It has been 20 years after Guitar Hero debuted in North America, offering players everywhere the opportunity to feel like rock legends. Not literally, but try telling that someone who has nailed the epic four-minute instrumental break in front of an enthusiastic crowd of friends.
Developed by Harmonix, Guitar Hero gave players a plastic guitar peripheral to match coloured notes moving along the display in time with a song. Every sequence mimicked specific notes, creating the feel of an authentic live show.
Harmonix had already experimented in the music genre prior to teaming up with the publisher, later purchased by Activision during the mid-2000s. Collaboratively, they laid the foundations for a surprising billion-dollar franchise which made a significant impact for many musicians included, showcasing classic bands to millions of gaming enthusiasts.
A former executive, former COO of Harmonix, recalls the initial financial challenges of licensing the songs – even though initial releases mostly used cover versions.
“We rerecorded every song since the dollar figure prohibitive,” he says. “Even with the publishing rights by themselves, it proved nearly impossible. We failed to secure acts such as the Who – the publisher had virtually no money, and we were fairly certain the project would flop. However, when the game took off, album purchases airtime were going up, everyone wanted to participate.”
He continues: “One of the amazing things was how many parents reached out and thanked us for introducing their kids to the songs they adored. It evolved into a multigenerational phenomenon.”
Timeless Music Gains a New Audience
Irish blues-rock band the Answer included Never Too Late on the 2008 game Guitar Hero World Tour. Guitarist the artist recalls how the series revived classic rock back into vogue: “The game provided a larger, new demographic. Typically this had been seen as outdated material, however when it was included in the title and teenagers were finding it, suddenly it was cool. That legitimised it, eliminating the ‘dad rock’ label. It provided our catalog a new life.”
At that time, the Answer’s first record was still not available stateside, so Guitar Hero was a key medium of discovery for the group during their a North American tour opening for the rock giants. “Their crew had on the song during travel, and some of them knew us thanks to the game,” he notes.
Rock’s Heavyweight Titles Enduring Influence
Rock’s biggest acts soon capitalised on the series’ popularity, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen starring in dedicated game editions centered around their music collections and related stories, visuals and rock’n’roll mythology. For example, the Aerosmith edition, reportedly earned the group more money compared to their records. It moved well over 500,000 units upon release, while demand for their songs saw an increase of up to 40% during an era as the industry faced decline.
The series still motivates nimble-fingered dedication within the community. Earlier this year, a streamer achieved an impressive attempt featuring Through the Fire and Flames – an infamously tough power-metal song popularized through the game – on Clone Hero, a no-cost alternative with similar gameplay and extensive customisation options. This track is challenging even in the hardest setting, not to mention played at increased tempo and without missing every one of the thousands of cues. The streamer stated it took nine months of practice.
“The game offers a, fantasy thing. Just as with other games, that doesn’t mean you should use a real gun and enlist,” says DragonForce guitarist Herman Li.
The band had already completed a profitable run before Through the Fire and Flames appeared on Guitar Hero III, yet he explains it made them a household name. “I recall the record label calling to tell me that our records were moving like crazy,” he shares. “It exploded on the subsequent tour, and we were playing just before the headliners at the event.”
Indeed, the band's visibility via the game was so immense that it risked overshadow everything else the band has done. Last year, the song was used in promotional material for a major film. “Previously I thought otherwise, 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 musical journey and I'm pleased we played a role of people’s lives”.
Enduring Legacy of a Plastic Guitar
Top-tier promotion, be it for cars, apparel or games, goes further than selling something – it evokes a desire. Did Guitar Hero tap into that? “That’s exactly what we were aiming to achieve,” Dornbrook says. “That thrill of performing as a rock star on the stage. From day one, the co-founders felt that there’s an instinctive urge to create songs, and they wanted to leverage innovation to enable everyone to do it”.
Most installments came out over a mere half-decade from 2005 to 2010, including spin-offs like the DJ version, including a turntable controller, and the band-focused game. Subsequently, the publisher’s interest in plastic instruments waned, aside from a brief comeback several years later.
Titles such as the fan project and newer releases have kept the scene alive, with set to be a new product from the founders in development. Recently formed developers has entered production on their first music game. Original co-founders are participating in advisory roles. Is the world ready to embrace another game following the classic?
“We thought such titles might become like Madden where you can releases,” he remarks. “There’s so much fresh tracks that it could be evergreen, thus I remain optimistic. It's entirely possible for it to continue with new generations.”
