It has been two decades since Guitar Hero first launched in North America, offering everyday gamers the opportunity to become rock legends. Not in reality, but try convincing anyone who's mastered Free Bird’s four-minute instrumental break before a packed crowd of friends.
Created by the developers, the game gave players a guitar-shaped controller to follow coloured notes scrolling down the display synchronized to the music. Every sequence corresponded to particular chords, creating the sensation of an authentic performance.
The studio had already tried its hand in the music genre prior to teaming up with RedOctane, later purchased by the gaming giant in 2006. Collaboratively, they laid the foundations for a surprising billion-dollar franchise that had a significant influence for many musicians included, showcasing classic groups to a new generation of gaming enthusiasts.
A former executive, former COO of Harmonix, remembers the early financial challenges of licensing the recordings – despite the fact the first two games primarily featured cover versions.
“We reproduced every song since the cost prohibitive,” he says. “Even with the necessary permissions by themselves, it proved nearly impossible. We failed to secure bands like the Who – the publisher had virtually no money, and our team was fairly certain the project would flop. But once Guitar Hero took off, album purchases airtime increased, everyone wanted to be in.”
He adds: “One of the amazing things was the number of parents got in touch expressing gratitude for introducing their children to the music they loved. It evolved into an intergenerational phenomenon.”
Classic Rock Finds a New Audience
Irish blues-rock band one featured act included their track in the 2008 release Guitar Hero World Tour. Lead musician the artist recalls how the series revived older hits to the forefront: “Guitar Hero offered a larger, new demographic. Generally such music was considered 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 This validated it, and got rid of the outdated label. It gave all our music renewed popularity.”
In 2008, the band's debut album was still unreleased in the US, meaning the game was a key medium for exposure for the group during their US tour opening for the rock giants. “The roadies had on Never Too Late on the tour bus, and some of them knew us thanks to the game,” he notes.
Major Band Spin-offs and Lasting Influence
Music's heavyweight names quickly took advantage of the game's success, with Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen featuring in dedicated spin-off titles that focused on each band’s catalogue and associated lore, visuals and rock’n’roll mythology. For example, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, reportedly to have made the group greater revenue compared to their studio albums. It moved well over half a million copies upon release, while demand for Aerosmith’s music rose of up to 40% during an era when the music business was already collapsing.
Guitar Hero still motivates nimble-fingered fanaticism within the community. Recently, a streamer completed an impressive attempt of DragonForce’s Through the Fire and Flames – an infamously tough anthem made popular by Guitar Hero – on Clone Hero, a freeware game with similar mechanics and extensive personalization features. The song is challenging even in the hardest setting, not to mention played at increased tempo while hitting every one of the thousands of cues. The streamer claimed it took nine months to accomplish.
“The game offers a, fantasy thing. If you play Call of Duty, that doesn’t mean you ought to use actual weapons and enlist,” says DragonForce guitarist Herman Li.
DragonForce previously wrapped up a successful tour before Through the Fire and Flames was featured in the third game, yet he explains it made them widely recognized. “I recall our distributors calling to tell me that our records were moving rapidly,” he shares. “Popularity surged on the subsequent tour, and we performed just before the headliners at the event.”
Indeed, the band's visibility from Guitar Hero proved so vast that it has threatened to overshadow all other accomplishments. Last year, the song was used in promotional material for Despicable Me 4. “In the past I thought otherwise, but now I accept it,” Li says. “If you only hear a single track, that's fine – each person has a unique path in music and I’m glad we’ve been part in fans' experiences”.
Enduring Legacy of a Plastic Guitar
Top-tier marketing, whether it’s for automobiles, clothes or video games, extends beyond than selling something – it inspires a longing. Did Guitar Hero harness this? “Precisely what our team trying to create,” Dornbrook says. “The excitement of performing as a music icon on the stage. Since the beginning, the co-founders believed there’s an instinctive urge to make music, and their goal was to use technology to allow people to participate”.
Most of Guitar Hero games were released in just a five-year period between 2005 and 2010, featuring spin-offs like the DJ version, complete with a spinning deck, and Band Hero. After that, the publisher’s interest on peripherals waned, aside from a brief comeback in 2015.
Games like Clone Hero and Fortnite Festival have kept the community active, with expectations of something from the founders in development. 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 Guitar Hero?
“Our team believed those games might become like Madden where you can releases,” Dornbrook says. “There’s so much fresh tracks that it could be evergreen, thus I remain hopeful. There’s no reason for it to persist for future fans.”
