Marking two decades after the legendary game hit the market across the Atlantic, providing players everywhere the means to feel like a rock star. Not literally, though you'd be hard-pressed convincing anyone who has mastered Free Bird’s lengthy guitar solo before an enthusiastic crowd of friends.
Developed by Harmonix, Guitar Hero provided users with a guitar-shaped controller to match on-screen cues scrolling down the screen synchronized to the music. Every sequence corresponded to specific notes, producing the feel of an authentic live show.
The studio previously experimented with rhythm games prior to teaming up with the publisher, which was acquired by the gaming giant in 2006. Collaboratively, they established the groundwork for an unlikely billion-dollar franchise that had a remarkable influence for many musicians featured, introducing decades-old bands to a new generation of younger players.
Michael Dornbrook, former COO from the developer, remembers the early budgetary hurdles of licensing the recordings – even though initial releases primarily featured cover versions.
“We rerecorded all the music since the cost prohibitive,” he says. “Even with the necessary permissions alone, it was extremely difficult. We failed to secure bands like legendary groups – RedOctane was operating on a shoestring budget, and we were fairly certain it would fail. But once the game took off, album purchases airtime were going up, all artists desired to be in.”
He adds: “One of the remarkable aspects was how many parents got in touch expressing gratitude for exposing their kids to the songs they loved. It evolved into a multigenerational phenomenon.”
Classic Rock Gains a New Audience
Irish blues-rock band the Answer had Never Too Late on the 2008 game the popular installment. Guitarist the artist recalls the way the game brought classic rock back into vogue: “The game provided a larger, new demographic. Typically this had been considered outdated material, but then once it got included in the game and teenagers were finding it, suddenly it became trendy. That legitimised the genre, eliminating the ‘dad rock’ tag. It provided our catalog renewed popularity.”
At that time, the Answer’s first record remained unreleased stateside, so Guitar Hero served as a primary platform for exposure for the group as they went on US tour opening for AC/DC. “The roadies were playing the song during travel, and several knew us from Guitar Hero,” Mahon says.
Rock’s Heavyweight Titles and Lasting Influence
Rock’s biggest acts soon capitalised on the game's success, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and others starring in dedicated game editions that focused on each band’s catalogue and associated stories, visuals and rock’n’roll mythology. For example, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, it was said earned the group more money than any of their records. It moved well over half a million copies upon release, while sales of their songs saw an increase significantly during an era as the industry was already collapsing.
Guitar Hero still motivates nimble-fingered fanaticism among its fans. Earlier this year, a streamer completed an impressive attempt featuring Through the Fire and Flames – an infamously tough anthem made popular by the game – on Clone Hero, a no-cost alternative with similar mechanics and extensive personalization features. This track is challenging enough on expert mode, not to mention performed at double speed and without missing a single one of the thousands of cues. The streamer claimed it took nine months of practice.
“Guitar Hero is a fun, fantasy thing. If you play Call of Duty, that doesn’t mean you ought to pick up a real gun and go to war,” says DragonForce guitarist Herman Li.
DragonForce had already completed a profitable run when Through the Fire and Flames appeared in the third game, but Li says it turned them into widely recognized. “I recall the record label calling to tell me that our records were moving like crazy,” he shares. “Popularity surged when we next toured, and we performed right ahead of top acts on the Mayhem festival.”
In fact, DragonForce’s exposure from Guitar Hero proved so vast that it risked eclipsing all other accomplishments. Recently, the track was used in a trailer for Despicable Me 4. “Previously I felt differently, but now I accept it,” he admits. “If you only listen to one DragonForce song, that's fine – each person has a unique path in music and I'm pleased we played a role in fans' experiences”.
Enduring Legacy from the Plastic Guitar
Top-tier promotion, whether it’s for cars, clothes or video games, extends beyond mere transactions – it evokes a desire. Did Guitar Hero harness this? “Precisely what we were aiming to achieve,” Dornbrook says. “That thrill of being a rock star in the spotlight. From day one, the co-founders believed there’s an instinctive human desire to create songs, and they wanted to leverage innovation to allow people to participate”.
Most of Guitar Hero games were released in just a half-decade between 2005 and 2010, featuring spin-offs such as the DJ version, complete with a turntable controller, and the band-focused game. After that, corporate focus on peripherals waned, except for a short-lived revival in 2015.
Titles like the fan project and Fortnite Festival have maintained the scene alive, with expectations of something from the founders in development. Recently formed developers has entered production on their first music game. The initial creators are both involved in advisory roles. Is the world ready to embrace another game in the spirit of the classic?
“We thought those games might become like Madden allowing annual releases,” he remarks. “There’s so much new music that it could be evergreen, so I’ve always been hopeful. It's entirely possible for it to continue for future fans.”
