It has been 20 years since Guitar Hero first launched across the Atlantic, providing everyday gamers the tools to feel like a rock star. Not in reality, though you'd be hard-pressed telling that someone who's nailed Free Bird’s lengthy instrumental break before an enthusiastic crowd of friends.
Created by the developers, Guitar Hero provided users with a guitar-shaped controller to follow on-screen cues moving along the screen synchronized to a song. Every sequence mimicked specific notes, creating the feel of an authentic performance.
Harmonix previously tried its hand in the music genre before partnering with the publisher, later acquired by Activision in 2006. Together, they laid the foundations for a surprising massively profitable franchise that had a remarkable impact for many musicians featured, introducing classic bands to millions of gaming enthusiasts.
A former executive, ex-chief operating officer from the developer, recalls the initial budgetary hurdles of licensing the recordings – 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. “Despite having the publishing rights alone, it was extremely difficult. We failed to secure bands like legendary groups – RedOctane had virtually no money, and we were pretty convinced the project would flop. However, when the game took off, album purchases airtime were going up, all artists desired to participate.”
He adds: “One of the remarkable aspects was the number of mothers and fathers got in touch expressing gratitude for introducing their kids to the songs they adored. It became a multigenerational phenomenon.”
Timeless Music Gains a New Audience
Irish group one featured act had their track in the 2008 release Guitar Hero World Tour. Guitarist Paul Mahon recalls the way the game revived classic rock to the forefront: “The game provided a larger, younger audience. Generally this had been considered outdated material, but then once it got included in the game and teenagers were finding it, suddenly it was cool. That legitimised it, eliminating the ‘dad rock’ tag. It provided all our music a new life.”
At that time, the band's first record was still not available stateside, so Guitar Hero was a key medium for exposure for the group as they went on a North American tour supporting the rock giants. “The roadies had on Never Too Late during travel, and some of them knew us from Guitar Hero,” he notes.
Major Band Spin-offs Enduring Influence
Rock’s biggest acts quickly capitalised on the series’ popularity, with Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen featuring in dedicated game editions that focused on their music collections and related lore, visuals and legendary status. For example, the Aerosmith edition, reportedly earned the band more money compared to their studio albums. It moved more than 500,000 units upon release, while demand for Aerosmith’s music rose of up to 40% during an era as the industry was already collapsing.
The series continues to inspire quick-handed fanaticism within the community. Earlier this year, an online personality achieved an impressive attempt of DragonForce’s Through the Fire and Flames – a notoriously difficult power-metal song popularized through the game – using a fan-made version, a no-cost alternative with similar mechanics and extensive customisation options. The song is challenging even in expert mode, let alone played at increased tempo while hitting every one of its near 4,000 notes. The streamer stated requiring nine months to accomplish.
“Guitar Hero is a fun, fantasy thing. Just as with Call of Duty, that doesn’t mean you ought to pick up actual weapons and enlist,” says musician the artist.
The band had already wrapped up a profitable run before Through the Fire and Flames appeared on Guitar Hero III, yet he explains it turned them into widely recognized. “I recall our distributors informing us that our records were moving rapidly,” he says. “It exploded on the subsequent tour, and we performed just before top acts on the Mayhem festival.”
Indeed, the band's visibility via the game proved so vast that it has risked overshadow everything else accomplishments. Recently, the track was used in promotional material for a major film. “Previously I thought otherwise, but now I accept it,” Li says. “Should you just listen to one DragonForce song, that's fine – everyone’s got a unique path in music and I'm pleased we’ve been part of people’s lives”.
Enduring Impact from the Plastic Guitar
Top-tier marketing, be it for automobiles, apparel or video games, extends beyond mere transactions – it evokes a desire. Did Guitar Hero tap into that? “Precisely what we were aiming to achieve,” Dornbrook says. “The excitement of performing as a music icon in the spotlight. From day one, the co-founders believed there’s an instinctive urge to make music, and they wanted to use technology to enable everyone to do it”.
Most installments were released over a mere half-decade from 2005 to 2010, featuring spin-offs such as the DJ version, including a turntable controller, and Band Hero. After that, the publisher’s interest in plastic instruments died down, aside from a short-lived revival in 2015.
Games like Clone Hero and newer releases have maintained the community alive, with expectations of something from the founders on the way. A new studio has begun work on its debut music game. The initial creators are both involved in advisory roles. Is the world ready to embrace another game following Guitar Hero?
“Our team believed those games might become like Madden allowing annual update every year,” Dornbrook says. “With abundant fresh tracks that it could be evergreen, thus I remain optimistic. It's entirely possible why it can’t persist for future fans.”
