It has been two decades since Guitar Hero hit the market in North America, providing players everywhere the opportunity to become rock legends. Not literally, though you'd be hard-pressed telling that someone who's mastered Free Bird’s lengthy guitar solo in front of a packed living-room audience.
Created by Harmonix, the game provided users with a guitar-shaped controller to match on-screen cues moving along the display synchronized to a song. Each riff corresponded to specific notes, creating the sensation of a genuine performance.
The studio had already experimented in the music genre prior to teaming up with the publisher, later acquired by Activision during the mid-2000s. Together, they laid the groundwork for an unlikely massively profitable series that had a remarkable impact on numerous of the artists featured, introducing decades-old bands to millions of gaming enthusiasts.
A former executive, former COO from the developer, recalls the early financial challenges in securing the songs – even though initial releases mostly used cover versions.
“We rerecorded all the music because the cost prohibitive,” he says. “Even with the publishing rights by themselves, it was nearly impossible. We failed to secure bands like legendary groups – RedOctane was operating on a shoestring budget, and we were fairly certain it would fail. But once the game became a hit, album purchases and radio play increased, everyone wanted to participate.”
He continues: “One of the remarkable aspects was how many mothers and fathers reached out and thanked us for introducing their kids to the music they loved. It became a multigenerational phenomenon.”
Timeless Music Gains a New Audience
Northern Irish group the Answer included Never Too Late on the 2008 game the popular installment. Guitarist the artist remembers how the series revived older hits back into vogue: “The game provided a larger, new demographic. Generally such music was considered music that was past it, however when it was featured on the game and teenagers discovered it, abruptly it was cool. This validated it, eliminating the outdated label. It gave our catalog a new life.”
At that time, the Answer’s debut album remained not available stateside, so Guitar Hero was a key medium for exposure for the band as they went on US tour supporting AC/DC. “Their crew were playing Never Too Late on the tour bus, and some of them recognized us from Guitar Hero,” he notes.
Rock’s Heavyweight Spin-offs and Lasting Influence
Music's heavyweight names soon capitalised on the series’ popularity, with Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen featuring in dedicated game editions centered around each band’s catalogue and related stories, imagery and legendary status. For example, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, it was said earned the band greater revenue than any of their studio albums. It sold more than half a million copies upon release, and sales of their songs saw an increase significantly during an era when the music business faced decline.
Guitar Hero continues to inspire nimble-fingered dedication within the community. Recently, a streamer completed an impressive attempt of DragonForce’s Through the Fire and Flames – a notoriously difficult anthem popularized through Guitar Hero – using a fan-made version, a freeware game with almost identical mechanics and extensive customisation options. This track is challenging even in the hardest setting, let alone played at increased tempo and without missing a single one of its near 4,000 notes. They claimed it took nine months of practice.
“Guitar Hero is a fun, imaginary experience. Just as with other games, that doesn’t mean you ought to pick up actual weapons and go to war,” says musician Herman Li.
The band had already wrapped up a profitable run when their hit was featured in the third game, yet he explains it turned them into a household name. “I remember our distributors informing us that we were records were moving rapidly,” he shares. “Popularity surged when we next toured, and we performed right ahead of top acts on the Mayhem festival.”
In fact, DragonForce’s exposure from Guitar Hero was so immense that it has risked overshadow all other accomplishments. Last year, the track was used in a trailer for Despicable Me 4. “Previously I thought otherwise, but now I accept it,” he admits. “If you only listen to a single track, that's fine – each person has their own path in music and I’m glad we’ve been part in fans' experiences”.
Enduring Legacy from the Iconic Controller
The best marketing, be it for cars, clothes or games, extends beyond mere transactions – it evokes a desire. Was the game able to tap into that? “Precisely what we were aiming to achieve,” Dornbrook says. “The excitement of being a music icon in the spotlight. Since the beginning, the creators believed there’s an instinctive urge to make music, and they wanted to use technology to enable everyone to participate”.
The majority installments came out over a mere half-decade from 2005 to 2010, featuring derivative titles like DJ Hero, complete with a spinning deck, and the band-focused game. Subsequently, corporate focus on peripherals died down, except for a brief comeback in 2015.
Titles like the fan project and newer releases have maintained the scene alive, and there’s set to be a new product from the founders on the way. A new studio has entered production on its debut rhythm-based title. The initial creators are participating in advisory roles. Are gamers prepared to welcome a new entry in the spirit of the classic?
“Our team believed such titles might become similar to sports games allowing annual releases,” he remarks. “With abundant new music that it could be evergreen, so I’ve always been optimistic. It's entirely possible for it to persist for future fans.”
