It has been two decades after Guitar Hero debuted in North America, offering everyday gamers the means to feel like a rock star. Not literally, though you'd be hard-pressed convincing someone who's mastered the epic lengthy guitar solo before a packed crowd of friends.
Created by the developers, the game gave players a plastic guitar peripheral to follow on-screen cues moving along the screen synchronized to a song. Every sequence mimicked particular chords, producing the sensation of a genuine live show.
Harmonix previously experimented with rhythm games before partnering with the publisher, later purchased by the gaming giant during the mid-2000s. Together, they laid the groundwork for a surprising billion-dollar franchise that had a remarkable impact for many musicians featured, showcasing classic bands to millions of younger players.
A former executive, former COO from the developer, recalls the initial budgetary hurdles of licensing the songs – even though initial releases mostly used cover versions.
“We rerecorded every song since the cost was so high,” he explains. “Despite having the necessary permissions by themselves, it proved extremely difficult. We couldn’t get bands like legendary groups – the publisher had virtually no money, and we were fairly certain 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 adds: “One of the amazing things was the number of parents got in touch and thanked us for introducing their kids to the music they loved. It became an intergenerational phenomenon.”
Timeless Music Finds a New Audience
Northern Irish blues-rock band the Answer had their track on the 2008 game the popular installment. Lead musician the artist recalls how the series brought classic rock to the forefront: “The game provided a bigger, new demographic. Generally such music was considered music that was past it, however once it got included in the title and teenagers discovered it, abruptly it became trendy. This validated the genre, eliminating the ‘dad rock’ tag. It provided all our music a new life.”
At that time, the Answer’s first record remained unreleased stateside, meaning the game was a key medium for exposure for the group during their a North American tour supporting AC/DC. “The roadies were playing Never Too Late on the tour bus, and some of them recognized us thanks to the game,” he notes.
Rock’s Heavyweight Spin-offs and Lasting Impact
Rock’s heavyweight names quickly took advantage of the series’ popularity, with Aerosmith, Metallica and others featuring in dedicated spin-off titles centered around each band’s catalogue and related lore, visuals and legendary status. In the case of, the Aerosmith edition, it was said earned the band more money compared to their studio albums. It sold more than half a million copies in its first week, and sales of their songs saw an increase of up to 40% during an era as the industry faced decline.
The series continues to inspire nimble-fingered fanaticism among its fans. Recently, an online personality achieved an impressive attempt of DragonForce’s Through the Fire and Flames – an infamously tough anthem made popular by the game – on Clone Hero, a freeware game with similar mechanics and extensive personalization features. The song is challenging even in the hardest setting, let alone played at increased tempo and without missing a single one of the thousands of cues. The streamer stated requiring months of practice of practice.
“The game is a fun, imaginary experience. Just as with Call of Duty, that doesn’t mean you ought to pick up a real gun and enlist,” says musician Herman Li.
The band had already wrapped up a profitable run before their hit appeared in the third game, yet he explains it made them a household name. “I recall our distributors calling to tell me that our records were moving rapidly,” he says. “Popularity surged on the subsequent tour, and we performed right ahead of the headliners on the Mayhem festival.”
Indeed, the band's visibility from Guitar Hero proved so vast that it threatened to eclipsing all other the band has done. Last year, the song was used in a trailer for Despicable Me 4. “Previously I felt differently, but I’ve made peace with it,” he admits. “If you only hear a single track, that's fine – everyone’s got a unique musical journey and I'm pleased we’ve been part in fans' experiences”.
Enduring Impact of a Plastic Guitar
The best marketing, be it for automobiles, clothes or games, extends beyond than selling something – it inspires a longing. Did Guitar Hero tap into that? “Precisely what our team trying to create,” he confirms. “The excitement of performing as a music icon in the spotlight. From day one, the creators believed there’s an instinctive human desire to make music, and their goal was to use technology to allow people to participate”.
The majority of Guitar Hero games were released over a mere five-year period from 2005 to 2010, featuring spin-offs such as the DJ version, including a spinning deck, and Band Hero. Subsequently, corporate focus on peripherals died down, except for a brief comeback in 2015.
Games such as Clone Hero and newer releases have maintained the community active, and there’s set to be something from the founders in development. A new studio has begun production 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 the classic?
“Our team believed such titles could be similar to sports games where you can update every year,” Dornbrook says. “There’s so much fresh tracks it could remain perennially popular, thus I remain optimistic. It's entirely possible for it to continue for future fans.”
