Marking 20 years since the legendary game first launched in North America, providing players everywhere the opportunity to become rock legends. Not in reality, but try convincing anyone who has nailed Free Bird’s four-minute guitar solo in front of a packed living-room audience.
Created by the developers, Guitar Hero provided users with a guitar-shaped controller to follow on-screen cues scrolling down the screen in time with a song. Each riff mimicked specific notes, creating the feel of an authentic performance.
Harmonix previously experimented in the music genre prior to teaming up with RedOctane, which was acquired by the gaming giant during the mid-2000s. Together, they established the foundations for an unlikely billion-dollar series which made a significant impact for many of the artists included, introducing classic bands to millions of younger players.
Michael Dornbrook, ex-chief operating officer from the developer, remembers the initial budgetary hurdles of licensing the songs – even though initial releases primarily featured cover versions.
“We rerecorded every song because the dollar figure prohibitive,” he explains. “Even with the publishing rights by themselves, it proved nearly impossible. We failed to secure acts such as legendary groups – RedOctane was operating on a shoestring budget, and our team was pretty convinced the project would flop. However, when Guitar Hero took off, album purchases and radio play increased, all artists desired to participate.”
He continues: “Among the remarkable aspects was how many mothers and fathers reached out expressing gratitude for exposing their kids to the songs they adored. It evolved into an intergenerational thing.”
Classic Rock Gains Younger Fans
Irish blues-rock band the Answer included Never Too Late in the 2008 release Guitar Hero World Tour. Guitarist the artist recalls the way the game brought older hits back into vogue: “Guitar Hero offered a bigger, new demographic. Generally this had been seen as music that was past it, but then once it got included in the game young people were finding it, suddenly it became trendy. This validated it, eliminating the outdated tag. It provided our catalog renewed popularity.”
In 2008, the Answer’s debut album was still not available stateside, so the game was a key medium for exposure for the group as they went on a North American tour supporting AC/DC. “The roadies were playing Never Too Late on the tour bus, and several knew us from Guitar Hero,” Mahon says.
Rock’s Heavyweight Titles and Lasting Impact
Music's biggest acts quickly capitalised on the series’ popularity, with Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen featuring in dedicated spin-off titles centered around each band’s catalogue and associated lore, visuals and legendary status. In the case of, the Aerosmith edition, it was said to have made the group greater revenue compared to their records. It moved more than 500,000 copies in its first week, and sales of their songs rose of up to 40% during an era when the music business faced decline.
The series continues to inspire quick-handed fanaticism among its fans. Recently, a streamer achieved an impressive attempt featuring the challenging track – an infamously tough power-metal song made popular by Guitar Hero – on Clone Hero, a no-cost alternative with almost identical gameplay but an array of customisation options. The song is difficult even in the hardest setting, let alone performed at increased tempo and without missing every one of the thousands of cues. They stated it took nine months of practice.
“Guitar Hero is a fun, imaginary experience. Just as with other games, that doesn’t mean you should pick up actual weapons and enlist,” notes DragonForce guitarist the artist.
The band previously completed a successful tour before Through the Fire and Flames was featured in the third game, but Li says it made them a household name. “I recall our distributors informing us that our selling albums rapidly,” he says. “It exploded when we next toured, and we were playing just before top acts at the event.”
In fact, DragonForce’s exposure via the game proved so vast that it has threatened to overshadow everything else accomplishments. Recently, the song was used in a trailer for a major film. “Previously I felt otherwise, but now I accept it,” he admits. “If you only listen to one DragonForce song, it’s totally cool – each person has a unique musical journey and I’m glad we’ve been part in fans' experiences”.
The Lasting Legacy from the Plastic Guitar
The best promotion, whether it’s for cars, clothes or games, goes further mere transactions – it inspires a longing. Was the game able to tap into that? “Precisely what we were aiming to achieve,” he confirms. “The excitement of performing as a music icon on the stage. From day one, the co-founders believed humans have a natural human desire to create songs, and their goal was to leverage innovation to enable everyone to participate”.
Most of Guitar Hero games came out in just a five-year period from 2005 to 2010, including derivative titles like DJ Hero, complete with a spinning deck, and the band-focused game. Subsequently, the publisher’s interest on peripherals died down, except for a short-lived revival several years later.
Titles like the fan project and newer releases have maintained the scene active, with expectations of something from the original publisher on the way. Recently formed developers has entered work on their first rhythm-based title. Original co-founders are both involved in advisory roles. Is the world prepared to welcome another game following Guitar Hero?
“We thought such titles could be similar to sports games where you can update every year,” he remarks. “With abundant fresh tracks that it could be evergreen, thus I remain hopeful. There’s no reason for it to persist for future fans.”
