Marking two decades since the legendary game hit the market across the Atlantic, offering players everywhere the tools to feel like a rock star. Figuratively speaking, but try convincing someone who's nailed the epic four-minute guitar solo before an enthusiastic crowd of friends.
Developed by the developers, the game provided users with a guitar-shaped controller to follow coloured notes moving along the screen synchronized to the music. Each riff mimicked particular chords, producing the feel of an authentic performance.
Harmonix had already experimented in the music genre before partnering with RedOctane, later acquired by the gaming giant in 2006. Together, they established the groundwork for an unlikely massively profitable franchise that had a significant impact on numerous musicians included, showcasing decades-old bands to a new generation of younger players.
Michael Dornbrook, former COO from the developer, recalls the early financial challenges of licensing the songs – despite the fact the first two games mostly used cover versions.
“We rerecorded all the music since the cost prohibitive,” he says. “Despite having the publishing rights by themselves, it proved nearly impossible. We failed to secure acts such as legendary groups – the publisher was operating on a shoestring budget, and our team was fairly certain the project would flop. But once Guitar Hero took off, and record sales airtime 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 loved. It evolved into a multigenerational phenomenon.”
Timeless Music Gains a New Audience
Northern Irish blues-rock band one featured act had their track in the 2008 release Guitar Hero World Tour. Lead musician the artist recalls how the series brought older hits back into vogue: “The game provided a bigger, younger audience. Generally such music was seen as music that was past it, but then once it got featured on the game young people were finding it, suddenly it was cool. This validated the genre, eliminating the ‘dad rock’ tag. It gave our catalog renewed popularity.”
At that time, the band's debut album was still unreleased in the US, so the game served as a primary platform of discovery for the band during their US tour opening for AC/DC. “The roadies were playing Never Too Late on the tour bus, and some of them knew us from Guitar Hero,” he notes.
Major Band Titles Enduring Influence
Music's biggest acts quickly took advantage of the series’ popularity, with Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen featuring in dedicated spin-off titles that focused on each band’s catalogue and associated stories, visuals and rock’n’roll mythology. For example, the Aerosmith edition, it was said to have made the group more money than any of their records. It sold well over 500,000 units in its first week, and sales of their songs saw an increase of up to 40% during an era as the industry faced decline.
The series still motivates quick-handed dedication within the community. Recently, a streamer completed an impressive attempt featuring Through the Fire and Flames – a notoriously difficult power-metal song made popular by the game – using a fan-made version, a no-cost alternative with almost identical gameplay and extensive personalization features. This track is challenging enough on expert mode, let alone performed at double speed while hitting a single one of the thousands of cues. The streamer stated it took nine months to accomplish.
“The game is a fun, imaginary experience. If you play other games, that doesn’t mean you should use a real gun and enlist,” says DragonForce guitarist the artist.
The band previously wrapped up a profitable run before their hit appeared in the third game, yet he explains it made them a household name. “I remember our distributors calling to tell me that our selling albums like crazy,” he shares. “Popularity surged on the subsequent tour, and we performed right ahead of top acts on the Mayhem festival.”
Indeed, the band's visibility from Guitar Hero proved so vast that it has threatened to eclipsing everything else the band has done. Recently, the track was used in promotional material for Despicable Me 4. “Previously I felt differently, but now I accept it,” Li says. “If you only listen to a single track, it’s totally cool – each person has a unique musical journey and I'm pleased we played a role of people’s lives”.
The Lasting Impact of a Plastic Guitar
The best promotion, be it for automobiles, clothes or games, goes further mere transactions – it inspires a longing. Did Guitar Hero harness this? “Precisely 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 urge to create songs, and they wanted to leverage innovation to allow people to do it”.
Most installments came out in just a five-year period from 2005 to 2010, featuring spin-offs like the DJ version, complete with a turntable controller, and the band-focused game. Subsequently, the publisher’s interest on peripherals waned, aside from a brief comeback several years later.
Titles like Clone Hero and newer releases have kept the scene alive, and there’s expectations of a new product from the original publisher in development. A new studio has begun work on their first music game. The initial creators are both involved as special advisers. Are gamers ready to embrace a new entry following the classic?
“Our team believed such titles might become like Madden where you can update every year,” Dornbrook says. “There’s so much new music that it could be perennially popular, so I’ve always been hopeful. It's entirely possible why it can’t continue for future fans.”
