It has been 20 years after the legendary game debuted across the Atlantic, offering players everywhere the opportunity to become rock legends. Not literally, though you'd be hard-pressed convincing anyone who's mastered the epic four-minute guitar solo before an enthusiastic crowd of friends.
Developed by Harmonix, Guitar Hero gave players a plastic guitar peripheral to follow on-screen cues scrolling down the display in time with a song. Every sequence corresponded to specific notes, creating the feel of a genuine live show.
Harmonix had already experimented in the music genre before partnering with the publisher, later acquired by the gaming giant in 2006. Together, they established the foundations for a surprising billion-dollar series which made a remarkable impact on numerous of the artists featured, introducing decades-old groups to a new generation of younger players.
Michael Dornbrook, former COO from the developer, recalls the initial budgetary hurdles in securing the recordings – despite the fact initial releases primarily featured cover versions.
“We reproduced every song since the dollar figure prohibitive,” he says. “Despite having the publishing rights alone, it proved extremely difficult. We failed to secure acts such as legendary groups – the publisher was operating on a shoestring budget, and our team was fairly certain the project would flop. But once the game became a hit, album purchases airtime were going up, all artists desired to be in.”
He continues: “Among the remarkable aspects was the number of parents reached out and thanked us for introducing their kids to the music they loved. It became a multigenerational phenomenon.”
Timeless Music Finds a New Audience
Irish group the Answer included their track on the 2008 game the popular installment. Lead musician Paul Mahon remembers how the series brought older hits to the forefront: “The game offered a bigger, new demographic. Typically this had been seen as music that was past it, however when it was featured on the title young people discovered it, suddenly it became trendy. This validated it, and got rid of the ‘dad rock’ label. It gave our catalog a new life.”
At that time, the Answer’s debut album was still unreleased in the US, so the game was a key medium for exposure for the group as they went on US tour opening for the rock giants. “Their crew were playing the song during travel, and some of them knew us thanks to the game,” he notes.
Major Band Titles and Lasting Influence
Rock’s heavyweight names soon capitalised on the game's success, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and others starring in specialized spin-off titles that focused on their music collections and related stories, imagery and rock’n’roll mythology. In the case of, the Aerosmith edition, reportedly to have made the group more money than any of their studio albums. It sold well over half a million copies in its first week, while sales of their songs saw an increase of up to 40% during an era when the music business faced decline.
The series continues to inspire quick-handed dedication among its fans. Recently, an online personality achieved a remarkable feat featuring the challenging track – a notoriously difficult anthem made popular by Guitar Hero – using a fan-made version, a no-cost alternative with similar gameplay but an array of customisation options. The song is challenging even in the hardest setting, let alone performed at double speed while hitting a single one of its near 4,000 notes. The streamer claimed it took months of practice of practice.
“Guitar Hero is a fun, imaginary experience. If you play other games, that doesn’t mean you should use a real gun and go to war,” says DragonForce guitarist the artist.
The band had already completed a profitable run when Through the Fire and Flames was featured in the third game, yet he explains it turned them into widely recognized. “I remember the record label calling to tell me that our records were moving like crazy,” he shares. “Popularity surged when we next toured, and we were playing just before top acts at the event.”
In fact, DragonForce’s exposure from Guitar Hero proved so vast that it threatened to eclipsing everything else the band has done. Recently, the track featured in a trailer for Despicable Me 4. “In the past I thought differently, but I’ve made peace with it,” he admits. “If you only hear a single track, it’s totally cool – each person has their own path in music and I’m glad we’ve been part in fans' experiences”.
The Lasting Legacy of a Plastic Guitar
The best promotion, be it for cars, clothes or video games, goes further mere transactions – it inspires a desire. Was the game able to tap into that? “That’s exactly what we were trying to create,” Dornbrook says. “The excitement of performing as a rock star in the spotlight. From day one, the creators believed humans have a natural urge to create songs, and they wanted to leverage innovation to allow people to participate”.
Most installments came out in just a half-decade between 2005 and 2010, featuring derivative titles such as the DJ version, complete with a turntable controller, and the band-focused game. Subsequently, the publisher’s interest in plastic instruments waned, aside from a short-lived revival in 2015.
Titles like the fan project and newer releases have kept the community active, and there’s expectations of a new product from the original publisher in development. Recently formed developers has begun production on its debut rhythm-based title. Original co-founders are both involved as special advisers. Are gamers prepared to welcome a new entry following the classic?
“We thought such titles could be like Madden where you can releases,” Dornbrook says. “With abundant fresh tracks that it could be evergreen, thus I remain optimistic. There’s no reason why it can’t continue with new generations.”
