It has been two decades since Guitar Hero first launched in North America, giving players everywhere the tools to become a rock star. Not literally, though you'd be hard-pressed convincing anyone who's nailed Free Bird’s lengthy guitar solo before a packed crowd of friends.
Created by Harmonix, Guitar Hero gave players a plastic guitar peripheral to match coloured notes scrolling down the screen synchronized to the music. Every sequence corresponded to particular chords, producing the feel of an authentic live show.
Harmonix had already tried its hand with rhythm games before partnering with the publisher, which was acquired by the gaming giant during the mid-2000s. Together, they laid the foundations for a surprising billion-dollar series that had a significant impact for many musicians included, showcasing classic groups to millions of gaming enthusiasts.
Michael Dornbrook, former COO from the developer, remembers the early budgetary hurdles in securing the songs – even though initial releases mostly used rerecorded tracks.
“We reproduced every song because the cost was so high,” he explains. “Despite having the publishing rights alone, it proved nearly impossible. We failed to secure acts such as legendary groups – RedOctane was operating on a shoestring budget, and we were pretty convinced the project would flop. However, when Guitar Hero became a hit, album purchases airtime increased, everyone wanted to be in.”
He continues: “One of the amazing things was the number of parents reached out expressing gratitude for exposing their kids to the songs they adored. It became a multigenerational thing.”
Classic Rock Gains Younger Fans
Northern Irish group one featured act had their track in the 2008 release Guitar Hero World Tour. Lead musician the artist remembers how the series revived classic rock back into vogue: “The game offered a larger, new demographic. Typically such music was considered music that was past it, however once it got included in the title and teenagers discovered it, suddenly it was cool. That legitimised the genre, eliminating the outdated tag. It gave all our music renewed popularity.”
At that time, the Answer’s debut album remained not available in the US, meaning Guitar Hero was a key medium of discovery for the group during their a North American tour supporting the rock giants. “The roadies were playing the song during travel, and several recognized us thanks to the game,” he notes.
Major Band Titles Enduring Influence
Music's heavyweight names soon capitalised on the series’ popularity, with Aerosmith, Metallica and others featuring in dedicated spin-off titles centered around their music collections and associated lore, imagery and rock’n’roll mythology. For example, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, reportedly earned the band greater revenue compared to their studio albums. It moved more than half a million copies upon release, and sales of Aerosmith’s music saw an increase significantly at a time as the industry was already collapsing.
Guitar Hero continues to inspire nimble-fingered dedication among its fans. Earlier this year, an online personality completed a remarkable feat of DragonForce’s Through the Fire and Flames – an infamously tough anthem made popular by the game – using a fan-made version, a no-cost alternative with similar mechanics but an array of personalization features. This track is challenging even in the hardest setting, not to mention played at increased tempo while hitting a single one of the thousands of cues. The streamer stated requiring nine months of practice.
“Guitar Hero offers a, imaginary experience. Just as with Call of Duty, it doesn't imply you should use actual weapons and go to war,” notes musician Herman Li.
DragonForce had already wrapped up a profitable run before Through the Fire and Flames was featured on Guitar Hero III, but Li says it turned them into a household name. “I remember our distributors informing us that our records were moving rapidly,” he says. “Popularity surged on the subsequent tour, and we performed just before the headliners on the Mayhem festival.”
In fact, DragonForce’s exposure via the game proved so vast that it has risked overshadow everything else accomplishments. Last year, the song featured in promotional material for Despicable Me 4. “In the past I thought differently, but now I accept it,” Li says. “If you only hear one DragonForce song, that's fine – everyone’s got their own musical journey and I'm pleased we’ve been part in fans' experiences”.
The Lasting Legacy from the Iconic Controller
Top-tier marketing, whether it’s for automobiles, apparel or video games, extends beyond mere transactions – it inspires a longing. Was the game able to harness this? “Precisely what we were aiming to achieve,” Dornbrook says. “The excitement of performing as a music icon on the stage. From day one, the co-founders believed humans have a natural human desire to create songs, and their goal was to use technology to enable everyone to do it”.
The majority installments came out over a mere half-decade between 2005 and 2010, including derivative titles like DJ Hero, including a turntable controller, and the band-focused game. Subsequently, corporate focus on peripherals waned, except for a brief comeback several years later.
Titles like the fan project and Fortnite Festival have kept the scene active, and there’s set to be a new product from the founders in development. A new studio has begun work on its debut music game. The initial creators are both involved as special advisers. Is the world prepared to welcome a new entry following the classic?
“We thought those games could be like Madden where you can update every year,” Dornbrook says. “With abundant fresh tracks that it could be evergreen, thus I remain optimistic. It's entirely possible why it can’t persist for future fans.”
