It has been two decades since the legendary game debuted in North America, giving everyday gamers the opportunity to become a rock star. Not in reality, though you'd be hard-pressed telling that someone who's mastered Free Bird’s four-minute instrumental break before an enthusiastic crowd of friends.
Developed by Harmonix, Guitar Hero gave players a guitar-shaped controller to follow coloured notes moving along the display synchronized to a song. Every sequence corresponded to particular chords, creating the feel of an authentic performance.
The studio had already experimented in the music genre before partnering with the publisher, which was acquired by Activision in 2006. Together, they laid the groundwork for an unlikely massively profitable franchise which made a remarkable impact for many of the artists featured, introducing decades-old groups to millions of younger players.
Michael Dornbrook, former COO from the developer, recalls the initial budgetary hurdles in securing the songs – despite the fact initial releases mostly used cover versions.
“We rerecorded every song since the cost prohibitive,” he says. “Despite having the necessary permissions alone, it was extremely difficult. We couldn’t get acts such as the Who – the publisher had virtually no money, and we were pretty convinced the project would flop. However, when Guitar Hero took off, album purchases airtime were going up, all artists desired to be in.”
He adds: “One of the amazing things was the number of parents reached out and thanked us for exposing their children to the songs they adored. It became an intergenerational phenomenon.”
Classic Rock Gains a New Audience
Irish group one featured act had Never Too Late on the 2008 game Guitar Hero World Tour. Lead musician the artist remembers the way the game brought older hits back into vogue: “Guitar Hero offered a larger, younger audience. Typically this had been considered music that was past it, however when it was included in the title and teenagers were finding it, suddenly it was cool. That legitimised the genre, and got rid of the ‘dad rock’ tag. It gave our catalog a new life.”
In 2008, the band's first record remained not available stateside, so the game was a key medium for exposure for the band as they went on US tour supporting the rock giants. “The roadies were playing the song during travel, and some of them knew us from Guitar Hero,” Mahon says.
Rock’s Heavyweight Titles and Lasting Impact
Music's biggest acts quickly capitalised on the game's success, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen featuring in dedicated game editions that focused on their music collections and associated stories, visuals and rock’n’roll mythology. In the case of, the Aerosmith edition, reportedly earned the group more money compared to their records. It moved well over half a million copies in its first week, while sales of Aerosmith’s music rose of up to 40% at a time when the music business was already collapsing.
Guitar Hero continues to inspire nimble-fingered fanaticism among its fans. Earlier this year, a streamer completed a remarkable feat of DragonForce’s Through the Fire and Flames – a notoriously difficult power-metal song popularized through the game – on Clone Hero, a no-cost alternative with similar mechanics but an array of customisation options. The song is difficult even in expert mode, let alone performed at double speed while hitting a single one of its near 4,000 notes. They claimed it took months of practice of practice.
“The game is a fun, imaginary experience. Just as with other games, that doesn’t mean you should use a real gun and go to war,” notes DragonForce guitarist the artist.
DragonForce had already completed a successful tour before Through the Fire and Flames appeared on Guitar Hero III, yet he explains it turned them into widely recognized. “I recall our distributors informing us that our records were moving like crazy,” he says. “It exploded on the subsequent tour, and we were playing right ahead of the headliners at the event.”
In fact, DragonForce’s exposure from Guitar Hero was so immense that it risked eclipsing all other accomplishments. Recently, the track was used in promotional material for a major film. “In the past I felt otherwise, but now I accept it,” Li says. “If you only listen to a single track, that's fine – each person has a unique musical journey and I’m glad we’ve been part in fans' experiences”.
Enduring Impact of a Plastic Guitar
Top-tier promotion, whether it’s for cars, apparel or games, goes further than selling something – it evokes a longing. Was the game able to tap into that? “That’s exactly what our team aiming to achieve,” he confirms. “That thrill of performing as a rock star in the spotlight. Since the beginning, the co-founders felt that there’s an instinctive human desire to create songs, and their goal was to use technology to enable everyone to participate”.
Most of Guitar Hero games came out over a mere half-decade from 2005 to 2010, including spin-offs like DJ Hero, including a turntable controller, and Band Hero. Subsequently, the publisher’s interest in plastic instruments waned, aside from a brief comeback several years later.
Titles like the fan project and newer releases have kept the community active, with set to be a new product from the founders in development. Recently formed developers has begun work on its debut music game. The initial creators are participating as special advisers. Is the world 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 update every year,” he remarks. “With abundant new music it could remain perennially popular, so I’ve always been optimistic. There’s no reason for it to persist with new generations.”
