Marking 20 years after Guitar Hero debuted across the Atlantic, providing players everywhere the means to feel like a rock star. Not in reality, though you'd be hard-pressed telling that someone who has mastered Free Bird’s four-minute guitar solo in front of a packed crowd of friends.
Developed by Harmonix, Guitar Hero provided users with a guitar-shaped controller to follow on-screen cues moving along the screen in time with the music. Each riff corresponded to specific notes, creating the feel of a genuine performance.
The studio had already experimented with rhythm games before partnering with the publisher, later purchased by the gaming giant during the mid-2000s. Collaboratively, they laid the groundwork for an unlikely billion-dollar series that had a significant influence for many of the artists featured, showcasing decades-old groups to a new generation of younger players.
A former executive, former COO of Harmonix, remembers the initial financial challenges of licensing the recordings – even though initial releases mostly used rerecorded tracks.
“We reproduced every song since the dollar figure prohibitive,” he explains. “Even with the publishing rights alone, it was nearly impossible. We couldn’t get bands like legendary groups – the publisher was operating on a shoestring budget, and we were pretty convinced it would fail. However, when the game became a hit, album purchases airtime were going up, everyone wanted to be in.”
He adds: “One of the amazing things was how many parents reached out expressing gratitude for exposing their children to the music they loved. It evolved into a multigenerational thing.”
Timeless Music Finds a New Audience
Northern Irish blues-rock band the Answer included their track in the 2008 release the popular installment. Lead musician the artist remembers the way the game brought classic rock to the forefront: “Guitar Hero offered a larger, new demographic. Generally this had been seen as music that was past it, but then when it was featured on the title young people were finding it, abruptly it was cool. That legitimised the genre, eliminating the ‘dad rock’ label. It gave our catalog a new life.”
In 2008, the band's first record remained unreleased in the US, meaning Guitar Hero served as a primary platform of discovery for the group as they went on a North American tour opening for the rock giants. “The roadies were playing the song on the tour bus, and several recognized us thanks to the game,” he notes.
Major Band Titles and Lasting Influence
Music's biggest acts soon capitalised on the game's success, with Aerosmith, Metallica and others starring in dedicated game editions centered around each band’s catalogue and related lore, imagery and legendary status. For example, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, it was said earned the group greater revenue than any of their records. It sold more than 500,000 copies in its first week, and demand for Aerosmith’s music saw an increase of up to 40% at a time when the music business was already collapsing.
Guitar Hero still motivates nimble-fingered fanaticism among its fans. Recently, a streamer completed an impressive attempt of DragonForce’s the challenging track – an infamously tough power-metal song made popular by Guitar Hero – on Clone Hero, a no-cost alternative with almost identical gameplay and extensive customisation options. The song is challenging enough on expert mode, not to mention performed at double speed while hitting every one of its near 4,000 notes. They claimed requiring months of practice to accomplish.
“Guitar Hero is a fun, imaginary experience. Just as with other games, that doesn’t mean you should use a real gun and enlist,” notes musician Herman Li.
DragonForce had already completed a profitable run before Through the Fire and Flames was featured in the third game, yet he explains it made them a household name. “I remember the record label informing us that we were selling albums like crazy,” he shares. “It exploded when we next toured, and we were playing just before top acts at the event.”
In fact, DragonForce’s exposure via the game proved so vast that it risked eclipsing everything else the band has done. Last year, the song featured in a trailer for Despicable Me 4. “Previously I thought differently, but now I accept it,” he admits. “Should you just listen to a single track, that's fine – each person has a unique musical journey and I’m glad we played a role in fans' experiences”.
The Lasting Legacy from the Iconic Controller
The best marketing, be it for cars, apparel or video games, goes further mere transactions – it evokes a desire. Was the game able to harness this? “Precisely what we were trying to create,” he confirms. “That thrill of being a rock star in the spotlight. Since the beginning, the creators believed humans have a natural human desire to make music, and they wanted to use technology to enable everyone to do it”.
Most installments were released over a mere five-year period between 2005 and 2010, featuring spin-offs like the DJ version, complete with a spinning deck, and Band Hero. Subsequently, corporate focus in plastic instruments died down, aside from a brief comeback in 2015.
Titles like the fan project and newer releases have maintained the scene alive, and there’s set to be something from the original publisher in development. Recently formed developers has begun work on its debut music game. Original co-founders are both involved in advisory roles. Is the world prepared to welcome a new entry following Guitar Hero?
“Our team believed such titles could be like Madden where you can update every year,” Dornbrook says. “With abundant new music it could remain evergreen, thus I remain hopeful. It's entirely possible for it to continue with new generations.”
