It has been 20 years after the legendary game debuted across the Atlantic, offering everyday gamers the tools to become rock legends. Not literally, but try convincing anyone who's nailed Free Bird’s four-minute guitar solo in front of an enthusiastic crowd of friends.
Developed by Harmonix, Guitar Hero provided users with a guitar-shaped controller to follow on-screen cues moving along the display synchronized to the music. Each riff corresponded to particular chords, creating the sensation of an authentic performance.
Harmonix previously experimented with rhythm games before partnering with RedOctane, later purchased by the gaming giant in 2006. Together, they established the foundations for a surprising billion-dollar franchise which made a significant impact for many of the artists featured, showcasing decades-old bands to millions of gaming enthusiasts.
Michael Dornbrook, ex-chief operating officer from the developer, recalls the initial financial challenges of licensing the songs – despite the fact the first two games mostly used rerecorded tracks.
“We rerecorded every song since the cost was so high,” he says. “Even with the necessary permissions by themselves, it proved nearly impossible. We failed to secure acts such as legendary groups – the publisher was operating on a shoestring budget, and our team was pretty convinced it would fail. However, when Guitar Hero took off, and record sales airtime increased, all artists desired to be in.”
He continues: “Among the amazing things was the number of parents reached out and thanked us for introducing their children to the music they loved. It evolved into a multigenerational thing.”
Classic Rock Finds a New Audience
Irish group the Answer had Never Too Late in the 2008 release the popular installment. Lead musician Paul Mahon recalls the way the game revived classic rock to the forefront: “Guitar Hero offered a bigger, new demographic. Typically this had been considered outdated material, however when it was featured on the game young people were finding it, abruptly it was cool. That legitimised the genre, eliminating the outdated tag. It gave all our music renewed popularity.”
In 2008, the Answer’s debut album remained unreleased in the US, so Guitar Hero 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 on the tour bus, and some of them knew us from Guitar Hero,” Mahon says.
Rock’s Heavyweight Spin-offs Enduring Impact
Music's heavyweight names soon capitalised on the series’ popularity, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen starring in specialized spin-off titles that focused on each band’s catalogue and associated stories, imagery and legendary status. In the case of, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, it was said to have made the group more money compared to their records. It sold well over 500,000 copies upon release, while sales of Aerosmith’s music rose of up to 40% during an era when the music business was already collapsing.
Guitar Hero continues to inspire quick-handed dedication within the community. Recently, a streamer completed an impressive attempt of DragonForce’s Through the Fire and Flames – an infamously tough power-metal song popularized through the game – on Clone Hero, a freeware game with almost identical mechanics but an array of personalization features. This track is difficult even in expert mode, let alone played at double speed and without missing every one of the thousands of cues. They claimed requiring nine months to accomplish.
“Guitar Hero is a fun, 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 the artist.
DragonForce had already wrapped up a successful tour before Through the Fire and Flames was featured on Guitar Hero III, but Li says it made them a household name. “I recall the record label informing us that our records were moving rapidly,” he says. “It exploded on the subsequent tour, and we performed right ahead of the headliners on the Mayhem festival.”
Indeed, the band's visibility via the game was so immense that it threatened to overshadow all other accomplishments. Last year, the track was used in promotional material for a major film. “In the past I felt otherwise, but I’ve made peace with it,” Li says. “Should you just 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”.
Enduring Legacy from the Plastic Guitar
The best marketing, be it for automobiles, clothes or video games, extends beyond mere transactions – it inspires a desire. Was the game able to harness this? “That’s exactly what we were trying to create,” Dornbrook says. “The excitement of being a rock star on the stage. From day one, the co-founders believed there’s an instinctive urge to make music, and their goal was to use technology to enable everyone to do it”.
The majority installments were released over a mere five-year period from 2005 to 2010, including derivative titles such as the DJ version, complete with a spinning deck, and the band-focused game. Subsequently, corporate focus on peripherals died down, aside from a brief comeback in 2015.
Games such as the fan project and newer releases have kept the community alive, with set to be something from the original publisher on the way. A new studio has begun production on their first rhythm-based title. Original co-founders are participating in advisory roles. Are gamers prepared to welcome another game in the spirit of Guitar Hero?
“Our team believed those games could be like Madden where you can releases,” 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 persist for future fans.”
