It has been 20 years since the legendary game debuted across the Atlantic, offering everyday gamers the opportunity to become rock legends. Not in reality, though you'd be hard-pressed telling that anyone who has nailed Free Bird’s four-minute instrumental break in front of an enthusiastic crowd of friends.
Developed by the developers, the game gave players a guitar-shaped controller to follow on-screen cues moving along the screen in time with the music. Each riff mimicked particular chords, producing the feel of an authentic live show.
Harmonix had already tried its hand in the music genre prior to teaming up with the publisher, later purchased by Activision during the mid-2000s. Collaboratively, they laid the foundations for a surprising massively profitable series that had a remarkable influence for many musicians included, showcasing classic groups to millions of gaming enthusiasts.
A former executive, former COO from the developer, remembers the initial budgetary hurdles of licensing the recordings – even though initial releases mostly used cover versions.
“We reproduced every song because the cost prohibitive,” he explains. “Even with the necessary permissions alone, it was nearly impossible. We couldn’t get bands like legendary groups – RedOctane had virtually no money, and we were fairly certain it would fail. But once Guitar Hero became a hit, album purchases and radio play were going up, all artists desired to participate.”
He adds: “One of the remarkable aspects was the number of parents got in touch expressing gratitude for introducing their kids to the music they loved. It became a multigenerational phenomenon.”
Classic Rock Finds Younger Fans
Irish group the Answer included their track in the 2008 release the popular installment. Guitarist the artist recalls how the series brought older hits to the forefront: “Guitar Hero offered a bigger, younger audience. Generally this had been considered outdated material, however when it was featured on the title young people discovered it, abruptly it was cool. That legitimised it, eliminating the outdated label. It gave our catalog renewed popularity.”
In 2008, the Answer’s debut album was still not available in the US, so Guitar Hero was a key medium for exposure for the group as they went on US tour supporting the rock giants. “Their crew had on Never Too Late during travel, and several recognized us thanks to the game,” he notes.
Rock’s Heavyweight Titles Enduring Impact
Rock’s biggest acts quickly took advantage of the game's success, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen featuring in dedicated spin-off titles that focused on each band’s catalogue and associated stories, visuals and rock’n’roll mythology. In the case of, the Aerosmith edition, reportedly to have made the group more money compared to their records. It moved more than half a million units upon release, and sales of their songs rose significantly at a time as the industry faced decline.
The series still motivates nimble-fingered fanaticism among its fans. Recently, an online personality completed an impressive attempt of DragonForce’s Through the Fire and Flames – a notoriously difficult anthem popularized through Guitar Hero – using a fan-made version, a no-cost alternative with almost identical mechanics but an array of personalization features. This track is challenging enough on expert mode, let alone played at double speed and without missing a single one of the thousands of cues. The streamer stated it took months of practice to accomplish.
“The game is a fun, fantasy thing. If you play Call of Duty, it doesn't imply you should use a real gun and go to war,” notes DragonForce guitarist the artist.
The band previously completed a profitable run when their hit was featured on Guitar Hero III, yet he explains it made them widely recognized. “I remember the record label calling to tell me that our selling albums like crazy,” he shares. “It exploded on the subsequent tour, and we performed just before the headliners at the event.”
In fact, the band's visibility from Guitar Hero was so immense that it risked overshadow all other the band has done. Recently, the track featured in a trailer for Despicable Me 4. “In the past I thought otherwise, but I’ve made peace with it,” Li says. “If you only hear one DragonForce song, it’s totally cool – each person has their own musical journey and I’m glad we played a role of people’s lives”.
Enduring Legacy of a Iconic Controller
The best promotion, be it for automobiles, clothes or video games, extends beyond than selling something – it inspires a longing. Was the game able to tap into that? “That’s exactly what we were trying to create,” Dornbrook says. “That thrill of performing as a rock star in the spotlight. From day one, the co-founders believed humans have a natural urge to make music, and they wanted to use technology to allow people to do it”.
Most of Guitar Hero games were released in just a half-decade from 2005 to 2010, including spin-offs like the DJ version, including a turntable controller, and the band-focused game. Subsequently, corporate focus on peripherals waned, except for a brief comeback in 2015.
Titles like Clone Hero and newer releases have maintained the scene alive, and there’s set to be a new product from the founders in development. A new studio has begun work on its debut rhythm-based title. Original co-founders are participating as special advisers. Is the world ready to embrace a new entry in the spirit of Guitar Hero?
“We thought those games could be similar to sports games where you can update every year,” Dornbrook says. “There’s so much new music it could remain evergreen, thus I remain optimistic. There’s no reason for it to continue with new generations.”
