It has been two decades after the legendary game first launched across the Atlantic, giving everyday gamers the tools to become rock legends. Not in reality, but try convincing someone who's mastered Free Bird’s lengthy guitar solo in front of a packed living-room audience.
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. Every sequence mimicked particular chords, creating the feel of an authentic performance.
Harmonix had already experimented with rhythm games before partnering with RedOctane, which was purchased by the gaming giant during the mid-2000s. Together, they established the foundations for an unlikely massively profitable franchise that had a significant influence for many of the artists featured, showcasing classic groups to millions of younger players.
A former executive, former COO from the developer, recalls the initial financial challenges of licensing the songs – even though initial releases mostly used cover versions.
“We reproduced all the music since the cost prohibitive,” he says. “Even with the necessary permissions alone, it was nearly impossible. We couldn’t get bands like legendary groups – RedOctane was operating on a shoestring budget, and our team was pretty convinced the project would flop. But once the game became a hit, album purchases airtime were going up, everyone wanted to participate.”
He continues: “One of the amazing things was the number of mothers and fathers reached out and thanked us for introducing their kids to the songs they loved. It evolved into an intergenerational phenomenon.”
Classic Rock Finds a New Audience
Northern Irish group one featured act had their track on the 2008 game Guitar Hero World Tour. Guitarist the artist remembers how the series revived older hits to the forefront: “Guitar Hero offered a bigger, new demographic. Generally such music was considered music that was past it, however when it was featured on the title young people were finding it, suddenly it became trendy. That legitimised the genre, and got rid of the ‘dad rock’ label. It provided our catalog renewed popularity.”
In 2008, the band's first record remained not available stateside, so Guitar Hero was a key medium for exposure for the band during their a North American tour opening for the rock giants. “The roadies had on the song during travel, and some of them knew us from Guitar Hero,” Mahon says.
Major Band Spin-offs Enduring Impact
Music's biggest acts soon capitalised on the game's success, with Aerosmith, Metallica and others featuring in dedicated game editions that focused on their music collections and associated lore, imagery and rock’n’roll mythology. For example, the Aerosmith edition, reportedly earned the band more money compared to their studio albums. It sold well over half a million copies in its first week, and sales of their songs rose of up to 40% at a time as the industry faced decline.
The series still motivates quick-handed dedication within the community. Earlier this year, a streamer achieved a remarkable feat of DragonForce’s Through the Fire and Flames – an infamously tough power-metal song made popular by the game – on Clone Hero, a no-cost alternative with similar gameplay but an array of customisation options. This track is challenging enough on the hardest setting, let alone performed at increased tempo and without missing every one of its near 4,000 notes. The streamer stated it took nine months of practice.
“The game offers a, fantasy thing. Just as with other games, that doesn’t mean you should pick up a real gun and go to war,” notes DragonForce guitarist the artist.
DragonForce had already completed a successful tour before their hit appeared on Guitar Hero III, but Li says it turned them into widely recognized. “I recall our distributors calling to tell me that our records were moving rapidly,” he says. “It exploded on the subsequent tour, and we performed just before the headliners at the event.”
In fact, DragonForce’s exposure from Guitar Hero was so immense that it risked overshadow everything else accomplishments. Last year, the song was used in promotional material for Despicable Me 4. “Previously I felt differently, but I’ve made peace with it,” Li says. “If you only hear a single track, that's fine – everyone’s got their own path in music and I'm pleased we played a role in fans' experiences”.
Enduring Impact of a Iconic Controller
Top-tier promotion, be it for automobiles, clothes or games, goes further than selling something – it inspires a longing. Did Guitar Hero tap into that? “That’s exactly what our team aiming to achieve,” he confirms. “The excitement of being a music icon on the stage. From day one, the co-founders believed humans have a natural urge to make music, and their goal was to use technology to enable everyone to do it”.
The majority of Guitar Hero games were released in just a half-decade between 2005 and 2010, featuring derivative titles like the DJ version, including a spinning deck, and Band Hero. After that, the publisher’s interest in plastic instruments waned, except for a short-lived revival 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 production on their first rhythm-based title. The initial creators are both involved in advisory roles. Are gamers prepared to welcome a new entry in the spirit of Guitar Hero?
“We thought such titles might become similar to sports games where you can releases,” Dornbrook says. “With abundant fresh tracks that it could be evergreen, so I’ve always been hopeful. There’s no reason for it to continue for future fans.”
