It has been 20 years since Guitar Hero debuted in North America, offering players everywhere the means to become a rock star. Not literally, but try convincing someone who has nailed Free Bird’s lengthy instrumental break in front of a packed living-room audience.
Created by Harmonix, the game provided users with a guitar-shaped controller to follow coloured notes scrolling down the screen synchronized to the music. Each riff mimicked specific notes, creating the sensation of an authentic performance.
The studio previously tried its hand in the music genre before partnering with RedOctane, which was acquired by Activision in 2006. Collaboratively, they established the groundwork for a surprising massively profitable franchise that had a significant influence for many of the artists included, showcasing classic groups to a new generation of gaming enthusiasts.
A former executive, former COO from the developer, recalls the early budgetary hurdles of licensing the songs – despite the fact the first two games primarily featured cover versions.
“We reproduced every song because the dollar figure prohibitive,” he says. “Even with the publishing rights by themselves, it was extremely difficult. We couldn’t get bands like legendary groups – RedOctane had virtually no money, and we were fairly certain the project would flop. However, when Guitar Hero took off, and record sales and radio play increased, all artists desired to participate.”
He adds: “Among the amazing things was the number of mothers and fathers reached out and thanked us for introducing their children to the music they adored. It evolved into an intergenerational thing.”
Classic Rock Gains a New Audience
Northern Irish blues-rock band one featured act had Never Too Late in the 2008 release Guitar Hero World Tour. Lead musician Paul Mahon recalls how the series brought older hits to the forefront: “Guitar Hero provided a bigger, younger audience. Generally this had been seen as music that was past it, but then once it got included in the game young people discovered it, abruptly it became trendy. That legitimised it, and got rid of the outdated label. It gave all our music renewed popularity.”
At that time, the Answer’s debut album was still not available stateside, so Guitar Hero served as a primary platform of discovery for the band during their a North American tour supporting AC/DC. “Their crew were playing the song on the tour bus, and several recognized us thanks to the game,” he notes.
Major Band Titles Enduring Impact
Rock’s biggest acts quickly capitalised on the series’ popularity, with Aerosmith, Metallica and others featuring in dedicated spin-off titles that focused on their music collections and associated lore, visuals and legendary status. For example, the Aerosmith edition, it was said earned the group more money than any of their studio albums. It moved well over 500,000 copies upon release, while sales of Aerosmith’s music rose of up to 40% during an era as the industry faced decline.
Guitar Hero continues to inspire quick-handed fanaticism among its fans. Recently, a streamer achieved a remarkable feat of DragonForce’s Through the Fire and Flames – a notoriously difficult power-metal song popularized through Guitar Hero – on Clone Hero, a no-cost alternative with almost identical mechanics and extensive personalization features. This track is difficult enough on the hardest setting, not to mention played at increased tempo while hitting every one of the thousands of cues. The streamer stated it took nine months of practice.
“The game offers a, imaginary experience. Just as with other games, that doesn’t mean you should pick up actual weapons and go to war,” says musician the artist.
DragonForce previously wrapped up a successful tour before 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 records were moving rapidly,” he shares. “Popularity surged when we next toured, and we were playing right ahead of the headliners on the Mayhem festival.”
In fact, the band's visibility from Guitar Hero was so immense that it has threatened to eclipsing all other accomplishments. Recently, the track was used in promotional material for Despicable Me 4. “Previously I felt differently, but I’ve made peace with it,” he admits. “Should you just listen to a single track, it’s totally cool – everyone’s got a unique musical journey and I’m glad we’ve been part of people’s lives”.
Enduring Impact of a Plastic Guitar
Top-tier marketing, be it for cars, clothes or games, extends beyond than selling something – it evokes a desire. Was the game able to tap into that? “Precisely what we were trying to create,” Dornbrook says. “That thrill of being a music icon in the spotlight. Since the beginning, the co-founders felt that humans have a natural urge to create songs, and their goal was to leverage innovation to enable everyone to do it”.
Most of Guitar Hero games came out in just a five-year period between 2005 and 2010, including derivative titles such as the DJ version, complete with a turntable controller, and Band Hero. Subsequently, corporate focus on peripherals waned, aside from a short-lived revival several years later.
Games such as Clone Hero and Fortnite Festival have maintained the community active, with set to be a new product from the original publisher in development. A new studio has entered work on their first music game. Original co-founders are both involved as special advisers. Are gamers prepared to welcome a new entry in the spirit of Guitar Hero?
“We thought those games could be similar to sports games where you can releases,” Dornbrook says. “There’s so much fresh tracks that it could be perennially popular, so I’ve always been hopeful. There’s no reason for it to persist with new generations.”
