Marking two decades after the legendary game hit the market in North America, offering players everywhere the tools to feel like a rock star. Not in reality, but try telling that someone who has mastered Free Bird’s four-minute instrumental break before a packed living-room audience.
Created by the developers, Guitar Hero gave players a plastic guitar peripheral to follow coloured notes moving along the display synchronized to the music. Every sequence mimicked particular chords, creating the feel of an authentic live show.
Harmonix previously experimented with rhythm games prior to teaming up with RedOctane, later acquired by the gaming giant during the mid-2000s. Together, they laid the foundations for a surprising massively profitable franchise that had a remarkable impact for many musicians featured, introducing classic bands to millions of gaming enthusiasts.
A former executive, former COO from the developer, recalls the initial budgetary hurdles of licensing the songs – despite the fact the first two games mostly used rerecorded tracks.
“We reproduced every song since the dollar figure prohibitive,” he says. “Even with the necessary permissions by themselves, it was extremely difficult. We couldn’t get bands like legendary groups – the publisher had virtually no money, and our team was fairly certain it would fail. However, when Guitar Hero took off, album purchases and radio play were going up, everyone wanted to be in.”
He continues: “One of the remarkable aspects was how many mothers and fathers got in touch and thanked us for introducing their kids to the songs they loved. It evolved into an intergenerational thing.”
Timeless Music Gains a New Audience
Irish blues-rock band the Answer included Never Too Late in the 2008 release Guitar Hero World Tour. Guitarist the artist remembers the way the game brought older hits to the forefront: “Guitar Hero offered a larger, younger audience. Typically this had been seen as music that was past it, however once it got featured on the title and teenagers were finding it, suddenly it was cool. That legitimised it, eliminating the outdated tag. It gave our catalog a new life.”
In 2008, the Answer’s first record was still not available stateside, so the game served as a primary platform for exposure for the band as they went on US tour opening for AC/DC. “Their crew had on the song during travel, and several recognized us from Guitar Hero,” Mahon says.
Major Band Titles and Lasting Impact
Rock’s heavyweight names soon capitalised on the series’ popularity, with Aerosmith, Metallica and others starring in dedicated spin-off titles that focused on each band’s catalogue and related lore, imagery and rock’n’roll mythology. For example, the Aerosmith edition, it was said earned the group greater revenue than any of their studio albums. It sold well over 500,000 units upon release, while demand for Aerosmith’s music rose of up to 40% at a time as the industry faced decline.
Guitar Hero still motivates nimble-fingered dedication within the community. Recently, an online personality achieved an impressive attempt of DragonForce’s the challenging track – a notoriously difficult anthem popularized through Guitar Hero – using a fan-made version, a no-cost alternative with similar mechanics and extensive customisation options. The song is challenging enough on the hardest setting, not to mention played at increased tempo and without missing a single one of the thousands of cues. They claimed requiring months of practice to accomplish.
“The game is a fun, imaginary experience. Just as with other games, that doesn’t mean you should use a real gun and enlist,” says musician the artist.
The band had already wrapped up a successful tour before their hit was featured in the third game, yet he explains it turned them into a household name. “I recall our distributors calling to tell me that our records were moving like crazy,” he shares. “It exploded on the subsequent tour, and we performed right ahead of top acts on the Mayhem festival.”
Indeed, the band's visibility via the game proved so vast that it has risked eclipsing all other the band has done. Recently, the track was used in a trailer for a major film. “Previously I felt differently, but I’ve made peace with it,” Li says. “Should you just hear one DragonForce song, that's fine – everyone’s got their own path in music and I'm pleased we’ve been part in fans' experiences”.
Enduring Legacy from the Iconic Controller
The best promotion, be it for cars, apparel or games, extends beyond mere transactions – it evokes a desire. Was the game able to harness this? “That’s exactly what our team aiming to achieve,” he confirms. “The excitement of performing as a rock star on the stage. From day one, the creators felt that humans have a natural human desire to create songs, and their goal was to use technology to allow people to do it”.
Most of Guitar Hero games were released over a mere five-year period between 2005 and 2010, including derivative titles such as the DJ version, complete with a turntable controller, and the band-focused game. After that, corporate focus in plastic instruments died down, except for a brief comeback several years later.
Games such as Clone Hero and Fortnite Festival have maintained the community alive, and there’s expectations of something from the founders on the way. A new studio has begun work on their first music game. Original co-founders are both involved in advisory roles. Are gamers prepared to welcome a new entry in the spirit of the classic?
“Our team believed those games might become like Madden allowing annual update every year,” he remarks. “There’s so much fresh tracks it could remain perennially popular, so I’ve always been optimistic. There’s no reason for it to continue with new generations.”
