It has been two decades since the legendary game debuted across the Atlantic, giving everyday gamers the opportunity to become rock legends. Not in reality, though you'd be hard-pressed telling that someone who has nailed Free Bird’s lengthy guitar solo before a packed crowd of friends.
Created by the developers, Guitar Hero provided users with a plastic guitar peripheral to follow coloured notes moving along the screen in time with the music. Every sequence mimicked specific notes, creating the feel of an authentic live show.
The studio had already experimented with rhythm games before partnering with RedOctane, which was purchased by the gaming giant in 2006. Together, they laid the groundwork for a surprising billion-dollar series which made a significant influence for many musicians featured, introducing classic bands to a new generation of younger players.
Michael Dornbrook, former COO of Harmonix, recalls the early financial challenges in securing the songs – even though the first two games primarily featured rerecorded tracks.
“We reproduced all the music since the dollar figure was so high,” he explains. “Despite having the publishing rights alone, it was extremely difficult. We failed to secure acts such as legendary groups – the publisher was operating on a shoestring budget, and our team was fairly certain the project would flop. But once Guitar Hero took off, and record sales airtime increased, all artists desired to participate.”
He continues: “One of the remarkable aspects was how many parents reached out expressing gratitude for exposing their children to the music they loved. It evolved into a multigenerational thing.”
Classic Rock Gains a New Audience
Irish blues-rock band the Answer included their track on the 2008 game Guitar Hero World Tour. Guitarist the artist remembers the way the game revived classic rock to the forefront: “The game offered a bigger, new demographic. Typically such music was considered outdated material, but then once it got featured on the game and teenagers were finding it, suddenly it became trendy. That legitimised the genre, and got rid of the outdated label. It provided our catalog a new life.”
At that time, the Answer’s debut album was still not available stateside, so Guitar Hero served as a primary platform for exposure for the band as they went on US tour supporting the rock giants. “The roadies had on the song during travel, and some of them knew us from Guitar Hero,” he notes.
Major Band Titles and Lasting Influence
Music's heavyweight names soon took advantage of the series’ popularity, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and others featuring in dedicated game editions centered around their music collections and related lore, visuals and legendary status. In the case of, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, reportedly earned the group more money than any of their studio albums. It moved well over 500,000 units in its first week, and sales of their songs saw an increase significantly during an era when the music business faced decline.
Guitar Hero still motivates quick-handed fanaticism within the community. Recently, an online personality completed an impressive attempt featuring Through the Fire and Flames – a notoriously difficult power-metal song popularized through Guitar Hero – on Clone Hero, a freeware game with similar gameplay and extensive personalization features. The song is difficult enough on the hardest setting, let alone played at double speed and without missing a single one of its near 4,000 notes. The streamer stated it took nine months to accomplish.
“The game offers a, imaginary experience. If you play other games, that doesn’t mean you should use a real gun and go to war,” says musician the artist.
DragonForce had already completed a profitable run when Through the Fire and Flames was featured on Guitar Hero III, yet he explains it turned them into a household name. “I remember the record label calling to tell me that we were records were moving rapidly,” he shares. “It exploded when we next toured, and we performed right ahead of the headliners on the Mayhem festival.”
In fact, the band's visibility via the game was so immense that it risked eclipsing everything else accomplishments. Recently, the song was used in promotional material for Despicable Me 4. “In the past I thought otherwise, but now I accept it,” he admits. “Should you just hear a single track, that's fine – each person has a unique path in music and I'm pleased we played a role of people’s lives”.
Enduring Impact from the Iconic Controller
The best marketing, be it for cars, apparel or video games, goes further than selling something – it evokes a longing. Did Guitar Hero harness this? “That’s exactly what we were trying to create,” he confirms. “That thrill of being a rock star on the stage. From day one, the co-founders felt that humans have a natural urge to make music, and they wanted to use technology to enable everyone to participate”.
Most of Guitar Hero games were released over a mere five-year period from 2005 to 2010, including derivative titles such as DJ Hero, including a spinning deck, and the band-focused game. After that, corporate focus on peripherals waned, except for a short-lived revival in 2015.
Titles like Clone Hero and newer releases have kept the community active, with set to be something from the original publisher on the way. Recently formed developers has entered production on its debut music game. The initial creators are both involved as special advisers. Is the world prepared to welcome another game in the spirit of the classic?
“Our team believed such titles might become like Madden where you can releases,” Dornbrook says. “With abundant new music it could remain perennially popular, thus I remain hopeful. There’s no reason why it can’t persist with new generations.”
