It has been 20 years since Guitar Hero first launched in North America, offering everyday gamers the tools to feel like a rock star. Figuratively speaking, though you'd be hard-pressed telling that someone who has nailed Free Bird’s lengthy guitar solo before a packed crowd of friends.
Developed by Harmonix, the game provided users with a plastic guitar peripheral to match on-screen cues scrolling down the screen synchronized to a song. Every sequence corresponded to particular chords, creating the feel of a genuine performance.
The studio previously experimented in the music genre prior to teaming up with the publisher, later acquired by the gaming giant during the mid-2000s. Collaboratively, they established the groundwork for a surprising billion-dollar franchise that had a remarkable impact for many of the artists included, introducing decades-old groups to a new generation of gaming enthusiasts.
Michael Dornbrook, former COO from the developer, remembers the early budgetary hurdles in securing the songs – despite the fact initial releases primarily featured rerecorded tracks.
“We rerecorded every song since the cost prohibitive,” he explains. “Even with the publishing rights alone, it was nearly impossible. We couldn’t get acts such as legendary groups – RedOctane was operating on a shoestring budget, and we were pretty convinced it would fail. But once Guitar Hero became a hit, and record sales and radio play were going up, all artists desired to participate.”
He adds: “Among the remarkable aspects was how many parents got in touch expressing gratitude for exposing their children to the songs they adored. It became a multigenerational thing.”
Timeless Music Finds a New Audience
Northern Irish blues-rock band the Answer included their track on the 2008 game the popular installment. Lead musician the artist remembers the way the game revived older hits to the forefront: “The game offered a bigger, new demographic. Typically this had been considered music that was past it, however when it was featured on the title young people discovered it, suddenly it became trendy. This validated it, and got rid of the outdated tag. It provided our catalog a new life.”
At that time, the band's debut album remained unreleased stateside, so the game was a key medium of discovery for the group as they went on a North American tour opening for AC/DC. “Their crew were playing the song during travel, and some of them recognized us from Guitar Hero,” he notes.
Major Band Titles and Lasting Impact
Rock’s heavyweight names quickly capitalised on the series’ popularity, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and others starring in specialized game editions centered around their music collections and associated stories, visuals and legendary status. In the case of, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, reportedly to have made the group greater revenue than any of their records. It moved more than half a million units upon release, and sales of Aerosmith’s music rose of up to 40% during an era when the music business faced decline.
Guitar Hero continues to inspire nimble-fingered fanaticism among its fans. Earlier this year, an online personality completed a remarkable feat of DragonForce’s the challenging track – a notoriously difficult power-metal song popularized through Guitar Hero – using a fan-made version, a no-cost alternative with almost identical mechanics and extensive customisation options. The song is difficult even in expert mode, let alone performed at increased tempo and without missing every one of its near 4,000 notes. The streamer stated requiring months of practice of practice.
“The game offers a, fantasy thing. Just as with other games, that doesn’t mean you ought to use actual weapons and go to war,” says musician Herman Li.
The band had already completed a successful tour when their hit appeared in the third game, yet he explains it made them a household name. “I remember the record label informing us that we were selling albums rapidly,” he shares. “It exploded on the subsequent tour, 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 overshadow everything else the band has done. Last year, the song was used in promotional material for a major film. “Previously I thought differently, but I’ve made peace with it,” he admits. “If you only hear one DragonForce song, it’s totally cool – everyone’s got their own 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 inspires a longing. Did Guitar Hero harness this? “Precisely what we were aiming to achieve,” he confirms. “That thrill of being a rock star on the stage. From day one, the co-founders felt that humans have a natural urge to create songs, and they wanted to use technology to allow people to participate”.
The majority installments came out in just a five-year period between 2005 and 2010, featuring derivative titles such as the DJ version, complete with a turntable controller, and Band Hero. Subsequently, corporate focus in plastic instruments died down, aside from a brief comeback several years later.
Games such as Clone Hero and newer releases have kept the community active, and there’s set to be a new product from the founders in development. Recently formed developers has begun work on its debut music game. Original co-founders are participating as special advisers. Are gamers prepared to welcome a new entry in the spirit of the classic?
“We thought such titles could be like Madden where you can update every year,” Dornbrook says. “There’s so much fresh tracks it could remain evergreen, thus I remain hopeful. There’s no reason why it can’t persist for future fans.”
