Marking two decades after the legendary game debuted across the Atlantic, offering everyday gamers the means to feel like rock legends. Figuratively speaking, but try convincing someone who's nailed Free Bird’s four-minute instrumental break before a packed crowd of friends.
Developed by the developers, Guitar Hero gave players a plastic guitar peripheral to match coloured notes scrolling down the display synchronized to the music. Each riff corresponded to particular chords, creating the sensation of a genuine live show.
The studio previously experimented with rhythm games before partnering with RedOctane, which was purchased by Activision during the mid-2000s. Together, they laid the foundations for an unlikely billion-dollar franchise which made a remarkable influence on numerous of the artists featured, introducing decades-old groups to a new generation of younger players.
A former executive, ex-chief operating officer of Harmonix, remembers the initial financial challenges in securing the songs – despite the fact the first two games primarily featured cover versions.
“We reproduced all the music because the cost was so high,” he explains. “Even with the publishing rights alone, it was nearly impossible. We couldn’t get bands like legendary groups – the publisher had virtually no money, and our team was fairly certain it would fail. However, when the game took off, album purchases and radio play were going up, all artists desired to be in.”
He adds: “Among the remarkable aspects was how many parents got in touch and thanked us for introducing their kids to the music they adored. It evolved into a multigenerational thing.”
Timeless Music Gains a New Audience
Irish group one featured act had Never Too Late on the 2008 game the popular installment. Guitarist Paul Mahon remembers how the series brought older hits to the forefront: “Guitar Hero offered a bigger, younger audience. Generally such music was seen as music that was past it, but then once it got included in the game young people were finding it, abruptly it was cool. This validated it, and got rid of the ‘dad rock’ label. It provided our catalog a new life.”
In 2008, the band's first record remained not available in the US, meaning the game served as a primary platform of discovery for the group as they went on US tour supporting the rock giants. “The roadies had on the song on the tour bus, and some of them recognized us from Guitar Hero,” he notes.
Rock’s Heavyweight Spin-offs and Lasting Impact
Music's heavyweight names quickly took advantage of the series’ popularity, with Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen starring in dedicated game editions that focused on each band’s catalogue and associated lore, visuals and legendary status. In the case of, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, reportedly earned the band greater revenue than any of their records. It sold well over 500,000 units upon release, and demand for their songs rose of up to 40% at a time as the industry faced decline.
Guitar Hero continues to inspire quick-handed fanaticism among its fans. Earlier this year, a streamer achieved a remarkable feat featuring Through the Fire and Flames – a notoriously difficult power-metal song popularized through the game – on Clone Hero, a freeware game with almost identical mechanics but an array of customisation options. The song is difficult enough on the hardest setting, let alone played at double speed and without missing every one of the thousands of cues. The streamer stated it took months of practice of practice.
“The game offers a, fantasy thing. Just as with Call of Duty, that doesn’t mean you should pick up a real gun and go to war,” notes musician Herman Li.
The band had already completed a successful tour before their hit was featured on Guitar Hero III, yet he explains it turned them into a household name. “I recall our distributors informing us that we were selling albums like crazy,” he says. “It exploded on the subsequent tour, and we performed right ahead of the headliners on the Mayhem festival.”
Indeed, DragonForce’s exposure from Guitar Hero was so immense that it risked overshadow all other accomplishments. Recently, the song was used in promotional material for Despicable Me 4. “In the past I thought otherwise, but now I accept it,” he admits. “If you only listen to a single track, that's fine – each person has their own path in music and I’m glad we played a role in fans' experiences”.
The Lasting Impact of a Plastic Guitar
Top-tier marketing, be it for automobiles, clothes or games, goes further mere transactions – it evokes a desire. Did Guitar Hero harness this? “That’s exactly what we were aiming to achieve,” Dornbrook says. “That thrill of being a rock star in the spotlight. Since the beginning, the creators felt that humans have a natural urge to create songs, and their goal was to leverage innovation to allow people to do it”.
Most of Guitar Hero games came out over a mere half-decade between 2005 and 2010, including derivative titles like the DJ version, complete with a turntable controller, and Band Hero. After that, corporate focus in plastic instruments waned, except for a brief comeback in 2015.
Games such as the fan project and Fortnite Festival have kept the scene alive, and there’s set to be something from the original publisher in development. A new studio has entered work on its debut music game. Original co-founders are participating as special advisers. Is the world prepared to welcome a new entry following the classic?
“Our team believed such titles might become like Madden where you can update every year,” Dornbrook says. “There’s so much fresh tracks it could remain perennially popular, so I’ve always been optimistic. It's entirely possible for it to continue for future fans.”
