Marking 20 years after Guitar Hero hit the market in North America, offering players everywhere the tools to become a rock star. Not literally, but try convincing someone who has mastered the epic lengthy guitar solo before an enthusiastic living-room audience.
Developed by Harmonix, the game gave players a plastic guitar peripheral to match coloured notes scrolling down the display in time with a song. Every sequence mimicked specific notes, creating the sensation of a genuine live show.
The studio had already experimented with rhythm games before partnering with the publisher, which was purchased by the gaming giant in 2006. Collaboratively, they established the groundwork for a surprising massively profitable franchise which made a significant impact for many of the artists featured, introducing decades-old groups to a new generation of younger players.
A former executive, ex-chief operating officer of Harmonix, remembers the early financial challenges of licensing the songs – even though initial releases mostly used cover versions.
“We reproduced all the music since the dollar figure was so high,” he explains. “Even with the necessary permissions alone, it proved nearly impossible. We failed to secure acts such as the Who – RedOctane was operating on a shoestring budget, and we were pretty convinced the project would flop. However, when the game took off, and record sales airtime were going up, all artists desired to participate.”
He continues: “One of the remarkable aspects was how many mothers and fathers reached out expressing gratitude for exposing their children to the music they adored. It evolved into a multigenerational thing.”
Timeless Music Gains a New Audience
Irish group one featured act had their track on the 2008 game the popular installment. Guitarist Paul Mahon recalls how the series brought older hits back into vogue: “The game offered a bigger, younger audience. Generally such music was considered outdated material, but then once it got featured on the game young people discovered it, abruptly it was cool. This validated the genre, eliminating the ‘dad rock’ tag. It gave our catalog renewed popularity.”
In 2008, the Answer’s first record remained not available stateside, meaning Guitar Hero served as a primary platform for exposure for the group as they went on a North American tour opening for the rock giants. “The roadies were playing the song during travel, and some of them recognized us thanks to the game,” Mahon says.
Major Band Titles and Lasting Impact
Rock’s biggest acts quickly capitalised on the series’ popularity, with Aerosmith, Metallica and others starring in dedicated game editions centered around their music collections and related stories, visuals and legendary status. For example, the Aerosmith edition, it was said to have made the group more money compared to their records. It sold more than 500,000 units upon release, while sales of their songs rose of up to 40% at a time as the industry was already collapsing.
Guitar Hero still motivates nimble-fingered dedication within the community. Recently, an online personality achieved an impressive attempt featuring the challenging track – an infamously tough power-metal song popularized through the game – on Clone Hero, a no-cost alternative with almost identical mechanics and extensive customisation options. The song is challenging enough on expert mode, let alone performed at double speed while hitting a single one of its near 4,000 notes. The streamer claimed it took nine months to accomplish.
“Guitar Hero is a fun, imaginary experience. If you play other games, it doesn't imply you ought to use a real gun and go to war,” notes DragonForce guitarist the artist.
DragonForce had already wrapped up a profitable run before Through the Fire and Flames was featured on Guitar Hero III, but Li says it turned them into a household name. “I remember the record label calling to tell me that we were selling albums like crazy,” he shares. “Popularity surged on the subsequent tour, and we performed right ahead of the headliners at the event.”
Indeed, DragonForce’s exposure via the game was so immense that it threatened to overshadow everything else accomplishments. Last year, the song was used in promotional material for Despicable Me 4. “In the past I felt differently, but now I accept it,” he admits. “Should you just hear a single track, it’s totally cool – everyone’s got a unique path in music and I’m glad we played a role in fans' experiences”.
Enduring Impact from the Iconic Controller
The best promotion, whether it’s for cars, apparel or games, goes further than selling something – it inspires a desire. Was the game able to harness this? “That’s exactly what we were aiming to achieve,” Dornbrook says. “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 leverage innovation to enable everyone to do it”.
Most of Guitar Hero games were released in just a half-decade from 2005 to 2010, featuring spin-offs like the DJ version, complete with a turntable controller, and the band-focused game. After that, 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, with set to be a new product from the original publisher on the way. Recently formed developers has begun work on their first rhythm-based title. Original co-founders are participating as special advisers. Is the world prepared to welcome a new entry in the spirit of the classic?
“Our team believed those games could be like Madden allowing annual update every year,” Dornbrook says. “With abundant new music that it could be evergreen, so I’ve always been hopeful. There’s no reason for it to continue with new generations.”
