Marking 20 years since the legendary game debuted in North America, providing everyday gamers the opportunity to feel like a rock star. Not literally, but try telling that anyone who's nailed Free Bird’s lengthy guitar solo before a packed crowd of friends.
Created by Harmonix, the game provided users with a plastic guitar peripheral to follow coloured notes scrolling down the display synchronized to the music. Each riff mimicked specific notes, producing the feel of an authentic live show.
The studio previously tried its hand with rhythm games before partnering with RedOctane, later acquired by the gaming giant in 2006. Together, they established the groundwork for an unlikely billion-dollar franchise that had a remarkable impact for many musicians included, showcasing decades-old groups to a new generation of younger players.
A former executive, former COO from the developer, recalls the initial financial challenges in securing the recordings – despite the fact initial releases primarily featured rerecorded tracks.
“We reproduced all the music because the cost prohibitive,” he explains. “Despite having the publishing rights by themselves, it was extremely difficult. We failed to secure acts such as the Who – the publisher had virtually no money, and our team was fairly certain it would fail. However, when Guitar Hero took off, album purchases airtime increased, all artists desired to be in.”
He adds: “Among the amazing things was the number of parents reached out and thanked us for exposing their children to the music they adored. It became a multigenerational thing.”
Classic Rock Gains a New Audience
Northern Irish group one featured act included Never Too Late in the 2008 release Guitar Hero World Tour. Guitarist the artist recalls how the series brought older hits to the forefront: “Guitar Hero offered a bigger, younger audience. Typically such music was considered outdated material, but then once it got featured on the title young people discovered it, suddenly it became trendy. That legitimised it, and got rid of the ‘dad rock’ label. It gave our catalog renewed popularity.”
In 2008, the Answer’s first record was still not available stateside, meaning the game served as a primary platform for exposure for the group during their US tour supporting AC/DC. “The roadies had on Never Too Late during travel, and several recognized us from Guitar Hero,” he notes.
Major Band Titles and Lasting Influence
Music's biggest acts soon took advantage of the series’ popularity, with Aerosmith, Metallica and others starring in specialized game editions that focused on their music collections and related stories, imagery and legendary status. For example, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, reportedly to have made the group more money compared to their records. It sold more than 500,000 copies upon release, while demand for Aerosmith’s music saw an increase significantly during an era when the music business faced decline.
The series continues to inspire nimble-fingered dedication among its fans. Recently, an online personality completed a remarkable feat of DragonForce’s Through the Fire and Flames – an infamously tough power-metal song popularized through the game – on Clone Hero, a no-cost alternative with similar mechanics and extensive personalization features. This track is challenging even in the hardest setting, not to mention played at increased tempo and without missing every one of its near 4,000 notes. The streamer claimed requiring months of practice to accomplish.
“Guitar Hero is a fun, imaginary experience. If you play other games, it doesn't imply you should pick up a real gun and enlist,” says musician Herman Li.
DragonForce had already completed a successful tour before their hit was featured in the third game, yet he explains it made them widely recognized. “I remember our distributors calling to tell me that our selling albums rapidly,” he shares. “It exploded when we next toured, and we were playing right ahead of the headliners at the event.”
In fact, the band's visibility from Guitar Hero was so immense that it threatened to eclipsing all other the band has done. Recently, the song was used in promotional material for a major film. “In the past I thought differently, but I’ve made peace with it,” he admits. “Should you just hear a single track, it’s totally cool – each person has their own musical journey and I’m glad we played a role in fans' experiences”.
Enduring Legacy of a Plastic Guitar
Top-tier promotion, whether it’s for automobiles, clothes or video games, extends beyond mere transactions – it inspires a desire. Did Guitar Hero harness this? “That’s exactly what we were trying to create,” Dornbrook says. “The excitement of being a rock star on the stage. Since the beginning, the co-founders felt that humans have a natural human desire to make music, and their goal was to leverage innovation to allow people to participate”.
Most installments were released in just a half-decade from 2005 to 2010, featuring derivative titles like DJ Hero, complete with a turntable controller, and Band Hero. Subsequently, corporate focus in plastic instruments waned, aside from a short-lived revival in 2015.
Titles like Clone Hero and newer releases have maintained the community active, and there’s expectations of a new product from the founders on the way. A new studio has entered work on their first music game. The initial creators are both involved as special advisers. Is the world prepared to welcome a new entry in the spirit of the classic?
“Our team believed those games could be similar to sports games where you can update every year,” Dornbrook says. “With abundant new music it could remain perennially popular, so I’ve always been hopeful. It's entirely possible for it to persist with new generations.”
