It has been two decades after the legendary game debuted in North America, giving everyday gamers the tools to feel like a rock star. Not literally, but try convincing someone who's mastered Free Bird’s four-minute guitar solo in front of an enthusiastic crowd of friends.
Created by Harmonix, Guitar Hero gave players a guitar-shaped controller to match on-screen cues moving along the display synchronized to the music. Each riff corresponded to particular chords, producing the sensation of an authentic performance.
The studio had already tried its hand in the music genre prior to teaming up with RedOctane, later purchased by Activision during the mid-2000s. Together, they laid the groundwork for an unlikely billion-dollar series that had a remarkable impact on numerous musicians included, showcasing classic bands to a new generation of gaming enthusiasts.
Michael Dornbrook, ex-chief operating officer from the developer, recalls the initial financial challenges in securing the recordings – even though initial releases primarily featured rerecorded tracks.
“We rerecorded all the music since the cost prohibitive,” he explains. “Despite having the necessary permissions by themselves, it was nearly impossible. We failed to secure acts such as legendary groups – RedOctane had virtually no money, and our team was fairly certain it would fail. But once Guitar Hero took off, album purchases and radio play were going up, everyone wanted to be in.”
He continues: “One of the amazing things was how many mothers and fathers got in touch and thanked us for introducing their kids to the songs they adored. It evolved into an intergenerational thing.”
Classic Rock Finds a New Audience
Irish blues-rock band the Answer had Never Too Late in the 2008 release Guitar Hero World Tour. Lead musician the artist recalls how the series revived older hits to the forefront: “The game provided a bigger, new demographic. Typically such music was considered music that was past it, however once it got included in the game young people were finding it, suddenly it was cool. This validated it, eliminating the outdated tag. It gave our catalog a new life.”
In 2008, the Answer’s first record was still unreleased in the US, meaning Guitar Hero served as a primary platform for exposure for the band as they went on a North American tour opening for AC/DC. “Their crew had on Never Too Late on the tour bus, and several knew us from Guitar Hero,” Mahon says.
Major Band Titles and Lasting Influence
Music's heavyweight names quickly took advantage of the series’ popularity, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and others starring in specialized spin-off titles centered around each band’s catalogue and related stories, imagery and rock’n’roll mythology. In the case of, the Aerosmith edition, it was said earned the band more money compared to their studio albums. It sold more than 500,000 copies upon release, while demand for their songs saw an increase of up to 40% during an era as the industry faced decline.
Guitar Hero still motivates quick-handed fanaticism among its fans. Recently, an online personality achieved a remarkable feat of DragonForce’s the challenging track – a notoriously difficult anthem popularized through Guitar Hero – on Clone Hero, a freeware game with similar gameplay and extensive customisation options. This track is challenging enough on expert mode, let alone played at increased tempo and without missing every one of its near 4,000 notes. They stated it took months of practice to accomplish.
“Guitar Hero offers a, fantasy thing. Just as with other games, that doesn’t mean you ought to pick up actual weapons and enlist,” says DragonForce guitarist Herman Li.
The band previously completed a profitable run before their hit appeared on Guitar Hero III, yet he explains it turned them into a household name. “I recall the record label calling to tell me that we were records were moving rapidly,” he shares. “It exploded on the subsequent tour, and we were playing just before top acts on the Mayhem festival.”
Indeed, DragonForce’s exposure from Guitar Hero proved so vast that it risked overshadow all other accomplishments. Last year, the song featured in promotional material for a major film. “Previously I thought 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 their own path in music and I'm pleased we’ve been part of people’s lives”.
Enduring Legacy from the Plastic Guitar
Top-tier promotion, be it for automobiles, clothes or video games, goes further than selling something – it evokes a desire. Did Guitar Hero tap into that? “That’s exactly what we were trying to create,” he confirms. “That thrill of being a rock star in the spotlight. From day one, the co-founders felt that humans have a natural human desire to make music, and they wanted to leverage innovation to allow people to participate”.
Most of Guitar Hero games came out over a mere five-year period from 2005 to 2010, featuring derivative titles like the DJ version, including a spinning deck, and the band-focused game. Subsequently, the publisher’s interest on peripherals waned, aside from a brief comeback in 2015.
Games such as the fan project and newer releases have maintained the scene alive, and there’s expectations of something from the original publisher in development. Recently formed developers has begun production on its debut rhythm-based title. The initial creators are both involved in advisory roles. Is the world prepared to welcome another game in the spirit of the classic?
“We thought those games could be similar to sports games where you can releases,” Dornbrook says. “There’s so much fresh tracks it could remain perennially popular, thus I remain optimistic. It's entirely possible for it to continue for future fans.”
