🔗 Share this article

It has been 20 years after the legendary game debuted across the Atlantic, offering players everywhere the means to become a rock star. Not literally, but try telling that someone who has mastered the epic lengthy instrumental break in front of an enthusiastic crowd of friends.

Created by Harmonix, the game gave players a guitar-shaped controller to follow on-screen cues moving along the display synchronized to a song. Every sequence corresponded to specific notes, producing the feel of an authentic live show.

The studio previously tried its hand in the music genre prior to teaming up with RedOctane, which was acquired by the gaming giant in 2006. Together, they established the groundwork for a surprising massively profitable franchise that had a remarkable impact for many of the artists included, introducing classic groups to a new generation of younger players.

A former executive, former COO from the developer, recalls the initial budgetary hurdles of licensing the recordings – even though the first two games primarily featured rerecorded tracks.

“We rerecorded all the music since the dollar figure was so high,” he explains. “Despite having the publishing rights by themselves, it was nearly impossible. We couldn’t get bands like the Who – the publisher had virtually no money, and we were pretty convinced the project would flop. But once the game became a hit, and record sales and radio play increased, everyone wanted to be in.”

He continues: “Among the remarkable aspects was how many mothers and fathers got in touch and thanked us for introducing their children to the music they adored. It evolved into an intergenerational thing.”

Classic Rock Gains a New Audience

Northern Irish group one featured act had their track on the 2008 game Guitar Hero World Tour. Lead musician the artist recalls the way the game revived older hits back into vogue: “The game provided a bigger, new demographic. Generally such music was considered outdated material, however once it got featured on the game young people were finding it, suddenly it was cool. That legitimised it, eliminating the outdated label. It gave our catalog a new life.”

In 2008, the Answer’s debut album was still unreleased stateside, so Guitar Hero was a key medium of discovery for the band during their a North American tour opening for the rock giants. “The roadies were playing Never Too Late during travel, and several recognized us from Guitar Hero,” he notes.

Rock’s Heavyweight Spin-offs Enduring Influence

Music's heavyweight names soon capitalised on the game's success, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and others featuring in dedicated game editions that focused on each band’s catalogue and related stories, visuals and rock’n’roll mythology. For example, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, it was said to have made the group more money than any of their records. It sold well over 500,000 units upon release, while demand for Aerosmith’s music rose of up to 40% during an era when the music business was already collapsing.

The series continues to inspire quick-handed dedication within the community. Recently, an online personality achieved an impressive attempt featuring Through the Fire and Flames – a notoriously difficult power-metal song popularized through the game – using a fan-made version, a freeware game with similar mechanics and extensive personalization features. This track is challenging enough on expert mode, not to mention performed at increased tempo while hitting every one of its near 4,000 notes. They claimed it took nine months to accomplish.

“Guitar Hero is a fun, imaginary experience. Just as with other games, it doesn't imply you ought to use a real gun and go to war,” says DragonForce guitarist Herman Li.

DragonForce previously completed a profitable run before their hit was featured in the third game, but Li says it made them widely recognized. “I remember our distributors informing us that our selling albums rapidly,” he says. “It exploded when we next toured, and we were playing just before top acts at the event.”

In fact, the band's visibility via the game proved so vast that it has risked eclipsing everything else accomplishments. Recently, the track featured in a trailer for a major film. “In the past I thought differently, but I’ve made peace with it,” Li says. “Should you just listen to a single track, that's fine – each person has a unique musical journey and I’m glad we’ve been part in fans' experiences”.

Enduring Legacy from the Plastic Guitar

Top-tier promotion, be it for cars, clothes or video games, goes further than selling something – it evokes a longing. Was the game able to tap into that? “That’s exactly what we were trying to create,” he confirms. “That thrill of performing as a rock star in the spotlight. Since the beginning, the co-founders felt that humans have a natural human desire to create songs, and they wanted to use technology to allow people to participate”.

Most installments came out in just a five-year period between 2005 and 2010, including spin-offs like the DJ version, complete with a turntable controller, and Band Hero. Subsequently, corporate focus on peripherals waned, except for a brief comeback in 2015.

Titles such as the fan project and Fortnite Festival have kept the community active, and there’s set to be something from the founders in development. A new studio has entered work on its debut rhythm-based title. The initial creators are participating in advisory roles. Are gamers ready to embrace a new entry in the spirit of Guitar Hero?

“We thought those games might become like Madden where you can releases,” Dornbrook says. “With abundant new music that it could be evergreen, so I’ve always been hopeful. It's entirely possible for it to continue with new generations.”