Marking 20 years after the legendary game debuted across the Atlantic, offering players everywhere the opportunity to become a rock star. Not literally, though you'd be hard-pressed telling that someone who's nailed the epic four-minute guitar solo before a packed living-room audience.
Developed by Harmonix, the game gave players a guitar-shaped controller to match on-screen cues moving along the display synchronized to the music. Each riff mimicked specific notes, creating the sensation of a genuine live show.
The studio had already tried its hand with rhythm games prior to teaming up with RedOctane, later acquired by Activision during the mid-2000s. Collaboratively, they laid the groundwork for a surprising massively profitable series that had a remarkable influence on numerous of the artists featured, showcasing classic bands to a new generation of younger players.
A former executive, ex-chief operating officer from the developer, recalls the early financial challenges of licensing the recordings – despite the fact initial releases primarily featured cover versions.
“We rerecorded all the music because the dollar figure was so high,” he explains. “Despite having the publishing rights alone, it was nearly impossible. We failed to secure bands like the Who – the publisher was operating on a shoestring budget, and our team was fairly certain it would fail. However, when the game 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 mothers and fathers reached out expressing gratitude for exposing their kids to the songs they adored. It evolved into an intergenerational phenomenon.”
Timeless Music Finds a New Audience
Northern Irish blues-rock band the Answer included their track in the 2008 release Guitar Hero World Tour. Lead musician Paul Mahon recalls the way the game revived classic rock back into vogue: “Guitar Hero offered a larger, new demographic. Typically this had been considered outdated material, however when it was featured on the game and teenagers were finding it, abruptly it was cool. That legitimised it, and got rid of the ‘dad rock’ tag. It provided all our music a new life.”
In 2008, the band's first record remained not available stateside, meaning the game was a key medium for exposure for the band as they went on a North American tour supporting the rock giants. “The roadies had on the song during travel, and some of them recognized us from Guitar Hero,” Mahon says.
Rock’s Heavyweight Titles and Lasting Impact
Rock’s heavyweight names soon took advantage of the game's success, with Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen featuring in dedicated game editions that focused on each band’s catalogue and related stories, visuals and rock’n’roll mythology. In the case of, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, reportedly to have made the band more money than any of their records. It sold more than half a million units in its first week, and sales of Aerosmith’s music rose of up to 40% at a time when the music business was already collapsing.
The series continues to inspire nimble-fingered fanaticism among its fans. Recently, an online personality completed an impressive attempt featuring the challenging track – a notoriously difficult power-metal song popularized through the game – using a fan-made version, a freeware game with similar gameplay but an array of customisation options. This track is challenging even in expert mode, not to mention played at double speed and without missing every one of its near 4,000 notes. They stated requiring months of practice to accomplish.
“The game offers a, fantasy thing. Just as with other games, it doesn't imply you should use a real gun and go to war,” says musician Herman Li.
DragonForce previously completed a profitable run when Through the Fire and Flames was featured in the third game, but Li says it made them a household name. “I remember the record label calling to tell me that our selling albums like crazy,” he says. “Popularity surged on the subsequent tour, and we performed right ahead of top acts at the event.”
Indeed, the band's visibility via the game was so immense that it threatened to overshadow everything else the band has done. Last year, the track featured in promotional material for a major film. “Previously I thought differently, but now I accept it,” Li says. “Should you just hear one DragonForce song, that's fine – each person has their own musical journey and I’m glad we played a role in fans' experiences”.
The Lasting Impact of a Iconic Controller
The best marketing, whether it’s for automobiles, clothes or games, goes further than selling something – it inspires a longing. Was the game able to harness this? “That’s exactly what our team aiming to achieve,” Dornbrook says. “The excitement of being a rock star in the spotlight. From day one, the creators believed humans have a natural human desire to make music, and they wanted to use technology to enable everyone to do it”.
Most installments came out over a mere half-decade between 2005 and 2010, featuring spin-offs such as the DJ version, complete with a spinning deck, and the band-focused game. Subsequently, the publisher’s interest in plastic instruments died down, aside from a short-lived revival several years later.
Titles like Clone Hero and newer releases have kept the scene active, and there’s set to be a new product from the founders 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 a new entry following Guitar Hero?
“Our team believed those games could be similar to sports games allowing annual update every year,” Dornbrook says. “With abundant new music that it could be perennially popular, so I’ve always been optimistic. There’s no reason for it to persist with new generations.”
