Marking 20 years after Guitar Hero debuted in North America, providing players everywhere the tools to feel like rock legends. Figuratively speaking, but try convincing someone who's nailed Free Bird’s four-minute guitar solo in front of a packed crowd of friends.
Created by the developers, Guitar Hero gave players a guitar-shaped controller to follow on-screen cues scrolling down the screen in time with the music. Every sequence mimicked particular chords, producing the feel of an authentic live show.
Harmonix had already experimented with rhythm games before partnering with the publisher, which was acquired by Activision in 2006. Together, they established the foundations for an unlikely massively profitable series that had a remarkable influence on numerous of the artists featured, introducing classic bands to millions of younger players.
Michael Dornbrook, ex-chief operating officer of Harmonix, recalls the early financial challenges in securing the recordings – even though the first two games mostly used cover versions.
“We reproduced all the music since the cost prohibitive,” he says. “Even with the necessary permissions alone, it proved extremely difficult. We failed to secure bands like legendary groups – RedOctane had virtually no money, and we were pretty convinced the project would flop. But once Guitar Hero took off, and record sales and radio play were going up, all artists desired to participate.”
He continues: “Among the remarkable aspects was how many parents reached out expressing gratitude for introducing their kids to the music they loved. It evolved into a multigenerational thing.”
Timeless Music Gains a New Audience
Northern Irish group the Answer included Never Too Late in the 2008 release Guitar Hero World Tour. Lead musician the artist recalls how the series revived older hits back into vogue: “The game provided a bigger, younger audience. Typically this had been considered music that was past it, however once it got featured on the title and teenagers discovered it, suddenly it was cool. This validated it, eliminating the ‘dad rock’ label. It provided our catalog a new life.”
At that time, the Answer’s first record was still unreleased stateside, so the game was a key medium for exposure for the group during their a North American tour supporting the rock giants. “Their crew had on the song during travel, and some of them recognized us from Guitar Hero,” he notes.
Major Band Spin-offs and Lasting Impact
Rock’s biggest acts soon capitalised on the series’ popularity, with Aerosmith, Metallica and others featuring in dedicated spin-off titles that focused on their music collections and related lore, visuals and rock’n’roll mythology. In the case of, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, reportedly to have made the band more money compared to their studio albums. It sold more than half a million units in its first week, while sales of their songs saw an increase significantly during an era when the music business was already collapsing.
Guitar Hero continues to inspire nimble-fingered fanaticism within the community. Recently, a streamer completed a remarkable feat of DragonForce’s the challenging track – a notoriously difficult power-metal song popularized through the game – using a fan-made version, a freeware game with similar mechanics and extensive customisation options. The song is challenging enough on the hardest setting, let alone performed at double speed while hitting every one of the thousands of cues. They claimed it took nine months of practice.
“The game offers a, fantasy thing. Just as with other games, that doesn’t mean you ought to pick up actual weapons and go to war,” notes DragonForce guitarist Herman Li.
DragonForce previously completed a successful tour when Through the Fire and Flames appeared in the third game, yet he explains it turned them into widely recognized. “I recall our distributors informing us that we were records were moving rapidly,” he shares. “Popularity surged when we next toured, and we performed just before top acts on the Mayhem festival.”
In fact, the band's visibility via the game was so immense that it risked eclipsing all other the band has done. Last year, the track was used in promotional material for Despicable Me 4. “Previously I felt differently, but I’ve made peace with it,” he admits. “If you only listen to one DragonForce song, it’s totally cool – each person has a unique path in music and I’m glad we played a role of people’s lives”.
The Lasting Impact of a Iconic Controller
Top-tier marketing, be it for automobiles, apparel or video games, goes further than selling something – it inspires a desire. Was the game able to tap into that? “Precisely what we were aiming to achieve,” he confirms. “That thrill of performing as a rock star in the spotlight. From day one, the creators felt that humans have a natural urge to make music, and they wanted to leverage innovation to enable everyone to participate”.
Most installments came out over a mere five-year period from 2005 to 2010, featuring spin-offs such as DJ Hero, including a turntable controller, and the band-focused game. Subsequently, the publisher’s interest on peripherals died down, except for a short-lived revival several years later.
Games like Clone Hero and Fortnite Festival have kept the scene alive, and there’s set to be something 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 ready to embrace another game following the classic?
“We thought those games could be like Madden allowing annual releases,” he remarks. “With abundant new music that it could be perennially popular, thus I remain optimistic. It's entirely possible why it can’t persist with new generations.”
