It has been 20 years since the legendary game debuted across the Atlantic, offering players everywhere the opportunity to feel like a rock star. Figuratively speaking, though you'd be hard-pressed telling that someone who's nailed Free Bird’s four-minute instrumental break in front of a packed crowd of friends.
Created by Harmonix, Guitar Hero provided users with a guitar-shaped controller to follow on-screen cues scrolling down the display synchronized to a song. Every sequence corresponded to specific notes, producing the feel of an authentic performance.
Harmonix previously tried its hand with rhythm games prior to teaming up with RedOctane, later purchased by Activision during the mid-2000s. Together, they established the foundations for a surprising billion-dollar franchise which made a significant impact for many musicians included, showcasing classic bands to millions of gaming enthusiasts.
A former executive, former COO from the developer, recalls the early financial challenges of licensing the songs – even though initial releases primarily featured cover versions.
“We rerecorded all the music because the cost was so high,” he says. “Despite having the publishing rights alone, it proved 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. However, when the game became a hit, and record sales airtime were going up, all artists desired to participate.”
He adds: “Among the remarkable aspects was the number of mothers and fathers reached out expressing gratitude for introducing their kids to the music they loved. It evolved into a multigenerational phenomenon.”
Classic Rock Gains a New Audience
Irish blues-rock band the Answer included their track in the 2008 release the popular installment. Lead musician the artist recalls the way the game revived classic rock to the forefront: “Guitar Hero offered a larger, younger audience. Generally this had been seen as outdated material, however once it got featured on the game and teenagers were finding it, suddenly it was cool. That legitimised the genre, and got rid of the outdated tag. It provided all our music a new life.”
In 2008, the Answer’s debut album was still not available stateside, so the game served as a primary platform for exposure for the group during their a North American tour supporting the rock giants. “Their crew had on Never Too Late on the tour bus, and several knew us thanks to the game,” Mahon says.
Major Band Titles Enduring Impact
Music's biggest acts quickly took advantage of the game's success, with Aerosmith, Metallica and others starring in specialized spin-off titles centered around each band’s catalogue and associated lore, visuals and rock’n’roll mythology. For example, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, it was said to have made the band more money than any of their records. It moved well over half a million units upon release, while sales of Aerosmith’s music saw an increase of up to 40% at a time when the music business faced decline.
The series continues to inspire nimble-fingered dedication among its fans. Recently, a streamer completed a remarkable feat of DragonForce’s the challenging track – an infamously tough anthem popularized through the game – on Clone Hero, a no-cost alternative with almost identical mechanics but an array of personalization features. The song is difficult enough on the hardest setting, not to mention played at double speed and without missing every one of the thousands of cues. The streamer stated it took nine months to accomplish.
“Guitar Hero offers a, fantasy thing. Just as with Call of Duty, it doesn't imply you ought to pick up a real gun and enlist,” notes musician Herman Li.
DragonForce previously wrapped up a profitable run when Through the Fire and Flames was featured in the third game, yet he explains it turned them into widely recognized. “I remember the record label informing us that we were selling albums like crazy,” he shares. “It exploded when we next toured, and we performed right ahead of the headliners at the event.”
In fact, the band's visibility from Guitar Hero was so immense that it threatened to overshadow all other accomplishments. Last year, the song featured in a trailer for Despicable Me 4. “In the past I felt differently, but I’ve made peace with it,” he admits. “Should you just hear one DragonForce song, that's fine – each person has their own musical journey and I'm pleased we played a role of people’s lives”.
The Lasting Legacy from the Plastic Guitar
The best marketing, be it for cars, clothes or games, goes further than selling something – it inspires a longing. Was the game able to harness this? “Precisely what our team 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 urge to make music, and they wanted to leverage innovation to allow people to participate”.
The majority installments were released in just a five-year period from 2005 to 2010, featuring spin-offs like DJ Hero, including a turntable controller, and Band Hero. Subsequently, the publisher’s interest on peripherals died down, except for a brief comeback several years later.
Games like the fan project and newer releases have maintained the community active, with set to be something from the original publisher on the way. A new studio has entered production on its debut music game. The initial creators are participating in advisory roles. Is the world prepared to welcome a new entry following Guitar Hero?
“Our team believed those games could be like Madden allowing annual update every year,” Dornbrook says. “There’s so much fresh tracks it could remain evergreen, thus I remain optimistic. There’s no reason for it to continue for future fans.”
