Marking two decades since the legendary game debuted in North America, giving everyday gamers the opportunity to feel like rock legends. Not in reality, but try telling that anyone who has nailed Free Bird’s four-minute instrumental break in front of a packed living-room audience.
Created by Harmonix, Guitar Hero gave players a guitar-shaped controller to follow coloured notes moving along the display synchronized to the music. Every sequence mimicked particular chords, producing the sensation of a genuine performance.
The studio had already tried its hand in the music genre before partnering with the publisher, which was acquired by Activision during the mid-2000s. Together, they established the foundations for a surprising massively profitable series which made a significant impact for many of the artists included, showcasing classic bands to millions of younger players.
A former executive, ex-chief operating officer from the developer, recalls the early financial challenges in securing the songs – even though initial releases mostly used rerecorded tracks.
“We reproduced all the music since the cost was so high,” he says. “Even with the publishing rights alone, it was nearly impossible. We couldn’t get acts such as legendary groups – the publisher was operating on a shoestring budget, and we were pretty convinced it would fail. But once the game became a hit, and record sales airtime increased, everyone wanted to participate.”
He continues: “One of the remarkable aspects was how many parents reached out expressing gratitude for introducing their children to the songs they loved. It evolved into an intergenerational thing.”
Classic Rock Gains Younger Fans
Northern Irish group the Answer had their track on the 2008 game the popular installment. Guitarist Paul Mahon remembers how the series revived classic rock to the forefront: “The game offered a bigger, younger audience. Typically this had been seen as music that was past it, but then once it got featured on the game and teenagers were finding it, abruptly it became trendy. This validated it, and got rid of the ‘dad rock’ tag. It gave all our music renewed popularity.”
In 2008, the band's first record was still not available stateside, meaning the game served as a primary platform for exposure for the group during their a North American tour supporting the rock giants. “The roadies were playing Never Too Late during travel, and several recognized us from Guitar Hero,” he notes.
Rock’s Heavyweight Spin-offs Enduring Influence
Music's biggest acts soon capitalised on the game's success, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and others featuring in dedicated spin-off titles that focused on their music collections and associated stories, visuals and legendary status. In the case of, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, it was said earned the band greater revenue compared to their records. It sold more than 500,000 units upon release, and demand for their songs rose of up to 40% during an era as the industry faced decline.
The series continues to inspire nimble-fingered fanaticism among its fans. Recently, a streamer completed an impressive attempt featuring Through the Fire and Flames – an infamously tough power-metal song popularized through the game – on Clone Hero, a freeware game with similar mechanics and extensive customisation options. This track is difficult enough on expert mode, let alone performed at increased tempo and without missing every one of the thousands of cues. They stated it took months of practice to accomplish.
“Guitar Hero offers a, fantasy thing. Just as with other games, that doesn’t mean you ought to use actual weapons and enlist,” notes DragonForce guitarist Herman Li.
The band had already wrapped up a successful tour before their hit appeared in the third game, yet he explains it turned them into widely recognized. “I remember our distributors informing us that we were records were moving rapidly,” he says. “It exploded when we next toured, and we were playing right ahead of top acts on the Mayhem festival.”
In fact, DragonForce’s exposure via the game proved so vast that it threatened to overshadow all other the band has done. Last year, the track featured in promotional material for a major film. “Previously I felt otherwise, but now I accept it,” he admits. “Should you just hear one DragonForce song, that's fine – everyone’s got a unique musical journey and I'm pleased we’ve been part in fans' experiences”.
Enduring Impact from the Plastic Guitar
The best promotion, whether it’s for automobiles, clothes or video games, goes further than selling something – it inspires a desire. Did Guitar Hero harness this? “Precisely what we were trying to create,” Dornbrook says. “The excitement of performing as a rock star in the spotlight. From day one, the co-founders felt that there’s an instinctive human desire to create songs, and their goal was to leverage innovation to enable everyone to participate”.
The majority installments came out in just a five-year period from 2005 to 2010, featuring spin-offs like DJ Hero, including a spinning deck, and Band Hero. After that, corporate focus on peripherals waned, aside from a short-lived revival several years later.
Games such as Clone Hero and newer releases have maintained the community alive, and there’s expectations of a new product from the founders on the way. A new studio has entered work on their first music game. Original co-founders are both involved in advisory roles. Is the world ready to embrace a new entry in the spirit of Guitar Hero?
“Our team believed such titles could be like Madden allowing annual update every year,” Dornbrook says. “With abundant fresh tracks that it could be perennially popular, so I’ve always been optimistic. It's entirely possible for it to persist with new generations.”
