Marking two decades after the legendary game debuted in North America, offering players everywhere the means to feel like a rock star. Not literally, but try telling that someone who has nailed the epic four-minute instrumental break in front of an enthusiastic crowd of friends.
Created by the developers, the game gave players a plastic guitar peripheral to follow on-screen cues moving along the screen in time with a song. Each riff mimicked particular chords, creating the sensation of a genuine performance.
Harmonix had already tried its hand with rhythm games prior to teaming up with RedOctane, later acquired by the gaming giant during the mid-2000s. Collaboratively, they established the foundations for an unlikely billion-dollar series that had a significant impact on numerous musicians included, showcasing classic groups to millions of younger players.
A former executive, ex-chief operating officer of Harmonix, remembers the early budgetary hurdles in securing the songs – even though the first two games primarily featured cover versions.
“We reproduced all the music because the dollar figure prohibitive,” he says. “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 pretty convinced it would fail. But once the game became a hit, and record sales and radio play increased, everyone wanted to participate.”
He continues: “One of the amazing things was the number of parents reached out expressing gratitude for exposing their children to the music they adored. It became a multigenerational phenomenon.”
Timeless Music Gains Younger Fans
Northern Irish group the Answer included Never Too Late on the 2008 game the popular installment. Guitarist Paul Mahon remembers the way the game brought classic rock to the forefront: “Guitar Hero provided a bigger, younger audience. Generally such music was seen as music that was past it, but then when it was included in the title and teenagers discovered it, suddenly it was cool. That legitimised it, and got rid of the ‘dad rock’ label. It gave our catalog renewed popularity.”
In 2008, the band's debut album was still not available in the US, meaning the game was a key medium of discovery for the band as they went on US tour opening for the rock giants. “Their crew were playing the song on the tour bus, and several knew us thanks to the game,” he notes.
Major Band Titles Enduring Impact
Rock’s biggest acts quickly capitalised on the series’ popularity, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen starring in specialized game editions centered around each band’s catalogue and related lore, visuals and rock’n’roll mythology. In the case of, the Aerosmith edition, reportedly earned the band more money than any of their studio albums. It sold more than half a million copies upon release, while demand for their songs saw an increase significantly during an era as the industry faced decline.
Guitar Hero still motivates quick-handed dedication among its fans. Earlier this year, a streamer completed an impressive attempt of DragonForce’s the challenging track – an infamously tough anthem made popular by Guitar Hero – using a fan-made version, a no-cost alternative with similar mechanics and extensive customisation options. The song is difficult even in the hardest setting, let alone performed at double speed and without missing a single one of the thousands of cues. They stated it took months of practice of practice.
“The game offers a, imaginary experience. Just as with Call of Duty, that doesn’t mean you should pick up a real gun and enlist,” says musician Herman Li.
The band had already wrapped up a successful tour before their hit appeared on Guitar Hero III, but Li says it turned them into a household name. “I recall the record label informing us that our records were moving like crazy,” he shares. “It exploded when we next toured, and we performed just before top acts on the Mayhem festival.”
Indeed, DragonForce’s exposure from Guitar Hero was so immense that it has threatened to overshadow everything else accomplishments. Recently, the track was used in promotional material for Despicable Me 4. “Previously I felt otherwise, but I’ve made peace with it,” Li says. “Should you just hear a single track, that's fine – each person has a unique path in music and I’m glad we played a role of people’s lives”.
The Lasting Legacy of a Iconic Controller
The best promotion, be it for cars, clothes or video games, extends beyond mere transactions – it inspires a desire. Did Guitar Hero tap into that? “That’s exactly what our team trying to create,” Dornbrook says. “That thrill of being a rock star on the stage. From day one, the co-founders believed humans have a natural urge to make music, and they wanted to use technology to enable everyone to participate”.
Most of Guitar Hero games came out in just a five-year period between 2005 and 2010, featuring spin-offs such as DJ Hero, complete with a spinning deck, and Band Hero. Subsequently, the publisher’s interest on peripherals died down, except for a brief comeback several years later.
Games like the fan project and Fortnite Festival have kept the scene alive, and there’s expectations of something from the original publisher in development. A new studio has entered production on their first music game. The initial creators are participating as special advisers. Is the world ready to embrace another game in the spirit of Guitar Hero?
“Our team believed such titles could be similar to sports games where you can releases,” he remarks. “There’s so much fresh tracks it could remain evergreen, thus I remain optimistic. It's entirely possible why it can’t continue with new generations.”
