Marking 20 years since the legendary game first launched in North America, offering players everywhere the tools to feel like a rock star. Not in reality, though you'd be hard-pressed telling that someone who has nailed Free Bird’s four-minute instrumental break in front of a packed living-room audience.
Created by the developers, the game gave players a plastic guitar peripheral to follow on-screen cues moving along the display in time with the music. Every sequence corresponded to specific notes, producing the sensation of an authentic live show.
Harmonix had already experimented with rhythm games prior to teaming up with RedOctane, later purchased by the gaming giant during the mid-2000s. Together, they laid the foundations for a surprising billion-dollar series which made a remarkable impact on numerous of the artists featured, introducing decades-old bands to a new generation of gaming enthusiasts.
Michael Dornbrook, ex-chief operating officer of Harmonix, recalls the early budgetary hurdles of licensing the recordings – despite the fact initial releases mostly used rerecorded tracks.
“We rerecorded all the music because the dollar figure was so high,” he says. “Despite having the publishing rights alone, it was extremely difficult. We couldn’t get bands like the Who – RedOctane had virtually no money, and our team was pretty convinced it would fail. However, when the game became a hit, and record sales airtime were going up, all artists desired to be in.”
He adds: “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 became a multigenerational phenomenon.”
Timeless Music Gains a New Audience
Irish blues-rock band the Answer had their track in the 2008 release Guitar Hero World Tour. Guitarist Paul Mahon remembers the way the game revived classic rock back into vogue: “Guitar Hero offered a bigger, new demographic. Generally such music was seen as music that was past it, however when it was included in the game young people were finding it, suddenly it was cool. That legitimised the genre, eliminating the outdated label. It gave our catalog a new life.”
In 2008, the Answer’s first record remained not available stateside, so Guitar Hero served as a primary platform for exposure for the group as they went on a North American tour supporting the rock giants. “The roadies were playing Never Too Late during travel, and several knew us thanks to the game,” he notes.
Major Band Spin-offs and Lasting Impact
Music's heavyweight names soon capitalised on the series’ popularity, with Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen featuring in specialized game editions that focused on each band’s catalogue and associated lore, visuals and legendary status. In the case of, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, reportedly earned the group greater revenue than any of their studio albums. It moved well over half a million units upon release, while demand for their songs rose significantly during an era as the industry faced decline.
The series continues to inspire quick-handed dedication within the community. Earlier this year, a streamer completed an impressive attempt featuring Through the Fire and Flames – a notoriously difficult anthem made popular by the game – using a fan-made version, a no-cost alternative with similar mechanics and extensive personalization features. The song is challenging even in the hardest setting, not to mention played at increased tempo while hitting every one of its near 4,000 notes. The streamer stated requiring nine months to accomplish.
“Guitar Hero is a fun, fantasy thing. If you play Call of Duty, it doesn't imply you ought to use actual weapons and enlist,” says DragonForce guitarist Herman Li.
DragonForce previously completed a profitable run before their hit was featured in the third game, yet he explains it made them widely recognized. “I remember our distributors informing us that we were records were moving like crazy,” he shares. “It exploded on the subsequent tour, and we performed just before the headliners at the event.”
In fact, DragonForce’s exposure via the game was so immense that it has threatened to eclipsing everything else the band has done. Recently, the track featured in a trailer for a major film. “Previously I thought differently, but now I accept it,” Li says. “Should you just hear a single track, that's fine – each person has their own musical journey and I'm pleased we’ve been part of people’s lives”.
The Lasting Impact of a Plastic Guitar
The best promotion, be it for automobiles, clothes or games, goes further mere transactions – it evokes a desire. Did Guitar Hero harness this? “Precisely what our team aiming to achieve,” Dornbrook says. “That thrill of being a rock star on the stage. Since the beginning, the co-founders believed humans have a natural human desire to create songs, and their goal was to use technology to enable everyone to do it”.
Most of Guitar Hero games came out in just a five-year period from 2005 to 2010, including spin-offs like the DJ version, complete with a spinning deck, and the band-focused game. After that, corporate focus in plastic instruments waned, except for a brief comeback in 2015.
Titles like Clone Hero and newer releases have kept the community alive, with set to be a new product from the original publisher on the way. A new studio has entered production on its debut rhythm-based title. Original co-founders are participating in advisory roles. Is the world ready to embrace a new entry following Guitar Hero?
“We thought such titles might become like Madden where you can update every year,” he remarks. “There’s so much new music it could remain evergreen, thus I remain hopeful. It's entirely possible why it can’t continue with new generations.”
