Marking 20 years after the legendary game debuted across the Atlantic, giving everyday gamers the opportunity to become rock legends. Not literally, but try convincing anyone who has mastered Free Bird’s four-minute instrumental break before a packed living-room audience.
Developed by Harmonix, Guitar Hero gave players a guitar-shaped controller to match coloured notes scrolling down the screen in time with the music. Each riff corresponded to specific notes, producing the sensation of an authentic live show.
Harmonix had already experimented in the music genre before partnering with RedOctane, which was purchased by Activision during the mid-2000s. Together, they established the foundations for an unlikely billion-dollar franchise that had a significant influence for many of the artists included, showcasing decades-old groups to a new generation of gaming enthusiasts.
Michael Dornbrook, former COO from the developer, recalls the early financial challenges of licensing the recordings – even though the first two games mostly used rerecorded tracks.
“We reproduced every song since the dollar figure prohibitive,” he explains. “Despite having the necessary permissions alone, it proved extremely difficult. We failed to secure acts such as the Who – RedOctane was operating on a shoestring budget, and we were pretty convinced it would fail. But once the game took off, album purchases airtime increased, all artists desired to be in.”
He continues: “One of the amazing things was how many parents got in touch and thanked us for introducing their children to the songs they adored. It became an intergenerational phenomenon.”
Timeless Music Gains Younger Fans
Northern Irish blues-rock band one featured act included Never Too Late in the 2008 release the popular installment. Lead musician Paul Mahon remembers how the series brought older hits to the forefront: “The game offered a bigger, younger audience. Typically this had been seen as music that was past it, however when it was featured on the game young people discovered it, suddenly it became trendy. That legitimised the genre, eliminating the ‘dad rock’ label. It provided all our music renewed popularity.”
In 2008, the Answer’s first record remained unreleased in the US, so the game served as a primary platform for exposure for the group during their a North American tour supporting the rock giants. “The roadies had on Never Too Late on the tour bus, and several knew us from Guitar Hero,” Mahon says.
Rock’s Heavyweight Titles and Lasting Influence
Rock’s heavyweight names quickly took advantage of the series’ popularity, with Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen starring in dedicated game editions centered around their music collections and related stories, imagery and legendary status. In the case of, the Aerosmith edition, reportedly to have made the band greater revenue compared to their studio albums. It moved more than half a million copies upon release, while demand for their songs saw an increase significantly during an era as the industry was already collapsing.
Guitar Hero continues to inspire nimble-fingered fanaticism among its fans. Recently, a streamer completed an impressive attempt of DragonForce’s the challenging track – a notoriously difficult anthem popularized through Guitar Hero – on Clone Hero, a no-cost alternative with almost identical gameplay and extensive customisation options. The song is challenging even in expert mode, not to mention performed at increased tempo while hitting a single one of the thousands of cues. The streamer claimed it took months of practice to accomplish.
“The game is a fun, imaginary experience. Just as with Call of Duty, that doesn’t mean you ought to pick up a real gun and go to war,” notes DragonForce guitarist the artist.
The band had already wrapped up a successful tour when Through the Fire and Flames appeared in the third game, yet he explains it made them widely recognized. “I remember the record label calling to tell me that we were selling albums like crazy,” he shares. “It exploded when we next toured, and we performed just before the headliners on the Mayhem festival.”
Indeed, DragonForce’s exposure via the game was so immense that it risked overshadow everything else accomplishments. Last year, the track featured in promotional material for Despicable Me 4. “Previously I felt otherwise, but now I accept it,” he admits. “If you only listen to a single track, it’s totally cool – everyone’s got their own musical journey and I’m glad we played a role of people’s lives”.
Enduring Legacy from the Plastic Guitar
Top-tier marketing, be it for automobiles, clothes or video games, goes further than selling something – it inspires a desire. Did Guitar Hero harness this? “Precisely what our team trying to create,” Dornbrook says. “The excitement of performing as a rock star on the stage. Since the beginning, the creators felt that there’s an instinctive urge to create songs, and they wanted to leverage innovation to allow people to do it”.
Most installments were released in just a five-year period from 2005 to 2010, featuring spin-offs such as the DJ version, including a turntable controller, and Band Hero. After that, the publisher’s interest in plastic instruments died down, except for a short-lived revival several years later.
Titles such as Clone Hero and Fortnite Festival have kept the community alive, and there’s set to be a new product from the founders in development. Recently formed developers has begun production on its debut rhythm-based title. The initial creators are participating as special advisers. Are gamers ready to embrace a new entry in the spirit of Guitar Hero?
“Our team believed such titles might become like Madden allowing annual update every year,” he remarks. “There’s so much fresh tracks that it could be evergreen, thus I remain hopeful. It's entirely possible why it can’t continue for future fans.”
