For 20 years now, the plastic axe has been bridging the gap between rock generations, transforming everyday gamers into rock stars and putting a face to decades-old bands like Cheap Trick, Kansas, and Lynyrd Skynyrd. The tools for this transformation were laid down by Harmonix, a company that had already tried its hand at rhythm games with Frequency and Amplitude.
Developed in partnership with RedOctane, the company behind the iconic turntable controller DJ Hero, Guitar Hero was inspired by Konami's GuitarFreaks and introduced to North America. The game gave players a guitar-shaped controller that they could use to match coloured notes scrolling down the screen in time with a song. Each riff or sequence corresponded to specific notes, creating the feel of a genuine performance.
The partnership between Harmonix and RedOctane was marked by significant financial challenges, particularly when licensing music from artists like the Who. However, once the game took off and record sales and radio play saw an increase, everyone wanted in on the action. The impact on many bands was immense, with some seeing their music sales increase by up to 40%.
Rock's heavyweight names soon capitalized on Guitar Hero's popularity, with Aerosmith, Metallica, and Van Halen featuring in dedicated spin-off titles that focused on each band's catalogue and associated lore. In the case of Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, it was said to have made the band more money than any of their studio albums did.
The series continues to inspire nimble-fingered fanaticism among its fans, even 20 years after its launch. Streamer CarnyJared recently completed an impressive attempt of DragonForce's Through the Fire and Flames on Clone Hero, a freeware game with almost identical gameplay but customisation options. Herman Li, guitarist for DragonForce, acknowledges that while Guitar Hero is a fantasy thing, it has certainly made his band household names.
Guitar Hero tapped into something special by evoking a desire to be a rock star on stage. According to Michael Dornbrook, former COO of Harmonix, the company aimed to create an instinctive human desire to make music using technology. The best marketing may not just sell something but evoke a feeling or emotion.
Although Activision's interest in plastic instruments seems to have died down aside from a short-lived revival in 2015 with Guitar Hero Live, games such as Clone Hero and Fortnite Festival continue to keep the scene alive. A new studio from RedOctane Games is set to release its debut rhythm-based title, leaving room for speculation about whether the world is ready for another game in the spirit of Guitar Hero.
Harmonix's optimism remains high despite Activision's history of burning out franchises. Dornbrook believes that as long as there is new music coming out, a game like Guitar Hero could continue to be successful and evergreen. The future of rhythm games may hold some answers, but for now, the plastic axe will remain firmly planted in rock history.
Developed in partnership with RedOctane, the company behind the iconic turntable controller DJ Hero, Guitar Hero was inspired by Konami's GuitarFreaks and introduced to North America. The game gave players a guitar-shaped controller that they could use to match coloured notes scrolling down the screen in time with a song. Each riff or sequence corresponded to specific notes, creating the feel of a genuine performance.
The partnership between Harmonix and RedOctane was marked by significant financial challenges, particularly when licensing music from artists like the Who. However, once the game took off and record sales and radio play saw an increase, everyone wanted in on the action. The impact on many bands was immense, with some seeing their music sales increase by up to 40%.
Rock's heavyweight names soon capitalized on Guitar Hero's popularity, with Aerosmith, Metallica, and Van Halen featuring in dedicated spin-off titles that focused on each band's catalogue and associated lore. In the case of Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, it was said to have made the band more money than any of their studio albums did.
The series continues to inspire nimble-fingered fanaticism among its fans, even 20 years after its launch. Streamer CarnyJared recently completed an impressive attempt of DragonForce's Through the Fire and Flames on Clone Hero, a freeware game with almost identical gameplay but customisation options. Herman Li, guitarist for DragonForce, acknowledges that while Guitar Hero is a fantasy thing, it has certainly made his band household names.
Guitar Hero tapped into something special by evoking a desire to be a rock star on stage. According to Michael Dornbrook, former COO of Harmonix, the company aimed to create an instinctive human desire to make music using technology. The best marketing may not just sell something but evoke a feeling or emotion.
Although Activision's interest in plastic instruments seems to have died down aside from a short-lived revival in 2015 with Guitar Hero Live, games such as Clone Hero and Fortnite Festival continue to keep the scene alive. A new studio from RedOctane Games is set to release its debut rhythm-based title, leaving room for speculation about whether the world is ready for another game in the spirit of Guitar Hero.
Harmonix's optimism remains high despite Activision's history of burning out franchises. Dornbrook believes that as long as there is new music coming out, a game like Guitar Hero could continue to be successful and evergreen. The future of rhythm games may hold some answers, but for now, the plastic axe will remain firmly planted in rock history.
I mean, it's not like it wasn't impactful though - it made bands like Aerosmith and Lynyrd Skynyrd superstars all over again 
. The fact that a game could make you wanna be a rock star is still pretty cool in my opinion 
. It's crazy how some games can just tap into something special like that, you know? 
. I mean, think about it, a game that lets you shred like a rock star at home, and it's been doing it for two decades! That's some serious dedication from fans... and devs. I'm curious though, how much of the music sales increase is attributed to the game itself vs just the band's actual popularity? And what's with all these new games popping up, trying to fill the void left by Activision? Clone Hero and Fortnite Festival seem like they're doing alright, but can they replicate the magic of Guitar Hero? 
, and it's crazy to see how it impacted bands like Aerosmith & Lynyrd Skynyrd, they saw such a huge increase in sales 
, but what's even crazier is that it brought rock back for new gen gamers 
, and to see games like Clone Hero still alive and kicking 
, gives me hope for the future of rhythm games 
but seriously, the impact on bands was huge, especially the classics like Lynyrd Skynyrd and Cheap Trick... it's amazing 2 think how one game could give them a new lease on life 
anyway, it's cool 2 see the legacy lives on with games like Clone Hero & Fortnite Festival keeping the spirit alive 
it's crazy how it brought all those classic bands back into the spotlight and gave people a way to experience rock music in a whole new way 
. But hey, as long as new music comes out, there's always room for another rhythm game to shine through 
. Would love to try out that new RedOctane game when it drops... fingers crossed!
gotta love how Harmonix & RedOctane teamed up to make it happen 
I mean, can you imagine gettin' your face out there and seein' a 40% spike in album sales? That's some crazy rockstar math 
I'm all for new studios tryin' to keep the spirit alive 
especially with Clone Hero and Fortnite Festival keepin' it lit 
But seriously, the fact that people still obsess over it like i do is kinda amazing. I mean who needs a real guitar when u can shred 2o0k notes on screen? 
. I'm glad people still care enough to be streaming it online though. The whole thing just feels like a bunch of nostalgia now, but at the same time it's kinda brilliant in how it tapped into that desire to be a rockstar 
. That's some crazy math right there! And now, all these years later, it seems like rhythm games are still alive and well with games like Clone Hero 
. Who knows, maybe one day we'll get another game in the spirit of Guitar Hero? Stranger things have happened, right 
The partnership between Harmonix and RedOctane was definitely a risk, but it paid off big time! 
. But for real though, it's crazy how much of an impact it had on the music industry. I mean, some bands saw their sales increase by 40% because of that game! That's wild. And can we talk about how ridiculous Aerosmith is making more money off their own music than they do from actual album sales?