It has been two decades since the legendary game hit the market in North America, offering everyday gamers the opportunity to become a rock star. Not literally, but try telling that someone who's mastered the epic four-minute guitar solo before an enthusiastic crowd of friends.
Developed by Harmonix, the game provided users with a guitar-shaped controller to follow on-screen cues moving along the screen in time with a song. Every sequence corresponded to particular chords, producing the sensation of an authentic live show.
The studio previously tried its hand with rhythm games prior to teaming up with RedOctane, which was purchased by the gaming giant in 2006. Together, they laid the foundations for an unlikely massively profitable series that had a significant influence for many of the artists included, showcasing classic groups to millions of younger players.
Michael Dornbrook, former COO of Harmonix, recalls the initial financial challenges of licensing the recordings – even though the first two games mostly used cover versions.
“We rerecorded every song because the cost was so high,” he explains. “Despite having the necessary permissions alone, it was extremely difficult. We failed to secure bands like the Who – RedOctane had virtually no money, and our team was pretty convinced it would fail. However, when Guitar Hero took off, and record sales and radio play increased, all artists desired to participate.”
He adds: “One of the amazing things was the number of mothers and fathers got in touch expressing gratitude for introducing their children to the music they adored. It evolved into a multigenerational phenomenon.”
Timeless Music Gains a New Audience
Northern Irish blues-rock band the Answer included Never Too Late on the 2008 game Guitar Hero World Tour. Guitarist Paul Mahon recalls how the series brought older hits back into vogue: “Guitar Hero offered a bigger, younger audience. Typically this had been considered music that was past it, however when it was featured on the game young people were finding it, abruptly it became trendy. This validated it, and got rid of the outdated label. It gave our catalog a new life.”
In 2008, the band's first record remained unreleased stateside, so Guitar Hero was a key medium of discovery for the band during their US tour opening for AC/DC. “Their crew had on the song during travel, and several recognized us from Guitar Hero,” Mahon says.
Rock’s Heavyweight Titles and Lasting Influence
Rock’s heavyweight names soon took advantage of the game's success, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and others starring in dedicated spin-off titles centered around each band’s catalogue and associated lore, visuals and legendary status. For example, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, reportedly earned the band more money than any of their studio albums. It sold more than half a million units in its first week, and sales of Aerosmith’s music saw an increase of up to 40% during an era when the music business faced decline.
The series continues to inspire nimble-fingered fanaticism among its fans. Recently, an online personality completed an impressive attempt featuring the challenging track – an infamously tough anthem made popular by Guitar Hero – using a fan-made version, a freeware game with almost identical gameplay but an array of personalization features. This track is challenging even in the hardest setting, let alone performed at double speed and without missing a single one of its near 4,000 notes. They stated it took months of practice to accomplish.
“Guitar Hero offers a, fantasy thing. If you play other games, it doesn't imply you ought to pick up a real gun and go to war,” says musician Herman Li.
The band previously completed a successful tour when their hit was featured in the third game, but Li says it made them widely recognized. “I remember the record label calling to tell me that we were records were moving like crazy,” he shares. “It exploded when we next toured, and we were playing just before the headliners on the Mayhem festival.”
In fact, the band's visibility via the game was so immense that it risked overshadow everything else the band has done. Recently, the song was used in a trailer for Despicable Me 4. “In the past I thought otherwise, but I’ve made peace with it,” Li says. “Should you just listen to a single track, that's fine – each person has their own path in music and I’m glad we’ve been part of people’s lives”.
Enduring Impact of a Iconic Controller
The best marketing, be it for cars, apparel or video games, goes further mere transactions – it evokes a longing. Did Guitar Hero harness this? “Precisely what our team trying to create,” he confirms. “The excitement of performing as a rock star in the spotlight. Since the beginning, the creators felt that humans have a natural urge to make music, and they wanted to use technology to allow people to participate”.
The majority of Guitar Hero games came out in just a five-year period between 2005 and 2010, featuring derivative titles like DJ Hero, complete with a turntable controller, and the band-focused game. Subsequently, the publisher’s interest on peripherals waned, aside from a brief comeback in 2015.
Games such as the fan project and Fortnite Festival have kept the community active, and there’s expectations of a new product from the original publisher in development. A new studio has entered work on its debut music game. Original co-founders are both involved in advisory roles. Is the world prepared to welcome a new entry in the spirit of Guitar Hero?
“Our team believed those games could be similar to sports games where you can releases,” Dornbrook says. “There’s so much fresh tracks it could remain perennially popular, thus I remain optimistic. There’s no reason for it to persist with new generations.”
