It has been 20 years after the legendary game hit the market across the Atlantic, giving everyday gamers the tools to feel like a rock star. Not literally, but try telling that someone who has mastered Free Bird’s lengthy guitar solo in front of a packed living-room audience.
Created by the developers, Guitar Hero provided users with a plastic guitar peripheral to follow coloured notes moving along the display synchronized to a song. Each riff corresponded to particular chords, producing the sensation of a genuine performance.
The studio had already experimented with rhythm games prior to teaming up with RedOctane, which was purchased by the gaming giant in 2006. Together, they laid the groundwork for an unlikely massively profitable series which made a significant influence for many of the artists featured, introducing classic bands to a new generation of gaming enthusiasts.
A former executive, ex-chief operating officer of Harmonix, recalls the initial budgetary hurdles in securing the recordings – even though the first two games primarily featured cover versions.
“We rerecorded all the music since the cost was so high,” he explains. “Even with the necessary permissions by themselves, it proved extremely difficult. We couldn’t get bands like the Who – the publisher had virtually no money, and we were fairly certain the project would flop. However, when Guitar Hero became a hit, and record sales and radio play increased, all artists desired to participate.”
He continues: “Among the remarkable aspects was how many parents got in touch and thanked us for exposing their children to the music they loved. It became an intergenerational thing.”
Timeless Music Finds a New Audience
Northern Irish blues-rock band one featured act included their track in the 2008 release Guitar Hero World Tour. Guitarist Paul Mahon recalls the way the game revived classic rock back into vogue: “The game offered a larger, new demographic. Generally such music was seen as music that was past it, however when it was included in the title young people were finding it, suddenly it was cool. This validated it, eliminating the ‘dad rock’ tag. It gave all our music a new life.”
In 2008, the Answer’s debut album remained unreleased stateside, meaning Guitar Hero was a key medium for exposure for the group as they went on US tour supporting AC/DC. “Their crew were playing the song during travel, and several recognized us thanks to the game,” he notes.
Major Band Titles Enduring Impact
Rock’s heavyweight names soon capitalised on the series’ popularity, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen featuring in dedicated game editions centered around their music collections and related lore, imagery and legendary status. For example, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, it was said earned the band greater revenue compared to their studio albums. It moved well over 500,000 units in its first week, and sales of Aerosmith’s music rose significantly at a time when the music business faced decline.
The series continues to inspire nimble-fingered dedication within the community. Earlier this year, a streamer completed a remarkable feat featuring the challenging track – an infamously tough power-metal song popularized through the game – using a fan-made version, a no-cost alternative with similar gameplay but an array of customisation options. The song is challenging even in expert mode, let alone performed at increased tempo while hitting every one of the thousands of cues. The streamer claimed it took months of practice to accomplish.
“Guitar Hero is a fun, fantasy thing. Just as with other games, it doesn't imply you should pick up actual weapons and enlist,” notes DragonForce guitarist Herman Li.
DragonForce had already wrapped up a profitable run when their hit was featured in the third game, but Li says it made them a household name. “I recall the record label informing us that our records were moving like crazy,” he shares. “It exploded when we next toured, and we performed right ahead of top acts on the Mayhem festival.”
Indeed, DragonForce’s exposure from Guitar Hero was so immense that it risked overshadow everything else accomplishments. Recently, the track featured in a trailer for Despicable Me 4. “In the past I thought differently, but I’ve made peace with it,” he admits. “If you only hear one DragonForce song, that's fine – everyone’s got a unique path in music and I’m glad we’ve been part of people’s lives”.
Enduring Legacy from the Iconic Controller
Top-tier promotion, whether it’s for automobiles, apparel or 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 being a music icon in the spotlight. From day one, the co-founders believed there’s an instinctive urge to create songs, and they wanted to leverage innovation to allow people to do it”.
Most installments were released over a mere half-decade from 2005 to 2010, featuring derivative titles like the DJ version, complete with a spinning deck, and Band Hero. Subsequently, the publisher’s interest on peripherals waned, except for a short-lived revival in 2015.
Titles like Clone Hero and newer releases have maintained the community alive, with set to be a new product from the founders in development. Recently formed developers has entered work on their first rhythm-based title. Original co-founders are both involved in advisory roles. Are gamers prepared to welcome a new entry following Guitar Hero?
“We thought those games might become similar to sports games allowing annual update every year,” he remarks. “With abundant new music that it could be evergreen, thus I remain hopeful. There’s no reason for it to persist for future fans.”
