Marking 20 years since the legendary game hit the market in North America, giving players everywhere the means to feel like rock legends. Figuratively speaking, but try telling that anyone who has nailed Free Bird’s lengthy guitar solo before an enthusiastic crowd of friends.
Developed by Harmonix, Guitar Hero gave players a plastic guitar peripheral to follow coloured notes scrolling down the screen synchronized to a song. Every sequence corresponded to specific notes, creating the sensation of an authentic performance.
Harmonix previously experimented in the music genre prior to teaming up with RedOctane, later acquired by Activision in 2006. Together, they established the foundations for an unlikely billion-dollar franchise which made a remarkable influence on numerous of the artists included, showcasing classic bands to millions of gaming enthusiasts.
Michael Dornbrook, former COO from the developer, recalls the initial financial challenges in securing the songs – even though initial releases primarily featured rerecorded tracks.
“We rerecorded every song because the cost prohibitive,” he says. “Despite having the necessary permissions alone, it was nearly impossible. We failed to secure bands like the Who – the publisher was operating on a shoestring budget, and our team was pretty convinced it would fail. But once the game took off, and record sales and radio play increased, everyone wanted to be in.”
He adds: “One of the remarkable aspects was how many parents got in touch expressing gratitude for introducing their kids to the music they adored. It became a multigenerational phenomenon.”
Timeless Music Finds a New Audience
Northern Irish blues-rock band one featured act included their track on the 2008 game Guitar Hero World Tour. Guitarist Paul Mahon remembers how the series brought classic rock to the forefront: “Guitar Hero offered a bigger, younger audience. Generally such music was considered outdated material, however when it was featured on the title and teenagers were finding it, abruptly it became trendy. That legitimised the genre, eliminating the outdated label. It gave our catalog renewed popularity.”
At that time, the band's debut album remained not available stateside, so the game was a key medium for exposure for the group as they went on a North American tour supporting the rock giants. “Their crew had on the song during travel, and several recognized us from Guitar Hero,” he notes.
Major Band Titles Enduring Influence
Music's heavyweight names soon took advantage of the game's success, with Aerosmith, Metallica and others featuring in dedicated game editions that focused on each band’s catalogue and related lore, imagery and rock’n’roll mythology. For example, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, it was said earned the band more money than any of their studio albums. It moved more than 500,000 units upon release, while demand for Aerosmith’s music rose of up to 40% during an era when the music business was already collapsing.
Guitar Hero continues to inspire quick-handed dedication among its fans. Recently, a streamer achieved a remarkable feat of DragonForce’s Through the Fire and Flames – a notoriously difficult power-metal song made popular by Guitar Hero – on Clone Hero, a freeware game with almost identical mechanics but an array of customisation options. The song is difficult even in the hardest setting, not to mention performed at double speed while hitting every one of the thousands of cues. The streamer claimed it took nine months of practice.
“The game is a fun, fantasy thing. If you play Call of Duty, that doesn’t mean you should pick up a real gun and go to war,” says DragonForce guitarist Herman Li.
The band had already wrapped up 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 informing us that we were selling albums rapidly,” he shares. “Popularity surged on the subsequent tour, and we performed just before top acts at the event.”
In fact, the band's visibility via the game was so immense that it risked eclipsing everything else the band has done. Last year, the song was used in a trailer for a major film. “In the past I felt differently, 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 played a role of people’s lives”.
The Lasting Impact from the Iconic Controller
Top-tier promotion, whether it’s for cars, apparel or games, goes further mere transactions – it evokes a desire. Was the game able to harness this? “Precisely what we were trying to create,” Dornbrook says. “The excitement of performing as a music icon on the stage. From day one, the creators believed humans have a natural urge to make music, and they wanted to use technology to enable everyone to do it”.
Most installments were released in just a half-decade from 2005 to 2010, featuring spin-offs such as the DJ version, complete with a spinning deck, and Band Hero. Subsequently, the publisher’s interest in plastic instruments died down, aside from a short-lived revival in 2015.
Titles such as the fan project and Fortnite Festival have maintained the community active, with set to be something from the founders in development. A new studio has begun work on its debut rhythm-based title. Original co-founders are both involved in advisory roles. Is the world ready to embrace a new entry in the spirit of Guitar Hero?
“We thought such titles could be like Madden allowing annual releases,” Dornbrook says. “With abundant new music it could remain perennially popular, so I’ve always been hopeful. It's entirely possible for it to continue with new generations.”
