Marking 20 years after the legendary game debuted in North America, giving everyday gamers the means to feel like a rock star. Not in reality, but try telling that someone who's nailed Free Bird’s lengthy guitar solo before an enthusiastic living-room audience.
Created by the developers, the game provided users with a plastic guitar peripheral to match on-screen cues scrolling down the screen synchronized to a song. Each riff mimicked specific notes, creating the sensation of a genuine live show.
The studio had already tried its hand with rhythm games before partnering with RedOctane, later purchased by the gaming giant during the mid-2000s. Collaboratively, they laid the foundations for a surprising billion-dollar franchise that had a remarkable influence on numerous musicians featured, showcasing classic groups to millions of younger players.
Michael Dornbrook, former COO of Harmonix, recalls the early budgetary hurdles in securing the songs – even though initial releases mostly used cover versions.
“We reproduced every song because the cost was so high,” he says. “Even with 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 our team was fairly certain the project would flop. But once the game took off, album purchases and radio play increased, all artists desired to be in.”
He continues: “One of the amazing things was how many parents reached out and thanked us for exposing their kids to the music they adored. It evolved into a multigenerational thing.”
Timeless Music Gains a New Audience
Northern Irish group the Answer included Never Too Late on the 2008 game the popular installment. Guitarist Paul Mahon remembers how the series revived classic rock to the forefront: “Guitar Hero offered a bigger, younger audience. Typically this had been seen as music that was past it, however once it got included in the game young people discovered it, abruptly it was cool. That legitimised the genre, and got rid of the outdated label. It provided our catalog renewed popularity.”
At that time, the Answer’s first record remained unreleased in the US, meaning Guitar Hero served as a primary platform for exposure for the band as they went on a North American tour opening for the rock giants. “The roadies had on Never Too Late on the tour bus, and several knew us from Guitar Hero,” he notes.
Major Band Titles Enduring Impact
Music's biggest acts soon capitalised on the game's success, with Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen starring in dedicated spin-off titles centered around their music collections and related lore, visuals and legendary status. In the case of, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, reportedly to have made the group greater revenue than any of their records. It sold well over half a million copies upon release, while demand for Aerosmith’s music rose of up to 40% at a time when the music business was already collapsing.
The series still motivates quick-handed dedication among its fans. Earlier this year, an online personality completed an impressive attempt featuring the challenging track – a notoriously difficult anthem popularized through Guitar Hero – on Clone Hero, a freeware game with almost identical gameplay and extensive customisation options. This track is challenging enough on expert mode, let alone played at increased tempo while hitting a single one of its near 4,000 notes. They claimed it took nine months of practice.
“Guitar Hero is a fun, fantasy thing. If you play other games, it doesn't imply you ought to use a real gun and go to war,” says DragonForce guitarist Herman Li.
DragonForce had already wrapped up a profitable run when Through the Fire and Flames was featured in the third game, but Li says it made them a household name. “I recall the record label informing us that our selling albums rapidly,” he shares. “It exploded on the subsequent tour, and we performed right ahead of the headliners at the event.”
Indeed, the band's visibility via the game was so immense that it threatened to eclipsing everything else accomplishments. Last year, the track was used in promotional material for Despicable Me 4. “Previously I thought otherwise, but now I accept it,” Li says. “If you only hear one DragonForce song, it’s totally cool – everyone’s got a unique path in music and I'm pleased we played a role of people’s lives”.
The Lasting Impact of a Plastic Guitar
Top-tier marketing, whether it’s for cars, clothes or games, extends beyond than selling something – it inspires a desire. Was the game able to harness this? “That’s exactly what we were trying to create,” he confirms. “The excitement of performing as a music icon in the spotlight. Since the beginning, the creators believed humans have a natural human desire to make music, and they wanted to leverage innovation to allow people to participate”.
The majority installments were released in just a half-decade from 2005 to 2010, featuring derivative titles like the DJ version, complete with a spinning deck, and the band-focused game. Subsequently, corporate focus on peripherals died down, aside from a short-lived revival in 2015.
Games like Clone Hero and newer releases have maintained the community active, with expectations of a new product from the original publisher in development. Recently formed developers has begun production on their first music game. The initial creators are participating as special advisers. Are gamers ready to embrace another game in the spirit of Guitar Hero?
“Our team believed those games might become like Madden allowing annual releases,” he remarks. “There’s so much new music it could remain evergreen, thus I remain optimistic. There’s no reason why it can’t continue for future fans.”
