Marking 20 years since Guitar Hero debuted across the Atlantic, giving everyday gamers the opportunity to feel like a rock star. Not in reality, though you'd be hard-pressed convincing anyone who's nailed Free Bird’s lengthy instrumental break in front of an enthusiastic crowd of friends.
Created by Harmonix, the game gave players a guitar-shaped controller to match on-screen cues moving along the screen in time with a song. Each riff mimicked specific notes, producing the sensation of a genuine performance.
The studio previously experimented in the music genre before partnering with RedOctane, later purchased by the gaming giant in 2006. Collaboratively, they laid the groundwork for a surprising billion-dollar franchise that had a significant influence on numerous musicians included, showcasing classic bands to millions of gaming enthusiasts.
A former executive, former COO from the developer, recalls the early financial challenges of licensing the songs – despite the fact initial releases mostly used cover versions.
“We rerecorded all the music because the cost prohibitive,” he explains. “Even with the publishing rights alone, it was nearly impossible. We failed to secure acts such as the Who – the publisher had virtually no money, and we were fairly certain it would fail. But once the game took off, and record sales airtime were going up, everyone wanted to participate.”
He continues: “Among the remarkable aspects was the number of mothers and fathers reached out and thanked us for exposing their children to the songs they loved. It evolved into an intergenerational thing.”
Timeless Music Finds Younger Fans
Irish group the Answer included Never Too Late in the 2008 release Guitar Hero World Tour. Guitarist the artist recalls how the series revived classic rock back into vogue: “Guitar Hero offered a bigger, new demographic. Typically this had been considered music that was past it, however when it was included in the title and teenagers were finding it, suddenly it became trendy. That legitimised it, eliminating the outdated label. It provided all our music renewed popularity.”
In 2008, the Answer’s first record remained unreleased stateside, meaning the game served as a primary platform for exposure for the group as they went on a North American tour opening for AC/DC. “Their crew were playing the song during travel, and several knew us from Guitar Hero,” he notes.
Major Band Spin-offs and Lasting Influence
Rock’s heavyweight names soon capitalised on the game's success, with Aerosmith, Metallica and others featuring in dedicated spin-off titles that focused on each band’s catalogue and associated lore, visuals and rock’n’roll mythology. In the case of, the Aerosmith edition, reportedly earned the group greater revenue compared to their studio albums. It sold more than half a million copies in its first week, while demand for Aerosmith’s music rose of up to 40% during an era as the industry faced decline.
The series continues to inspire nimble-fingered dedication among its fans. Recently, a streamer achieved a remarkable feat of DragonForce’s Through the Fire and Flames – an infamously tough anthem made popular by Guitar Hero – using a fan-made version, a freeware game with almost identical mechanics and extensive personalization features. The song is difficult even in the hardest setting, not to mention played at increased tempo and without missing a single one of the thousands of cues. They stated requiring months of practice to accomplish.
“Guitar Hero offers a, imaginary experience. Just as with Call of Duty, it doesn't imply you should use a real gun and enlist,” says musician the artist.
DragonForce previously wrapped up a profitable run before Through the Fire and Flames was featured on Guitar Hero III, yet he explains it made them widely recognized. “I recall our distributors calling to tell me that our selling albums rapidly,” he says. “Popularity surged when we next toured, and we were playing just before the headliners on the Mayhem festival.”
In fact, the band's visibility via the game was so immense that it threatened to overshadow all other the band has done. Recently, the song was used in promotional material for Despicable Me 4. “In the past I felt otherwise, but I’ve made peace with it,” Li says. “If you only listen to a single track, that's fine – everyone’s got their own musical journey and I’m glad we’ve been part of people’s lives”.
Enduring Legacy of a Plastic Guitar
Top-tier promotion, whether it’s for cars, clothes or games, extends beyond than selling something – it evokes a desire. Did Guitar Hero tap into that? “That’s exactly what we were aiming to achieve,” Dornbrook says. “That thrill of performing as a rock star in the spotlight. From day one, the creators felt that humans have a natural urge to create songs, and they wanted to leverage innovation to allow people to participate”.
The majority of Guitar Hero games came out in just a half-decade from 2005 to 2010, including spin-offs such as the DJ version, including a spinning deck, and the band-focused game. Subsequently, the publisher’s interest in plastic instruments waned, aside from a short-lived revival several years later.
Games like the fan project and newer releases have kept the scene active, with expectations of something from the original publisher on the way. A new studio has entered production on its debut music game. Original co-founders are both involved in advisory roles. Are gamers ready to embrace another game in the spirit of Guitar Hero?
“Our team believed those games might become like Madden allowing annual update every year,” Dornbrook says. “With abundant new music it could remain evergreen, so I’ve always been optimistic. There’s no reason for it to continue with new generations.”
