Marking 20 years since the legendary game debuted across the Atlantic, providing everyday gamers the opportunity to feel like a rock star. Not in reality, but try telling that someone who's mastered Free Bird’s four-minute guitar solo before a packed crowd of friends.
Created by the developers, the game gave players a guitar-shaped controller to follow coloured notes scrolling down the screen in time with the music. Each riff mimicked particular chords, creating the sensation of a genuine live show.
The studio had already experimented in the music genre prior to teaming up with the publisher, later acquired by Activision during the mid-2000s. Together, they laid the foundations for a surprising billion-dollar series which made a significant influence on numerous musicians included, showcasing classic groups to a new generation of younger players.
A former executive, former COO of Harmonix, remembers the early financial challenges in securing the songs – even though the first two games mostly used cover versions.
“We reproduced all the music since the dollar figure prohibitive,” he explains. “Even with the publishing rights alone, it proved extremely difficult. We failed to secure acts such as the Who – the publisher was operating on a shoestring budget, and we were fairly certain it would fail. However, when Guitar Hero became a hit, and record sales and radio play increased, all artists desired to participate.”
He adds: “One of the amazing things was how many mothers and fathers reached out expressing gratitude for exposing their children to the songs they adored. It became a multigenerational thing.”
Timeless Music Gains a New Audience
Northern Irish group one featured act included Never Too Late on the 2008 game Guitar Hero World Tour. Guitarist the artist remembers how the series revived classic rock to the forefront: “Guitar Hero provided a larger, new demographic. Generally this had been considered music that was past it, but then when it was featured on the game and teenagers were finding it, suddenly it was cool. This validated it, eliminating the ‘dad rock’ label. It gave our catalog renewed popularity.”
In 2008, the Answer’s first record remained unreleased in the US, so the game was a key medium for exposure for the group as they went on US tour supporting AC/DC. “Their crew were playing Never Too Late on the tour bus, and several knew us thanks to the game,” Mahon says.
Major Band Spin-offs Enduring Influence
Music's biggest acts soon took advantage of the game's success, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen featuring in dedicated spin-off titles centered around their music collections and related lore, imagery and legendary status. In the case of, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, it was said earned the group greater revenue than any of their studio albums. It sold more than 500,000 units upon release, and demand for their songs rose significantly at a time as the industry was already collapsing.
Guitar Hero still motivates nimble-fingered dedication within the community. Recently, a streamer achieved an impressive attempt of DragonForce’s Through the Fire and Flames – a notoriously difficult power-metal song made popular by Guitar Hero – on Clone Hero, a no-cost alternative with similar mechanics and extensive customisation options. This track is difficult enough on expert mode, not to mention performed at increased tempo while hitting every one of its near 4,000 notes. The streamer claimed it took months of practice to accomplish.
“The game offers a, imaginary experience. If you play Call of Duty, that doesn’t mean you should use a real gun and go to war,” says musician Herman Li.
DragonForce previously wrapped up a successful tour when Through the Fire and Flames was featured in the third game, yet he explains it made them widely recognized. “I remember our distributors informing us that our records were moving like crazy,” he says. “Popularity surged on the subsequent tour, and we performed right ahead of top acts on the Mayhem festival.”
In fact, the band's visibility from Guitar Hero proved so vast that it has risked overshadow all other the band has done. Recently, the song was used 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, that's fine – everyone’s got a unique path in music and I'm pleased we’ve been part of people’s lives”.
The Lasting Legacy from the Iconic Controller
Top-tier marketing, be it for cars, apparel or 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 on the stage. From day one, the creators believed humans have a natural urge to make music, and their goal was to use technology to enable everyone to participate”.
Most of Guitar Hero games came out in just a half-decade between 2005 and 2010, featuring spin-offs such as the DJ version, including a spinning deck, and Band Hero. After that, corporate focus in plastic instruments died down, aside from a brief comeback several years later.
Games like Clone Hero and Fortnite Festival have kept the scene active, and there’s expectations of something from the original publisher on the way. Recently formed developers has entered production on their first music game. The initial creators are both involved in advisory roles. Are gamers prepared to welcome another game following Guitar Hero?
“We thought such titles could be similar to sports games allowing annual update every year,” he remarks. “There’s so much new music that it could be perennially popular, so I’ve always been optimistic. It's entirely possible for it to persist with new generations.”
