It has been two decades since Guitar Hero hit the market in North America, giving players everywhere the tools to become rock legends. Not in reality, though you'd be hard-pressed convincing someone who's nailed Free Bird’s lengthy instrumental break in front of an enthusiastic crowd of friends.
Created by Harmonix, the game provided users with a guitar-shaped controller to match on-screen cues moving along the display synchronized to a song. Every sequence mimicked specific notes, producing the sensation of a genuine performance.
The studio previously tried its hand in the music genre prior to teaming up with RedOctane, later acquired by the gaming giant in 2006. Collaboratively, they established the groundwork for an unlikely billion-dollar series that had a significant influence for many of the artists featured, introducing decades-old groups to a new generation of gaming enthusiasts.
Michael Dornbrook, ex-chief operating officer from the developer, recalls the early budgetary hurdles of licensing the recordings – even though initial releases mostly used cover versions.
“We reproduced every song because the dollar figure was so high,” he explains. “Even with the necessary permissions alone, it proved nearly impossible. We couldn’t get acts such as legendary groups – the publisher had virtually no money, and our team was fairly certain the project would flop. But once the game became a hit, and record sales airtime increased, everyone wanted to be in.”
He adds: “Among the amazing things was how many parents reached out and thanked us for exposing their children to the music they adored. It became a multigenerational phenomenon.”
Timeless Music Finds a New Audience
Irish group the Answer had Never Too Late on the 2008 game Guitar Hero World Tour. Guitarist the artist remembers how the series brought older hits to the forefront: “Guitar Hero offered a bigger, new demographic. Generally this had been considered music that was past it, but then once it got included in the title and teenagers were finding it, suddenly it was cool. This validated the genre, and got rid of the outdated label. It provided our catalog a new life.”
At that time, the Answer’s debut album was still unreleased stateside, so the game served as a primary platform for exposure for the group during their a North American tour supporting the rock giants. “Their crew were playing Never Too Late during travel, and some of them recognized us from Guitar Hero,” he notes.
Major Band Titles and Lasting Impact
Music's biggest acts soon took advantage of the game's success, with Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen starring in dedicated game editions centered around each band’s catalogue and associated lore, visuals and rock’n’roll mythology. In the case of, the Aerosmith edition, reportedly earned the band greater revenue compared to their records. It moved well over half a million copies upon release, and demand for their songs saw an increase significantly during an era as the industry was already collapsing.
The series continues to inspire quick-handed dedication within the community. Earlier this year, an online personality achieved an impressive attempt featuring the challenging track – an infamously tough power-metal song popularized through Guitar Hero – using a fan-made version, a freeware game with almost identical gameplay and extensive personalization features. This track is challenging even in expert mode, not to mention played at double speed while hitting a single one of the thousands of cues. The streamer stated requiring nine months to accomplish.
“Guitar Hero is a fun, imaginary experience. If you play other games, it doesn't imply you ought to pick up actual weapons and go to war,” notes DragonForce guitarist the artist.
DragonForce previously completed 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 we were records were moving rapidly,” he shares. “It exploded when we next toured, and we were playing right ahead of top acts at the event.”
Indeed, DragonForce’s exposure via the game proved so vast that it risked eclipsing all other accomplishments. Recently, the song was used in promotional material for a major film. “Previously I thought otherwise, but I’ve made peace with it,” Li says. “If you only listen to a single track, it’s totally cool – everyone’s got a unique musical journey and I’m glad we played a role in fans' experiences”.
Enduring Legacy from the Iconic Controller
Top-tier marketing, be it for automobiles, apparel or games, goes further than selling something – it evokes a desire. Did Guitar Hero tap into that? “Precisely what we were aiming to achieve,” he confirms. “The excitement of performing as a music icon in the spotlight. From day one, the creators felt that humans have a natural urge to create songs, and their goal was to leverage innovation to enable everyone to do it”.
Most installments were released over a mere half-decade from 2005 to 2010, including derivative titles such as the DJ version, including a spinning deck, and Band Hero. After that, corporate focus in plastic instruments waned, aside from a brief comeback in 2015.
Games such as the fan project and Fortnite Festival have kept the community alive, with set to be a new product from the original publisher in development. A new studio has begun production on their first rhythm-based title. Original co-founders are both involved as special advisers. Is the world prepared to welcome a new entry following Guitar Hero?
“We thought such titles might become similar to sports games where you can releases,” he remarks. “With abundant new music that it could be evergreen, so I’ve always been hopeful. It's entirely possible for it to continue for future fans.”
