🔗 Share this article

It has been two decades after Guitar Hero first launched in North America, providing everyday gamers the means to feel like a rock star. Not literally, but try convincing someone who has nailed the epic four-minute guitar solo in front of an enthusiastic living-room audience.

Developed by Harmonix, the game provided users with a guitar-shaped controller to follow on-screen cues scrolling down the display synchronized to the music. Each riff mimicked specific notes, creating the sensation of a genuine performance.

The studio previously tried its hand in the music genre before partnering with RedOctane, later purchased by the gaming giant in 2006. Together, they established the groundwork for a surprising billion-dollar franchise that had a significant influence for many of the artists included, introducing classic groups to millions of gaming enthusiasts.

Michael Dornbrook, former COO from the developer, remembers the initial financial challenges in securing the songs – despite the fact the first two games primarily featured cover versions.

“We reproduced all the music since the dollar figure was so high,” he explains. “Even with the publishing rights by themselves, it proved extremely difficult. We failed to secure acts such as the Who – 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 were going up, everyone wanted to be in.”

He continues: “Among the amazing things was how many mothers and fathers reached out and thanked us for exposing their children to the songs they adored. It evolved into a multigenerational phenomenon.”

Timeless Music Finds a New Audience

Northern Irish blues-rock band the Answer included Never Too Late in the 2008 release the popular installment. Lead musician the artist recalls how the series brought classic rock back into vogue: “The game provided a larger, new demographic. Generally this had been considered music that was past it, but then when it was included in the title young people discovered it, abruptly it was cool. This validated the genre, eliminating the outdated tag. It provided all our music a new life.”

At that time, the band's debut album was still unreleased in the US, meaning the game was a key medium of discovery for the band during their US tour opening for the rock giants. “Their crew were playing Never Too Late during travel, and some of them knew us thanks to the game,” Mahon says.

Major Band Spin-offs and Lasting Impact

Rock’s heavyweight names quickly took advantage of the series’ popularity, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and others featuring in specialized game editions that focused on their music collections and associated stories, imagery and legendary status. For example, the Aerosmith edition, it was said to have made the band more money than any of their records. It moved more than half a million units upon release, while demand for their songs saw an increase significantly at a time as the industry was already collapsing.

The series continues to inspire nimble-fingered fanaticism within the community. Earlier this year, a streamer achieved a remarkable feat featuring Through the Fire and Flames – an infamously tough power-metal song popularized through the game – using a fan-made version, a freeware game with almost identical mechanics and extensive personalization features. This track is challenging enough on the hardest setting, not to mention played at double speed while hitting every one of its near 4,000 notes. The streamer stated it took months of practice of practice.

“Guitar Hero offers a, fantasy thing. If you play Call of Duty, it doesn't imply you ought to use actual weapons and enlist,” says DragonForce guitarist the artist.

DragonForce previously completed a profitable run when Through the Fire and Flames was featured on Guitar Hero III, but Li says it made them widely recognized. “I remember our distributors calling to tell me that our records were moving like crazy,” he shares. “Popularity surged on the subsequent tour, and we were playing just before top acts at the event.”

Indeed, the band's visibility via the game was so immense that it has risked eclipsing everything else the band has done. Last year, the track featured in a trailer for a major film. “Previously I thought differently, but I’ve made peace with 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 glad we’ve been part of people’s lives”.

The Lasting Legacy from the Iconic Controller

The best marketing, be it for automobiles, apparel or video games, extends beyond mere transactions – it inspires a longing. Did Guitar Hero harness this? “Precisely what our team aiming to achieve,” he confirms. “The excitement of being a rock star on the stage. Since the beginning, the co-founders felt that humans have a natural human desire to make music, and their goal was to leverage innovation to allow people to participate”.

The majority 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 Band Hero. Subsequently, corporate focus in plastic instruments waned, except for a brief comeback several years later.

Titles such as Clone Hero and Fortnite Festival have maintained the community active, and there’s set to be something from the original publisher on the way. A new studio has begun production on its debut music game. Original co-founders are both involved as special advisers. Is the world prepared to welcome another game in the spirit of Guitar Hero?

“We thought those games might become similar to sports games where you can update every year,” Dornbrook says. “There’s so much fresh tracks that it could be evergreen, so I’ve always been optimistic. It's entirely possible why it can’t continue with new generations.”