Rocking the World: How Guitar Hero Became a Phenomenon
When it first launched in North America 20 years ago, Guitar Hero was more than just a game - it was an experience that bridged the gap between rock generations. Developed by Harmonix and published by RedOctane, with inspiration from Konami's GuitarFreaks, this iconic game brought the tools to everyday gamers to become rock stars.
The concept was simple yet ingenious: players would match colored notes scrolling down the screen in time with a song, with each riff or sequence corresponding to specific notes. Harmonix had already experimented with rhythm games on the PlayStation 2 with Frequency and Amplitude before partnering with RedOctane, which Activision later acquired.
This unlikely partnership laid the foundation for a billion-dollar franchise that had a profound impact on many artists featured in the series. Classic rock bands like Cheap Trick, Kansas, and Lynyrd Skynyrd were introduced to millions of younger players, breathing new life into their music.
Rock's heavyweight names soon capitalized on Guitar Hero's popularity, with spin-off titles featuring dedicated content from Aerosmith, Metallica, and Van Halen. The success was staggering, with Aerosmith reportedly earning more money from the game than any of their studio albums. The series continued to inspire fervent enthusiasm among its fans, even 20 years after its launch.
Guitar Hero's impact went beyond just entertainment; it helped make classic rock cool again, thanks in part to the introduction of bands like DragonForce, whose album sales soared following a feature on Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock. According to guitarist Herman Li, "If you only listen to one DragonForce song, it's totally cool - everyone's got their own musical journey."
The game's creators aimed to create an instinctive human desire to make music using technology. Alex Rigopulos and Eran Egozy co-founded Harmonix with this goal in mind, wanting to allow people to experience the thrill of being a rock star on stage.
While Guitar Hero may have faded from the gaming scene, its legacy lives on through fan-made games like Clone Hero and Fortnite Festival, which keep the spirit of music-based gaming alive. RedOctane Games, a new studio formed by original co-founders Kai and Charles Huang, is set to revive the series with an upcoming title.
"We thought those games could be like Madden where you can update every year," says Michael Dornbrook, former COO of Harmonix. "There's so much new music that it could be evergreen, so I've always been optimistic." The world may still be ready for another game in the spirit of Guitar Hero - and with new generations discovering rock music through these games, the future looks bright indeed.
When it first launched in North America 20 years ago, Guitar Hero was more than just a game - it was an experience that bridged the gap between rock generations. Developed by Harmonix and published by RedOctane, with inspiration from Konami's GuitarFreaks, this iconic game brought the tools to everyday gamers to become rock stars.
The concept was simple yet ingenious: players would match colored notes scrolling down the screen in time with a song, with each riff or sequence corresponding to specific notes. Harmonix had already experimented with rhythm games on the PlayStation 2 with Frequency and Amplitude before partnering with RedOctane, which Activision later acquired.
This unlikely partnership laid the foundation for a billion-dollar franchise that had a profound impact on many artists featured in the series. Classic rock bands like Cheap Trick, Kansas, and Lynyrd Skynyrd were introduced to millions of younger players, breathing new life into their music.
Rock's heavyweight names soon capitalized on Guitar Hero's popularity, with spin-off titles featuring dedicated content from Aerosmith, Metallica, and Van Halen. The success was staggering, with Aerosmith reportedly earning more money from the game than any of their studio albums. The series continued to inspire fervent enthusiasm among its fans, even 20 years after its launch.
Guitar Hero's impact went beyond just entertainment; it helped make classic rock cool again, thanks in part to the introduction of bands like DragonForce, whose album sales soared following a feature on Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock. According to guitarist Herman Li, "If you only listen to one DragonForce song, it's totally cool - everyone's got their own musical journey."
The game's creators aimed to create an instinctive human desire to make music using technology. Alex Rigopulos and Eran Egozy co-founded Harmonix with this goal in mind, wanting to allow people to experience the thrill of being a rock star on stage.
While Guitar Hero may have faded from the gaming scene, its legacy lives on through fan-made games like Clone Hero and Fortnite Festival, which keep the spirit of music-based gaming alive. RedOctane Games, a new studio formed by original co-founders Kai and Charles Huang, is set to revive the series with an upcoming title.
"We thought those games could be like Madden where you can update every year," says Michael Dornbrook, former COO of Harmonix. "There's so much new music that it could be evergreen, so I've always been optimistic." The world may still be ready for another game in the spirit of Guitar Hero - and with new generations discovering rock music through these games, the future looks bright indeed.
I feel like we lost a piece of ourselves when Guitar Hero faded away 
. It was more than just a game, it brought people together and introduced so many to amazing bands 
. I still remember jamming out to Aerosmith and Metallica on my friend's console 
. The way the music would sync up with your playing felt like magic 
. It's crazy how much of an impact that game had on music and gaming as a whole 
its crazy to think that 20 yrs ago nobody was makin guitars on their consoles now we got people makin sick beats with it 
what i do love is that its not just about bein a rockstar anymore, its about sharin ur passion & creativity through music 
and yeah, harmonix did an amazing job at bridging that gap between old rock fans and new players. dragonforce is my fave band lol, i love how guitar hero helped them out 
what i don't get though is why activision sold it to them, they really messed up that franchise 
. The whole gaming community was all about it back in the day, but it seems like some people were actually introduced to new music because of it. DragonForce is pretty cool too, I love their power metal style 
my friends and i would stay up all night trying to get that sweet 5-star score lol anyway its crazy how it became this huge phenomenon, i mean who wouldn't wanna rock out on a virtual guitar right?