Marking 20 years after Guitar Hero debuted across the Atlantic, giving players everywhere the tools to become a rock star. Not literally, though you'd be hard-pressed convincing anyone who's nailed the epic four-minute guitar solo before a packed crowd of friends.
Created by the developers, Guitar Hero gave players a guitar-shaped controller to follow coloured notes moving along the screen in time with the music. Every sequence mimicked specific notes, creating the sensation of an authentic performance.
Harmonix previously experimented with rhythm games before partnering with RedOctane, later acquired by Activision during the mid-2000s. Together, they laid the foundations for a surprising massively profitable franchise that had a significant influence on numerous musicians featured, introducing decades-old groups to millions of younger players.
Michael Dornbrook, former COO of Harmonix, recalls the initial budgetary hurdles in securing the songs – even though initial releases primarily featured rerecorded tracks.
“We rerecorded every song since the cost was so high,” he says. “Despite having the necessary permissions alone, it was extremely difficult. We failed to secure acts such as legendary groups – RedOctane was operating on a shoestring budget, and we were fairly certain it would fail. However, when the game took off, album purchases and radio play increased, all artists desired to be in.”
He continues: “Among the amazing things was the number of mothers and fathers got in touch expressing gratitude for exposing their kids to the music they adored. It became an intergenerational phenomenon.”
Classic Rock Gains a New Audience
Northern Irish blues-rock band the Answer had Never Too Late on the 2008 game Guitar Hero World Tour. Guitarist Paul Mahon remembers how the series brought older hits back into vogue: “The game provided a larger, new demographic. Generally this had been seen as outdated material, but then once it got featured on the game and teenagers were finding it, abruptly it was cool. That legitimised the genre, and got rid of the ‘dad rock’ tag. It gave our catalog renewed popularity.”
At that time, the Answer’s first record was still not available in the US, meaning Guitar Hero was a key medium for exposure for the band as they went on US tour opening for the rock giants. “The roadies had on Never Too Late on the tour bus, and several recognized us thanks to the game,” he notes.
Rock’s Heavyweight Spin-offs Enduring Influence
Rock’s heavyweight names quickly capitalised on the game's success, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and others featuring in specialized spin-off titles that focused on each band’s catalogue and related stories, visuals and legendary status. In the case of, the Aerosmith edition, reportedly to have made the band greater revenue compared to their studio albums. It sold more than 500,000 copies in its first week, while sales of their songs rose significantly during an era when the music business faced decline.
Guitar Hero still motivates quick-handed fanaticism among its fans. Recently, an online personality achieved a remarkable feat featuring Through the Fire and Flames – an infamously tough anthem popularized through the game – on Clone Hero, a freeware game with similar mechanics but an array of customisation options. This track is difficult enough on expert mode, not to mention performed at increased tempo and without missing a single one of its near 4,000 notes. The streamer claimed it took months of practice to accomplish.
“The game offers a, fantasy thing. Just as with other games, it doesn't imply you should use actual weapons and enlist,” notes musician Herman Li.
The band previously wrapped up a profitable run before their hit appeared on Guitar Hero III, yet he explains it made them a household name. “I remember our distributors informing us that we were selling albums rapidly,” he shares. “It exploded when we next toured, and we performed right ahead of the headliners at the event.”
In fact, the band's visibility from Guitar Hero was so immense that it threatened to overshadow all other accomplishments. Last year, the track was used in promotional material for a major film. “In the past I felt otherwise, but now I accept it,” Li says. “Should you just listen to one DragonForce song, that's fine – each person has their own musical journey and I'm pleased we played a role in fans' experiences”.
The Lasting Impact of a Plastic Guitar
The best promotion, be it for automobiles, apparel or video games, goes further than selling something – it inspires a longing. Was the game able to tap into that? “That’s exactly what our team aiming to achieve,” Dornbrook says. “That thrill of being a rock star on the stage. Since the beginning, the co-founders felt that there’s an instinctive human desire to make music, and their goal was to leverage innovation to allow people to participate”.
The majority installments came out over a mere half-decade between 2005 and 2010, featuring derivative titles such as DJ Hero, including a turntable controller, and the band-focused game. Subsequently, the publisher’s interest on peripherals waned, aside from a brief comeback several years later.
Titles such as the fan project and Fortnite Festival have maintained the community active, and there’s expectations of something from the original publisher on the way. A new studio has begun work on their first music game. The initial creators are both involved in advisory roles. Are gamers ready to embrace another game in the spirit of the classic?
“Our team believed such titles might become like Madden where you can releases,” he remarks. “With abundant fresh tracks it could remain perennially popular, so I’ve always been optimistic. It's entirely possible for it to persist with new generations.”
