It has been two decades after the legendary game hit the market across the Atlantic, giving everyday gamers the tools to feel like a rock star. Not literally, though you'd be hard-pressed telling that anyone who has mastered Free Bird’s four-minute instrumental break in front of a packed crowd of friends.
Created by Harmonix, Guitar Hero gave players a plastic guitar peripheral to follow coloured notes moving along the display in time with the music. Each riff mimicked particular chords, producing the feel of an authentic live show.
The studio had already experimented with rhythm games prior to teaming up with the publisher, which was acquired by the gaming giant in 2006. Together, they established the groundwork for a surprising billion-dollar series that had a significant influence for many musicians featured, introducing decades-old groups to millions of younger players.
A former executive, former COO from the developer, remembers the early financial challenges of licensing the recordings – despite the fact the first two games primarily featured cover versions.
“We rerecorded all the music because the cost was so high,” he says. “Even with the publishing rights by themselves, it proved nearly impossible. We failed to secure bands like legendary groups – the publisher had virtually no money, and our team was fairly certain it would fail. However, when Guitar Hero became a hit, album purchases and radio play were going up, everyone wanted to participate.”
He adds: “Among the amazing things was how many parents got in touch expressing gratitude for introducing their kids to the songs they adored. It became a multigenerational thing.”
Timeless Music Gains Younger Fans
Irish group the Answer included their track in the 2008 release the popular installment. Lead musician Paul Mahon recalls the way the game revived classic rock back into vogue: “The game offered a bigger, new demographic. Typically such music was seen as music that was past it, however once it got featured on the title young people were finding it, suddenly it was cool. This validated the genre, eliminating the outdated tag. It provided all our music renewed popularity.”
In 2008, the band's first record was still unreleased stateside, meaning the game served as a primary platform for exposure for the band as they went on US tour opening for the rock giants. “Their crew had on the song on the tour bus, and several knew us thanks to the game,” Mahon says.
Rock’s Heavyweight Spin-offs Enduring Influence
Music's biggest acts quickly took advantage of the game's success, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen featuring in specialized game editions that focused on their music collections and associated stories, imagery and rock’n’roll mythology. In the case of, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, it was said earned the group greater revenue compared to their studio albums. It moved well over 500,000 copies upon release, while sales of their songs rose significantly at a time as the industry was already collapsing.
The series continues to inspire quick-handed fanaticism within the community. Recently, a streamer achieved an impressive attempt of DragonForce’s the challenging track – an infamously tough power-metal song popularized through Guitar Hero – on Clone Hero, a no-cost alternative with similar 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 its near 4,000 notes. The streamer stated it took months of practice of practice.
“The game is a fun, fantasy thing. If you play Call of Duty, it doesn't imply you should use a real gun and enlist,” says DragonForce guitarist Herman Li.
DragonForce had already wrapped up a profitable run before Through the Fire and Flames was featured on Guitar Hero III, but Li says it turned them into a household name. “I recall our distributors informing us that we were records were moving rapidly,” he says. “Popularity surged on the subsequent tour, and we were playing just before top acts on the Mayhem festival.”
In fact, the band's visibility via the game proved so vast that it has risked overshadow everything else the band has done. Last year, the track featured in a trailer for Despicable Me 4. “Previously I thought differently, but I’ve made peace with it,” he admits. “Should you just listen to a single track, it’s totally cool – everyone’s got a unique musical journey and I'm pleased we played a role of people’s lives”.
The Lasting Legacy from the Plastic Guitar
Top-tier promotion, be it for cars, apparel or games, extends beyond mere transactions – it inspires a longing. Was the game able to harness this? “Precisely what our team trying to create,” Dornbrook says. “That thrill of performing as a rock star in the spotlight. Since the beginning, the creators believed there’s an instinctive urge to create songs, and their goal was to use technology to enable everyone to participate”.
The majority of Guitar Hero games came out in just a five-year period between 2005 and 2010, including spin-offs like the DJ version, complete with a turntable controller, and Band Hero. After that, corporate focus on peripherals died down, except for a short-lived revival several years later.
Titles like Clone Hero and Fortnite Festival have kept the scene alive, with set to be something from the original publisher in development. A new studio has entered production on their first rhythm-based title. Original co-founders are both involved as special advisers. Is the world prepared to welcome another game in the spirit of the classic?
“We thought such titles might become like Madden where you can update every year,” Dornbrook says. “There’s so much new music it could remain evergreen, so I’ve always been optimistic. There’s no reason for it to continue for future fans.”
