It has been two decades since the legendary game hit the market in North America, offering everyday gamers the tools to become a rock star. Not literally, but try convincing someone who has mastered Free Bird’s four-minute instrumental break before an enthusiastic crowd of friends.
Developed by Harmonix, Guitar Hero gave players a plastic guitar peripheral to follow on-screen cues scrolling down the screen synchronized to the music. Each riff mimicked specific notes, creating the sensation of an authentic live show.
The studio previously tried its hand with rhythm games before partnering with RedOctane, later acquired by the gaming giant in 2006. Together, they established the foundations for an unlikely massively profitable franchise which made a significant impact for many musicians included, introducing decades-old groups to millions of younger players.
A former executive, ex-chief operating officer from the developer, recalls the initial financial challenges of licensing the recordings – even though initial releases mostly used cover versions.
“We rerecorded every song because the dollar figure was so high,” he explains. “Despite having the necessary permissions alone, it was extremely difficult. We failed to secure acts such as legendary groups – the publisher was operating on a shoestring budget, and our team was pretty convinced it would fail. But once Guitar Hero became a hit, album purchases airtime increased, everyone wanted to participate.”
He continues: “One of the amazing things was the number of parents reached out expressing gratitude for exposing their children to the music they loved. It evolved into a multigenerational thing.”
Timeless Music Gains Younger Fans
Northern Irish group one featured act included Never Too Late on the 2008 game Guitar Hero World Tour. Lead musician Paul Mahon remembers how the series revived older hits to the forefront: “Guitar Hero provided a larger, new demographic. Generally such music was considered music that was past it, however once it got featured on the game young people discovered it, suddenly it was cool. That legitimised it, and got rid of the ‘dad rock’ tag. It provided all our music renewed popularity.”
At that time, the band's first record remained unreleased stateside, meaning the game served as a primary platform of discovery for the group during their a North American tour supporting the rock giants. “Their crew were playing the song on the tour bus, and some of them knew us from Guitar Hero,” he notes.
Major Band Spin-offs and Lasting Influence
Music's biggest acts quickly capitalised on the game's success, with Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen featuring in dedicated game editions that focused on each band’s catalogue and associated stories, visuals and rock’n’roll mythology. In the case of, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, it was said earned the band more money than any of their records. It sold more than half a million copies in its first week, while sales of their songs saw an increase of up to 40% at a time as the industry was already collapsing.
The series continues to inspire nimble-fingered dedication among its fans. Recently, an online personality completed a remarkable feat featuring Through the Fire and Flames – an infamously tough anthem popularized through the game – on Clone Hero, a freeware game with almost identical gameplay and extensive personalization features. The song is challenging enough on expert mode, not to mention performed at increased tempo and without missing every one of its near 4,000 notes. They stated it took nine months to accomplish.
“Guitar Hero is a fun, imaginary experience. If you play other games, that doesn’t mean you ought to use a real gun and enlist,” notes musician the artist.
DragonForce previously wrapped up a profitable run before their hit appeared on Guitar Hero III, yet he explains it turned them into a household name. “I remember the record label calling to tell me that our records were moving rapidly,” he shares. “It exploded on the subsequent tour, and we were playing right ahead of top acts at the event.”
Indeed, DragonForce’s exposure from Guitar Hero proved so vast that it has risked eclipsing everything else accomplishments. Last year, the track featured in promotional material for Despicable Me 4. “Previously I felt differently, but I’ve made peace with it,” he admits. “If you only hear one DragonForce song, it’s totally cool – each person has their own path in music and I’m glad we played a role in fans' experiences”.
Enduring Impact from the Iconic Controller
The best marketing, whether it’s for automobiles, apparel or video 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 being a rock star in the spotlight. Since the beginning, the co-founders believed humans have a natural urge to make music, and their goal was to use technology to allow people to participate”.
Most installments were released over a mere half-decade from 2005 to 2010, including derivative titles such as the DJ version, including a turntable controller, and Band Hero. Subsequently, the publisher’s interest on peripherals waned, except for a short-lived revival in 2015.
Games like the fan project and newer releases have kept the community alive, and there’s set to be something from the founders on the way. A new studio has begun work on their first rhythm-based title. The initial creators are both involved in advisory roles. Is the world ready to embrace a new entry in the spirit of the classic?
“Our team believed those games could be similar to sports games allowing annual releases,” Dornbrook says. “With abundant fresh tracks it could remain perennially popular, thus I remain optimistic. It's entirely possible why it can’t persist for future fans.”
