It has been 20 years since the legendary game debuted across the Atlantic, providing players everywhere the opportunity to become a rock star. Not in reality, though you'd be hard-pressed convincing anyone who has mastered Free Bird’s lengthy instrumental break in front of a packed crowd of friends.
Developed by the developers, Guitar Hero provided users with a plastic guitar peripheral to follow on-screen cues moving along the screen in time with a song. Each riff corresponded to specific notes, creating the feel of a genuine live show.
The studio previously experimented in the music genre prior to teaming up with RedOctane, later acquired by the gaming giant during the mid-2000s. Collaboratively, they laid the groundwork for a surprising billion-dollar series which made a remarkable influence on numerous of the artists featured, showcasing decades-old groups to millions of gaming enthusiasts.
Michael Dornbrook, ex-chief operating officer of Harmonix, recalls the early budgetary hurdles of licensing the recordings – despite the fact initial releases primarily featured rerecorded tracks.
“We rerecorded all the music because the cost prohibitive,” he says. “Even with the publishing rights by themselves, it proved nearly impossible. We couldn’t get bands like the Who – RedOctane had virtually no money, and our team was pretty convinced the project would flop. However, when the game took off, album purchases and radio play were going up, all artists desired to participate.”
He adds: “Among the remarkable aspects was how many mothers and fathers got in touch and thanked us for exposing their kids to the music they adored. It evolved into an intergenerational thing.”
Classic Rock Finds a New Audience
Northern Irish group the Answer had Never Too Late on the 2008 game Guitar Hero World Tour. Guitarist Paul Mahon remembers the way the game brought classic rock to the forefront: “The game provided a larger, younger audience. Generally such music was considered outdated material, but then when it was included in the title young people discovered it, suddenly it became trendy. That legitimised it, eliminating the outdated tag. It gave all our music renewed popularity.”
At that time, the band's debut album remained not available in the US, meaning Guitar Hero served as a primary platform of discovery for the band as they went on US tour supporting the rock giants. “Their crew had on the song on the tour bus, and some of them recognized us from Guitar Hero,” he notes.
Rock’s Heavyweight Spin-offs Enduring Impact
Rock’s biggest acts quickly capitalised on the series’ popularity, with Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen featuring in dedicated spin-off titles that focused on their music collections and associated stories, imagery and legendary status. In the case of, the Aerosmith edition, reportedly to have made the group greater revenue compared to their studio albums. It moved more than 500,000 units upon release, while demand for Aerosmith’s music saw an increase significantly during an era when the music business was already collapsing.
Guitar Hero continues to inspire nimble-fingered fanaticism among its fans. Earlier this year, a streamer achieved a remarkable feat of DragonForce’s the challenging track – an infamously tough anthem made popular by Guitar Hero – on Clone Hero, a no-cost alternative with similar gameplay but an array of customisation options. This track is challenging even in the hardest setting, let alone performed at double speed while hitting every one of the thousands of cues. They claimed requiring nine months of practice.
“Guitar Hero is a fun, fantasy thing. Just as with Call of Duty, that doesn’t mean you ought to pick up a real gun and go to war,” notes musician the artist.
The band previously wrapped up a profitable run when Through the Fire and Flames appeared in the third game, but Li says it made them a household name. “I remember the record label calling to tell me that our selling albums rapidly,” he says. “It exploded on the subsequent tour, and we were playing right ahead of top acts at the event.”
Indeed, DragonForce’s exposure via the game was so immense that it has risked eclipsing all other the band has done. Recently, the song featured in a trailer for Despicable Me 4. “In the past I felt differently, but now I accept it,” Li says. “If you only hear 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”.
The Lasting Legacy from the Iconic Controller
The best marketing, whether it’s for cars, clothes or video games, extends beyond mere transactions – it evokes a desire. Did Guitar Hero harness this? “Precisely what we were trying to create,” Dornbrook says. “The excitement of being a music icon on the stage. From day one, the creators felt that there’s an instinctive human desire to create songs, and their goal was to use technology to enable everyone to do it”.
The majority of Guitar Hero games came out in just a five-year period from 2005 to 2010, featuring derivative titles such as the DJ version, complete with a spinning deck, and the band-focused game. Subsequently, corporate focus on peripherals waned, except for a brief comeback several years later.
Games such as the fan project and Fortnite Festival have kept the scene active, and there’s set to be something from the original publisher on the way. A new studio has entered production on their first music game. Original co-founders are participating in advisory roles. Is the world ready to embrace a new entry following the classic?
“Our team believed those games might become like Madden allowing annual update every year,” Dornbrook says. “With abundant fresh tracks it could remain evergreen, so I’ve always been hopeful. There’s no reason for it to persist with new generations.”
