Marking 20 years since Guitar Hero debuted across the Atlantic, providing everyday gamers the tools to become a rock star. Figuratively speaking, though you'd be hard-pressed telling that anyone who has mastered Free Bird’s lengthy guitar solo before a packed living-room audience.
Developed by the developers, Guitar Hero provided users with a guitar-shaped controller to follow coloured notes scrolling down the display in time with the music. Each riff corresponded to particular chords, producing the feel of an authentic live show.
The studio previously experimented with rhythm games prior to teaming up with the publisher, later purchased by the gaming giant in 2006. Collaboratively, they established the foundations for a surprising billion-dollar series that had a remarkable impact for many of the artists featured, showcasing classic groups to a new generation of younger players.
A former executive, former COO of Harmonix, remembers the early budgetary hurdles of licensing the songs – even though the first two games primarily featured cover versions.
“We rerecorded all the music because the dollar figure prohibitive,” he explains. “Despite having the necessary permissions by themselves, it proved extremely difficult. We couldn’t get acts such as legendary groups – RedOctane had virtually no money, and we were pretty convinced the project would flop. However, when the game became a hit, and record sales airtime increased, all artists desired to participate.”
He adds: “Among the remarkable aspects was how many mothers and fathers got in touch and thanked us for exposing their kids to the songs they loved. It became a multigenerational thing.”
Timeless Music Finds a New Audience
Northern Irish group one featured act had Never Too Late on the 2008 game Guitar Hero World Tour. Guitarist Paul Mahon remembers the way the game revived classic rock back into vogue: “The game offered a larger, new demographic. Generally such music was considered music that was past it, but then when it was included in the game young people discovered it, abruptly it became trendy. That legitimised the genre, eliminating the outdated label. It provided our catalog renewed popularity.”
In 2008, the Answer’s first record remained not available in the US, meaning the game served as a primary platform of discovery for the group during their US tour opening for AC/DC. “The roadies had on Never Too Late on the tour bus, and several recognized us from Guitar Hero,” Mahon says.
Major Band Titles and Lasting Impact
Rock’s biggest acts soon capitalised on the game's success, with Aerosmith, Metallica and others starring in dedicated game editions centered around their music collections and related lore, visuals and legendary status. For example, the Aerosmith edition, reportedly earned the band greater revenue compared to their records. It sold more than half a million units upon release, while demand for Aerosmith’s music rose of up to 40% at a time as the industry was already collapsing.
The series continues to inspire nimble-fingered dedication among its fans. Recently, an online personality 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 freeware game with almost identical mechanics but an array of personalization features. The song is difficult even in the hardest setting, let alone played at increased tempo and without missing a single one of the thousands of cues. They stated it took nine months of practice.
“The game is a fun, fantasy thing. If you play other games, that doesn’t mean you should use actual weapons and go to war,” notes DragonForce guitarist the artist.
The band had already wrapped up a profitable run when Through the Fire and Flames was featured in the third game, yet he explains it made them a household name. “I recall our distributors informing us 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. Last year, the song featured in a trailer for Despicable Me 4. “Previously I thought differently, but I’ve made peace with it,” he admits. “If you only hear a single track, it’s totally cool – each person has a unique path in music and I’m glad we’ve been part of people’s lives”.
Enduring Legacy from the Plastic Guitar
Top-tier promotion, whether it’s for automobiles, clothes or video games, extends beyond mere transactions – it evokes a desire. Did Guitar Hero tap into that? “That’s exactly what our team trying to create,” Dornbrook says. “The excitement of being a rock star on the stage. From day one, the creators believed humans have a natural human desire to create songs, and they wanted to use technology to enable everyone to do it”.
Most of Guitar Hero games were released in just a half-decade between 2005 and 2010, featuring derivative titles like the DJ version, complete with a spinning deck, and Band Hero. Subsequently, the publisher’s interest in plastic instruments waned, except for a short-lived revival in 2015.
Titles like Clone Hero and Fortnite Festival have maintained the scene active, and there’s expectations of a new product from the founders in development. Recently formed developers has begun work on its debut rhythm-based title. Original co-founders are participating in advisory roles. Is the world ready to embrace a new entry following the classic?
“Our team believed those games could be similar to sports games where you can releases,” Dornbrook says. “With abundant fresh tracks that it could be perennially popular, so I’ve always been hopeful. It's entirely possible for it to persist with new generations.”
