It has been two decades since the legendary game first launched across the Atlantic, offering players everywhere the opportunity to become a rock star. Not literally, though you'd be hard-pressed telling that anyone who's mastered Free Bird’s lengthy instrumental break in front of an enthusiastic living-room audience.
Developed by the developers, Guitar Hero gave players a guitar-shaped controller to follow coloured notes scrolling down the screen in time with a song. Each riff corresponded to specific notes, producing the sensation of an authentic performance.
Harmonix previously tried its hand in the music genre before partnering with RedOctane, which was purchased by the gaming giant during the mid-2000s. Together, they established the groundwork for an unlikely massively profitable series which made a remarkable impact for many musicians featured, introducing decades-old bands to a new generation of younger players.
Michael Dornbrook, ex-chief operating officer from the developer, remembers the early budgetary hurdles in securing the songs – even though the first two games primarily featured cover versions.
“We rerecorded all the music because the cost prohibitive,” he explains. “Despite having the necessary permissions by themselves, it proved extremely difficult. We failed to secure bands like the Who – the publisher had virtually no money, and we were pretty convinced it would fail. But once the game became a hit, and record sales airtime were going up, everyone wanted to participate.”
He continues: “One of the amazing things was how many mothers and fathers got in touch expressing gratitude for introducing their kids to the songs they adored. It evolved into a multigenerational phenomenon.”
Classic Rock Gains a New Audience
Northern Irish blues-rock band one featured act included Never Too Late in the 2008 release Guitar Hero World Tour. Guitarist Paul Mahon remembers the way the game brought classic rock back into vogue: “The game offered a larger, younger audience. Typically this had been seen as outdated material, however once it got included in the game and teenagers discovered it, suddenly it was cool. This validated it, eliminating the outdated tag. It gave all our music renewed popularity.”
At that time, the band's debut album remained unreleased in the US, so Guitar Hero was a key medium for exposure for the group as they went on US tour opening for the rock giants. “Their crew were playing the song during travel, and several knew us from Guitar Hero,” he notes.
Rock’s Heavyweight Spin-offs and Lasting Impact
Rock’s heavyweight names soon took advantage of the series’ popularity, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen starring in dedicated spin-off titles centered around their music collections and related stories, imagery and legendary status. In the case of, the Aerosmith edition, it was said to have made the group more money compared to their records. It sold well over 500,000 units in its first week, while sales of their songs saw an increase significantly at a time when the music business faced decline.
The series still motivates nimble-fingered dedication among its fans. Earlier this year, a streamer achieved a remarkable feat of DragonForce’s Through the Fire and Flames – an infamously tough anthem popularized through the game – on Clone Hero, a no-cost alternative with almost identical mechanics and extensive personalization features. The song is difficult enough on expert mode, let alone performed at double speed and without missing every one of the thousands of cues. The streamer claimed requiring months of practice of practice.
“The game is a fun, imaginary experience. If you play other games, it doesn't imply you should use actual weapons and go to war,” says DragonForce guitarist the artist.
DragonForce previously completed a profitable run when their hit appeared in the third game, but Li says it made them a household name. “I remember our distributors calling to tell me that our selling albums rapidly,” he says. “It exploded on the subsequent tour, and we performed just before top acts on the Mayhem festival.”
Indeed, the band's visibility from Guitar Hero proved so vast that it risked eclipsing everything else the band has done. Recently, the track was used in a trailer for Despicable Me 4. “In the past I thought differently, but I’ve made peace with it,” he admits. “If you only hear one DragonForce song, that's fine – each person has a unique path in music and I'm pleased we played a role of people’s lives”.
The Lasting Impact from the Iconic Controller
The best marketing, whether it’s for automobiles, clothes or video games, extends beyond than selling something – it inspires a longing. Was the game able to harness this? “Precisely what our team trying to create,” he confirms. “The excitement of performing as a music icon in the spotlight. Since the beginning, the creators felt that there’s an instinctive urge to make music, and their goal was to leverage innovation to enable everyone to do it”.
The majority of Guitar Hero games came out over a mere half-decade between 2005 and 2010, featuring spin-offs like DJ Hero, including a spinning deck, and Band Hero. After that, corporate focus on peripherals waned, except for a short-lived revival in 2015.
Titles such as the fan project and Fortnite Festival have maintained the scene alive, with expectations of something from the founders in development. A new studio has entered work on its debut music game. The initial creators are participating as special advisers. Is the world prepared to welcome another game following Guitar Hero?
“We thought those games could be similar to sports games where you can update every year,” he remarks. “There’s so much fresh tracks that it could be evergreen, thus I remain hopeful. It's entirely possible for it to continue for future fans.”
