Marking 20 years since Guitar Hero hit the market in North America, giving everyday gamers the tools to feel like rock legends. Not in reality, though you'd be hard-pressed telling that someone who's mastered Free Bird’s lengthy guitar solo before a packed living-room audience.
Created by the developers, the game provided users with a guitar-shaped controller to match on-screen cues scrolling down the screen in time with a song. Every sequence mimicked specific notes, producing the feel of an authentic performance.
Harmonix had already experimented in the music genre before partnering with RedOctane, which was acquired by the gaming giant in 2006. Together, they laid the foundations for an unlikely billion-dollar franchise which made a significant influence for many of the artists featured, introducing decades-old bands to millions of gaming enthusiasts.
Michael Dornbrook, former COO of Harmonix, remembers the initial budgetary hurdles of licensing the songs – even though initial releases primarily featured cover versions.
“We rerecorded all the music because the dollar figure was so high,” he says. “Despite having the necessary permissions alone, it proved nearly impossible. We failed to secure bands like the Who – RedOctane had virtually no money, and our team was pretty convinced it would fail. However, when the game became a hit, album purchases and radio play increased, all artists desired to participate.”
He adds: “Among the amazing things was how many mothers and fathers got in touch and thanked us for exposing their kids to the music they loved. It became a multigenerational thing.”
Classic Rock Gains Younger Fans
Northern Irish group one featured act had their track in the 2008 release the popular installment. Lead musician Paul Mahon remembers the way the game brought older hits to the forefront: “Guitar Hero offered a larger, younger audience. Generally such music was seen as outdated material, but then once it got featured on the game young people were finding it, abruptly it became trendy. That legitimised it, eliminating the outdated label. It provided our catalog a new life.”
At that time, the band's first record remained unreleased in the US, so the game served as a primary platform for exposure for the band as they went on a North American tour supporting AC/DC. “The roadies were playing Never Too Late during travel, and several recognized us from Guitar Hero,” he notes.
Major Band Titles and Lasting Impact
Music's biggest acts quickly capitalised on the series’ popularity, with Aerosmith, Metallica and others featuring in dedicated game editions centered around each band’s catalogue and associated stories, visuals and legendary status. For example, the Aerosmith edition, it was said earned the band more money than any of their studio albums. It moved more than 500,000 copies in its first week, while sales of Aerosmith’s music rose of up to 40% at a time when the music business faced decline.
Guitar Hero continues to inspire nimble-fingered dedication among its fans. Earlier this year, a streamer achieved an impressive attempt featuring Through the Fire and Flames – a notoriously difficult power-metal song popularized through Guitar Hero – using a fan-made version, a freeware game with almost identical gameplay but an array of customisation options. The song is challenging enough on the hardest setting, not to mention played at increased tempo while hitting a single one of its near 4,000 notes. The streamer claimed it took months of practice to accomplish.
“The game is a fun, imaginary experience. If you play other games, it doesn't imply you should pick up a real gun and go to war,” says musician Herman Li.
The band previously completed a profitable run before their hit appeared in the third game, but Li says it made them a household name. “I remember our distributors informing us that we were records were moving rapidly,” he shares. “Popularity surged 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 has risked eclipsing everything else the band has done. Recently, the song was used in a trailer for a major film. “In the past I thought otherwise, but now I accept it,” Li says. “If you only listen to a single track, it’s totally cool – everyone’s got a unique path in music and I’m glad we played a role of people’s lives”.
The Lasting Impact of a Plastic Guitar
The best promotion, whether it’s for cars, apparel or video games, extends beyond than selling something – it evokes a desire. Did Guitar Hero tap into that? “That’s exactly what our team aiming to achieve,” he confirms. “That thrill of performing as a music icon on the stage. Since the beginning, the co-founders felt that humans have a natural urge to make music, and they wanted to use technology to enable everyone to participate”.
The majority of Guitar Hero games were released in just a five-year period from 2005 to 2010, featuring spin-offs such as the DJ version, complete with a spinning deck, and Band Hero. Subsequently, corporate focus on peripherals waned, aside from a short-lived revival in 2015.
Games such as Clone Hero and newer releases have kept the community active, with set to be something from the founders in development. A new studio has begun production on its debut music game. Original co-founders are participating in advisory roles. Are gamers ready to embrace a new entry following Guitar Hero?
“Our team believed such titles might become similar to sports games allowing annual releases,” he remarks. “With abundant new music it could remain perennially popular, thus I remain hopeful. There’s no reason why it can’t persist for future fans.”
