It has been two decades since Guitar Hero first launched across the Atlantic, giving everyday gamers the tools to become a rock star. Not in reality, but try telling that someone who's mastered the epic lengthy guitar solo in front of a packed crowd of friends.
Developed by the developers, Guitar Hero gave players a guitar-shaped controller to follow coloured notes moving along the screen synchronized to the music. Every sequence corresponded to specific notes, creating the feel of an authentic performance.
The studio previously experimented in the music genre before partnering with the publisher, which was purchased by the gaming giant in 2006. Collaboratively, they established the foundations for a surprising billion-dollar franchise which made a remarkable influence on numerous musicians included, showcasing decades-old bands to a new generation of gaming enthusiasts.
Michael Dornbrook, former COO from the developer, remembers the early financial challenges in securing the recordings – despite the fact the first two games primarily featured rerecorded tracks.
“We reproduced every song since the dollar figure was so high,” he explains. “Even with the publishing rights alone, it was nearly impossible. We failed to secure acts such as legendary groups – the publisher had virtually no money, and our team was fairly certain the project would flop. However, when the game took off, album purchases and radio play increased, all artists desired to participate.”
He continues: “Among the amazing things was the number of parents got in touch expressing gratitude for exposing their kids to the songs they loved. It evolved into a multigenerational thing.”
Timeless Music Finds a New Audience
Irish group the Answer included their track on the 2008 game Guitar Hero World Tour. Guitarist Paul Mahon recalls how the series brought classic rock to the forefront: “The game provided a bigger, younger audience. Typically such music was considered music that was past it, however once it got included in the game and teenagers were finding it, suddenly it became trendy. That legitimised the genre, eliminating the ‘dad rock’ label. It provided all our music a new life.”
In 2008, the Answer’s debut album was still not available stateside, meaning the game was a key medium of discovery for the group as they went on US tour supporting AC/DC. “Their crew had on the song during travel, and some of them knew us thanks to the game,” Mahon says.
Major Band Titles and Lasting Impact
Rock’s heavyweight names soon took advantage of the game's success, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and others starring in specialized game editions that focused on each band’s catalogue and associated lore, visuals and rock’n’roll mythology. In the case of, the Aerosmith edition, reportedly earned the group more money compared to their studio albums. It moved well over 500,000 copies in its first week, while demand for Aerosmith’s music saw an increase significantly during an era as the industry faced decline.
The series continues to inspire quick-handed fanaticism among its fans. Recently, a streamer completed a remarkable feat featuring the challenging track – an infamously tough power-metal song popularized through Guitar Hero – on Clone Hero, a freeware game with similar mechanics and extensive personalization features. This track is challenging enough on the hardest setting, let alone performed at increased tempo while hitting every one of the thousands of cues. The streamer stated requiring nine months of practice.
“The game is a fun, fantasy thing. If you play Call of Duty, it doesn't imply you ought to pick up a real gun and enlist,” notes musician Herman Li.
DragonForce previously wrapped up a profitable run when their hit was featured in the third game, yet he explains it made them a household name. “I recall our distributors calling to tell me that we were selling albums like crazy,” he says. “It exploded when we next toured, and we performed right ahead of top acts at the event.”
In fact, DragonForce’s exposure via the game was so immense that it has threatened to overshadow all other the band has done. Last year, the song was used in promotional material for a major film. “Previously I felt differently, but I’ve made peace with it,” Li says. “Should you just listen to a single track, it’s totally cool – everyone’s got a unique musical journey and I’m glad we’ve been part of people’s lives”.
Enduring Impact of a Iconic Controller
The best marketing, be it for automobiles, clothes or video games, extends beyond mere transactions – it evokes a longing. Was the game able to harness this? “That’s exactly what we were aiming to achieve,” he confirms. “That thrill of performing as a rock star on the stage. Since the beginning, the creators felt that there’s an instinctive urge to create songs, and their goal was to use technology to enable everyone to do it”.
The majority of Guitar Hero games were released in just a five-year period between 2005 and 2010, including derivative titles such as DJ Hero, including a turntable controller, and the band-focused game. Subsequently, the publisher’s interest in plastic instruments waned, aside from a brief comeback in 2015.
Games like the fan project and newer releases have maintained the scene active, and there’s set to be a new product from the original publisher in development. A new studio has begun work on its debut rhythm-based title. The initial creators are participating in advisory roles. Are gamers ready to embrace a new entry following 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 fresh tracks that it could be perennially popular, thus I remain hopeful. It's entirely possible for it to persist for future fans.”
