Marking 20 years after Guitar Hero hit the market across the Atlantic, providing players everywhere the opportunity to become rock legends. Figuratively speaking, though you'd be hard-pressed telling that anyone who has mastered Free Bird’s four-minute instrumental break in front of a packed crowd of friends.
Created by Harmonix, Guitar Hero gave players a guitar-shaped controller to match coloured notes scrolling down the display synchronized to a song. Every sequence corresponded to specific notes, creating the feel of a genuine performance.
The studio previously tried its hand with rhythm games before partnering with the publisher, which was acquired by the gaming giant during the mid-2000s. Collaboratively, they laid the groundwork for an unlikely billion-dollar series that had a significant influence for many of the artists featured, introducing classic groups to millions of younger players.
A former executive, former COO from the developer, recalls the early financial challenges of licensing the songs – despite the fact the first two games mostly used rerecorded tracks.
“We reproduced every song because the dollar figure prohibitive,” he says. “Even with the publishing rights by themselves, it was extremely difficult. We couldn’t get bands like legendary groups – the publisher had virtually no money, and we were fairly certain the project would flop. But once Guitar Hero took off, album purchases airtime increased, all artists desired to be in.”
He continues: “Among the remarkable aspects was the number of parents reached out expressing gratitude for exposing their children to the music they loved. It evolved into a multigenerational phenomenon.”
Classic Rock Gains a New Audience
Irish blues-rock band one featured act had their track in the 2008 release the popular installment. Guitarist Paul Mahon recalls how the series brought classic rock back into vogue: “Guitar Hero provided a bigger, younger audience. Generally this had been considered outdated material, however when it was included in the game and teenagers discovered it, abruptly it was cool. This validated it, and got rid of the outdated tag. It provided all our music a new life.”
At that time, the band's first record remained not available in the US, so Guitar Hero was a key medium of discovery for the band as they went on US tour opening for the rock giants. “The roadies had on Never Too Late on the tour bus, and some of them recognized us thanks to the game,” Mahon says.
Rock’s Heavyweight Spin-offs and Lasting Influence
Music's heavyweight names quickly capitalised on the game's success, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen starring in dedicated game editions that focused on each band’s catalogue and associated lore, imagery and rock’n’roll mythology. In the case of, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, it was said to have made the group more money compared to their records. It sold more than 500,000 copies upon release, while demand for their songs saw an increase significantly at a time as the industry faced decline.
The series continues to inspire nimble-fingered dedication within the community. Recently, a streamer completed a remarkable feat featuring Through the Fire and Flames – an infamously tough anthem popularized through Guitar Hero – using a fan-made version, a no-cost alternative with almost identical gameplay but an array of personalization features. This track is challenging enough on expert mode, not to mention played at increased tempo and without missing every one of the thousands of cues. They claimed requiring months of practice of practice.
“The game is a fun, imaginary experience. Just as with Call of Duty, that doesn’t mean you should use a real gun and enlist,” says DragonForce guitarist the artist.
The band previously wrapped up a profitable run before their hit appeared in the third game, but Li says it turned them into a household name. “I recall our distributors informing us that we were records were moving rapidly,” he says. “It exploded when we next toured, and we performed right ahead of top acts on the Mayhem festival.”
In fact, DragonForce’s exposure via the game was so immense that it has threatened to overshadow everything else accomplishments. Last year, the song featured in a trailer for a major film. “In the past I felt otherwise, but I’ve made peace with it,” he admits. “Should you just hear one DragonForce song, that's fine – each person has their own path in music and I’m glad we’ve been part of people’s lives”.
The Lasting Legacy of a Iconic Controller
Top-tier promotion, be it for automobiles, apparel or video games, goes further than selling something – it inspires a longing. Did Guitar Hero harness this? “That’s exactly what our team trying to create,” Dornbrook says. “That thrill of being a rock star 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 enable everyone to do it”.
The majority installments were released in just a five-year period from 2005 to 2010, featuring spin-offs like DJ Hero, complete with a spinning deck, and the band-focused game. After that, the publisher’s interest in plastic instruments waned, except for a brief comeback several years later.
Titles like the fan project and newer releases have kept the scene active, and there’s set to be a new product from the founders in development. Recently formed developers has begun production on its debut music game. The initial creators are both involved as special advisers. Are gamers prepared to welcome a new entry following the classic?
“We thought those games could be similar to sports games where you can update every year,” he remarks. “With abundant new music it could remain perennially popular, so I’ve always been hopeful. There’s no reason for it to continue with new generations.”
