Marking 20 years after Guitar Hero debuted in North America, offering players everywhere the means to become a rock star. Figuratively speaking, but try telling that someone who has nailed Free Bird’s four-minute instrumental break in front of an enthusiastic living-room audience.
Created by the developers, the game provided users with a guitar-shaped controller to follow on-screen cues moving along the display synchronized to a song. Each riff corresponded to specific notes, creating the feel of an authentic live show.
The studio had already tried its hand in the music genre before partnering with RedOctane, later acquired by Activision in 2006. Collaboratively, they established the groundwork for an unlikely massively profitable franchise which made a significant impact for many of the artists included, introducing classic groups to millions of younger players.
A former executive, former COO of Harmonix, recalls the initial financial challenges in securing the recordings – despite the fact initial releases primarily featured cover versions.
“We rerecorded all the music because the dollar figure prohibitive,” he says. “Despite having the publishing rights by themselves, it was extremely difficult. We couldn’t get bands like the Who – the publisher had virtually no money, and our team was pretty convinced it would fail. However, when the game became a hit, and record sales and radio play were going up, all artists desired to participate.”
He adds: “Among the amazing things was how many mothers and fathers got in touch expressing gratitude for exposing their kids to the music they adored. It became a multigenerational thing.”
Timeless Music Finds Younger Fans
Irish blues-rock band the Answer included Never Too Late on the 2008 game the popular installment. Lead musician Paul Mahon remembers how the series revived older hits back into vogue: “Guitar Hero offered a bigger, younger audience. Typically such music was considered outdated material, however when it was featured on the title and teenagers were finding it, suddenly it was cool. This validated the genre, eliminating the ‘dad rock’ label. It provided all our music a new life.”
At that time, the Answer’s first record remained not available in the US, so the game served as a primary platform for exposure for the group during their a North American tour opening for AC/DC. “Their crew had on the song during travel, and some of them recognized us from Guitar Hero,” Mahon says.
Rock’s Heavyweight Titles and Lasting Influence
Music's heavyweight names soon capitalised on the series’ popularity, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and others featuring in dedicated game editions centered around each band’s catalogue and associated stories, imagery and legendary status. For example, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, reportedly earned the group more money compared to their studio albums. It sold well over 500,000 units in its first week, and demand for their songs saw an increase significantly during an era when the music business was already collapsing.
The series continues to inspire quick-handed fanaticism among its fans. Earlier this year, an online personality completed an impressive attempt featuring Through the Fire and Flames – an infamously tough anthem made popular by the game – on Clone Hero, a no-cost alternative with similar gameplay but an array of personalization features. This track is challenging even in expert mode, let alone played at double speed while hitting a single one of the thousands of cues. The streamer claimed requiring months of practice of practice.
“The game is a fun, imaginary experience. Just as with Call of Duty, that doesn’t mean you should use a real gun and enlist,” says DragonForce guitarist Herman Li.
The band previously wrapped up a profitable run when their hit was featured in the third game, yet he explains it made them widely recognized. “I recall our distributors calling to tell me that we were selling albums rapidly,” he says. “It exploded when we next toured, and we were playing right ahead of the headliners on the Mayhem festival.”
In fact, DragonForce’s exposure from Guitar Hero was so immense that it risked overshadow all other accomplishments. Recently, the track was used in a trailer for a major film. “In the past I felt differently, but I’ve made peace with it,” he admits. “If you only hear one DragonForce song, that's fine – each person has their own path in music and I’m glad we played a role of people’s lives”.
The Lasting Legacy of a Plastic Guitar
The best marketing, be it for cars, clothes or games, extends beyond mere transactions – it inspires a desire. Was the game able to harness this? “Precisely what our team aiming to achieve,” Dornbrook says. “That thrill of performing as a rock star in the spotlight. From day one, the creators believed there’s an instinctive urge to create songs, and their goal was to use technology to enable everyone to do it”.
The majority of Guitar Hero games were released over a mere half-decade from 2005 to 2010, including derivative titles like DJ Hero, complete with a turntable controller, and Band Hero. Subsequently, the publisher’s interest on peripherals died down, except for a short-lived revival several years later.
Games such as Clone Hero and Fortnite Festival have kept the scene alive, with expectations of something from the founders in development. Recently formed developers has entered production on their first music game. 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 allowing annual releases,” he remarks. “With abundant fresh tracks that it could be evergreen, thus I remain optimistic. There’s no reason for it to continue with new generations.”