitar Hero?
“We thought such titles could be similar to sports games allowing annual update every year,” he remarks. “There’s so much fresh tracks that it could be perennially popular, so I’ve always been optimistic. There’s no reason why it can’t continue with new generations.”
