Marking two decades since the legendary game first launched across the Atlantic, giving players everywhere the tools to become a rock star. Not in reality, but try telling that anyone who has nailed the epic four-minute guitar solo before a packed living-room audience.
Developed by the developers, Guitar Hero gave players a guitar-shaped controller to match coloured notes scrolling down the screen in time with a song. Every sequence corresponded to specific notes, producing the feel of a genuine performance.
Harmonix previously experimented with rhythm games before partnering with RedOctane, which was purchased by Activision during the mid-2000s. Together, they laid the foundations for an unlikely billion-dollar series which made a remarkable influence for many musicians included, introducing decades-old bands to a new generation of gaming enthusiasts.
A former executive, ex-chief operating officer from the developer, remembers the early financial challenges in securing the songs – even though initial releases primarily featured cover versions.
“We rerecorded all the music since the cost was so high,” he explains. “Despite having the publishing rights by themselves, it was nearly impossible. We failed to secure bands like the Who – RedOctane was operating on a shoestring budget, and our team was pretty convinced it would fail. However, when Guitar Hero became a hit, and record sales and radio play increased, all artists desired to be in.”
He adds: “Among the amazing things was the number of parents got in touch expressing gratitude for introducing their children to the music they adored. It became an intergenerational thing.”
Classic Rock Finds Younger Fans
Northern Irish group one featured act included their track in the 2008 release Guitar Hero World Tour. Lead musician the artist remembers how the series revived classic rock to the forefront: “Guitar Hero provided a larger, younger audience. Generally this had been seen as outdated material, but then when it was included in the game and teenagers were finding it, suddenly it was cool. That legitimised the genre, eliminating the ‘dad rock’ label. It provided our catalog a new life.”
In 2008, the band's first record was still unreleased stateside, so the game was a key medium for exposure for the band during their US tour supporting the rock giants. “Their crew had on Never Too Late during travel, and some of them knew us thanks to the game,” Mahon says.
Major Band Spin-offs Enduring Impact
Music's heavyweight names soon capitalised on the game's success, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen featuring in dedicated spin-off titles centered around each band’s catalogue and associated lore, imagery and rock’n’roll mythology. For example, the Aerosmith edition, reportedly to have made the group greater revenue compared to their records. It sold more than half a million copies in its first week, while demand for their songs rose of up to 40% during an era as the industry faced decline.
Guitar Hero still motivates nimble-fingered dedication among its fans. Recently, a streamer completed an impressive attempt featuring Through the Fire and Flames – a notoriously difficult anthem popularized through Guitar Hero – using a fan-made version, a no-cost alternative with almost identical gameplay and extensive personalization features. This track is difficult enough on expert mode, not to mention performed at increased tempo while hitting a single one of the thousands of cues. They claimed it took nine months to accomplish.
“The game is a fun, imaginary experience. If you play other games, it doesn't imply you should use actual weapons and enlist,” notes musician the artist.
DragonForce had already wrapped up a successful tour when Through the Fire and Flames appeared in the third game, yet he explains it made them widely recognized. “I remember the record label informing us that we were records were moving rapidly,” he shares. “It exploded on the subsequent tour, and we were playing just before the headliners on the Mayhem festival.”
In fact, DragonForce’s exposure via the game was so immense that it has risked overshadow everything else the band has done. Recently, the song was used in a trailer for a major film. “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 their own musical journey and I’m glad we’ve been part of people’s lives”.
The Lasting Legacy from the Iconic Controller
Top-tier marketing, whether it’s for cars, clothes or video games, extends beyond mere transactions – it inspires a longing. Did Guitar Hero harness this? “That’s exactly what we were trying to create,” Dornbrook says. “That thrill of being a music icon on the stage. Since the beginning, the creators felt that humans have a natural human desire to make music, and they wanted to use technology to enable everyone to do it”.
Most of Guitar Hero games were released over a mere half-decade from 2005 to 2010, featuring spin-offs such as the DJ version, complete with a turntable controller, and the band-focused game. After that, the publisher’s interest on peripherals waned, except for a brief comeback in 2015.
Titles such as the fan project and newer releases have maintained the scene active, with expectations of a new product from the original publisher in development. A new studio has entered production on its debut rhythm-based title. Original co-founders are both involved in advisory roles. Are gamers prepared to welcome another game in the spirit of Guitar Hero?
“Our team believed those games might become similar to sports games where you can update every year,” he remarks. “There’s so much new music it could remain evergreen, thus I remain hopeful. There’s no reason for it to persist for future fans.”
