It has been 20 years since the legendary game hit the market across the Atlantic, giving everyday gamers the means to feel like rock legends. Not in reality, though you'd be hard-pressed telling that someone who has nailed Free Bird’s lengthy guitar solo in front of a packed crowd of friends.
Created by the developers, Guitar Hero provided users with a plastic guitar peripheral to match coloured notes scrolling down the screen in time with the music. Every sequence mimicked particular chords, creating the feel of a genuine performance.
Harmonix had already tried its hand with rhythm games before partnering with RedOctane, later acquired by the gaming giant in 2006. Collaboratively, they laid the foundations for an unlikely massively profitable series that had a significant influence for many musicians featured, introducing classic bands to millions of gaming enthusiasts.
Michael Dornbrook, ex-chief operating officer from the developer, remembers the early financial challenges of licensing the songs – even though the first two games mostly used cover versions.
“We rerecorded all the music since the dollar figure was so high,” he says. “Despite having the necessary permissions alone, it was nearly impossible. We failed to secure bands like legendary groups – the publisher had virtually no money, and our team was pretty convinced the project would flop. However, when the game became a hit, and record sales airtime increased, all artists desired to be in.”
He adds: “One of the amazing things was how many parents reached out expressing gratitude for exposing their kids to the music they adored. It evolved into a multigenerational thing.”
Timeless Music Gains a New Audience
Northern Irish group the Answer included their track in the 2008 release Guitar Hero World Tour. Guitarist the artist remembers the way the game brought older hits back into vogue: “The game offered a bigger, new demographic. Generally this had been considered outdated material, but then when it was included in the title young people were finding it, suddenly it was cool. That legitimised it, and got rid of the outdated tag. It gave our catalog a new life.”
In 2008, the band's first record remained unreleased stateside, so Guitar Hero served as a primary platform of discovery for the band as they went on a North American tour supporting AC/DC. “Their crew were playing Never Too Late during travel, and several knew us from Guitar Hero,” Mahon says.
Major Band Titles Enduring Influence
Rock’s heavyweight names quickly capitalised on the game's success, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen featuring in specialized spin-off titles centered around each band’s catalogue and associated stories, visuals and legendary status. In the case of, the Aerosmith edition, it was said to have made the band greater revenue compared to their records. It moved well over 500,000 copies in its first week, while demand for their songs rose significantly during an era as the industry faced decline.
The series continues to inspire quick-handed dedication among its fans. Recently, a streamer achieved an impressive attempt featuring the challenging track – a notoriously difficult anthem popularized through the game – using a fan-made version, a no-cost alternative with similar gameplay but an array of customisation options. This track is challenging even in expert mode, let alone performed at increased tempo while hitting every one of the thousands of cues. They claimed requiring months of practice of practice.
“The game offers a, imaginary experience. Just as with other games, that doesn’t mean you should pick up a real gun and go to war,” notes DragonForce guitarist the artist.
The band previously completed a successful tour when their hit was featured in the third game, yet he explains it made them widely recognized. “I remember the record label calling to tell me that our records were moving rapidly,” he shares. “Popularity surged on the subsequent tour, and we were playing just before top acts at the event.”
Indeed, DragonForce’s exposure via the game was so immense that it has threatened to eclipsing everything else accomplishments. Recently, the song was used in a trailer for a major film. “In the past I thought otherwise, but I’ve made peace with it,” he admits. “Should you just hear one DragonForce song, that's fine – each person has a unique musical journey and I'm pleased we played a role in fans' experiences”.
Enduring Legacy of a Plastic Guitar
The best marketing, whether it’s for cars, clothes or games, goes further than selling something – it inspires a desire. Did Guitar Hero tap into that? “That’s exactly what we were aiming to achieve,” Dornbrook says. “The excitement of performing as a rock star on the stage. Since the beginning, the creators felt that humans have a natural human desire to create songs, and their goal was to use technology to enable everyone to participate”.
The majority of Guitar Hero games came out over a mere half-decade from 2005 to 2010, including spin-offs like DJ Hero, complete with a turntable controller, and Band Hero. Subsequently, corporate focus on peripherals died down, aside from a short-lived revival in 2015.
Titles such as the fan project and newer releases have maintained the scene alive, and there’s set to be a new product from the original publisher in development. A new studio has begun work on their first rhythm-based title. The initial creators are participating as special advisers. Is the world ready to embrace another game in the spirit of the classic?
“We thought such titles might become like Madden where you can update every year,” Dornbrook says. “There’s so much new music that it could be perennially popular, thus I remain hopeful. It's entirely possible for it to continue with new generations.”
