It has been 20 years since the legendary game hit the market in North America, giving everyday gamers the tools to become rock legends. Figuratively speaking, though you'd be hard-pressed telling that someone who has mastered Free Bird’s four-minute instrumental break in front of an enthusiastic crowd of friends.
Created by Harmonix, Guitar Hero provided users with a guitar-shaped controller to match coloured notes scrolling down the display in time with the music. Each riff mimicked particular chords, producing the sensation of a genuine performance.
Harmonix had already experimented with rhythm games before partnering with the publisher, later acquired by Activision during the mid-2000s. Collaboratively, they established the groundwork for an unlikely billion-dollar series that had a remarkable impact for many of the artists featured, introducing decades-old groups to millions of younger players.
A former executive, former COO from the developer, remembers the early budgetary hurdles of licensing the recordings – despite the fact the first two games mostly used cover versions.
“We rerecorded every song since the dollar figure was so high,” he says. “Despite having the publishing rights alone, it proved nearly impossible. We couldn’t get bands like the Who – RedOctane was operating on a shoestring budget, and our team was pretty convinced the project would flop. But once the game became a hit, and record sales and radio play were going up, everyone wanted to participate.”
He adds: “Among the amazing things was how many parents reached out expressing gratitude for introducing their kids to the songs they adored. It evolved into an intergenerational thing.”
Timeless Music Gains a New Audience
Northern Irish group the Answer included their track in the 2008 release the popular installment. Guitarist Paul Mahon recalls how the series brought older hits to the forefront: “Guitar Hero offered a bigger, younger audience. Generally such music was considered music that was past it, however once it got included in the game and teenagers were finding it, suddenly it became trendy. This validated the genre, and got rid of the outdated label. It gave our catalog a new life.”
In 2008, the Answer’s first record remained not available stateside, meaning the game was a key medium of discovery for the group as they went on a North American tour supporting AC/DC. “The roadies were playing the song on the tour bus, and some of them knew us thanks to the game,” Mahon says.
Major Band Spin-offs and Lasting Influence
Rock’s heavyweight names quickly capitalised on the game's success, with Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen featuring in dedicated spin-off titles that focused on each band’s catalogue and associated stories, visuals and legendary status. In the case of, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, reportedly to have made the group more money compared to their records. It moved well over 500,000 copies upon release, and demand for Aerosmith’s music saw an increase significantly during an era as the industry was already collapsing.
The series still motivates nimble-fingered fanaticism within the community. Recently, a streamer completed a remarkable feat featuring Through the Fire and Flames – an infamously tough anthem popularized through Guitar Hero – using a fan-made version, a freeware game with similar gameplay but an array of customisation options. This track is difficult even in expert mode, let alone performed at double speed and without missing a single one of the thousands of cues. The streamer stated requiring months of practice of practice.
“The game is a fun, imaginary experience. Just as with other games, that doesn’t mean you ought to use a real gun and go to war,” notes DragonForce guitarist the artist.
The band previously wrapped up a successful tour before their hit appeared on Guitar Hero III, yet he explains it turned them into a household name. “I recall our distributors informing us that we were records were moving like crazy,” he shares. “Popularity surged when we next toured, and we were playing right ahead of top acts on the Mayhem festival.”
In fact, the band's visibility from Guitar Hero was so immense that it has threatened to eclipsing all other the band has done. Last year, the track featured in promotional material for a major film. “Previously I felt differently, but I’ve made peace with it,” Li says. “Should you just hear a single track, that's fine – everyone’s got a unique path in music and I'm pleased we played a role in fans' experiences”.
Enduring Impact from the Plastic Guitar
Top-tier marketing, whether it’s for automobiles, clothes or games, goes further mere transactions – it evokes a longing. Did Guitar Hero tap into that? “Precisely what our team trying to create,” Dornbrook says. “The excitement of being a rock star in the spotlight. From day one, the creators felt that humans have a natural urge to create songs, and they wanted to leverage innovation to allow people to do it”.
The majority of Guitar Hero games were released in just a five-year period from 2005 to 2010, including spin-offs such as DJ Hero, complete with a turntable controller, and the band-focused game. After that, the publisher’s interest on peripherals died down, aside from a short-lived revival several years later.
Titles like Clone Hero and newer releases have kept the scene alive, with expectations of something from the original publisher in development. A new studio has entered production on its debut music game. Original co-founders are participating in advisory roles. Is the world prepared to welcome another game in the spirit of the classic?
“Our team believed those games could be like Madden allowing annual releases,” Dornbrook says. “With abundant new music it could remain perennially popular, so I’ve always been hopeful. There’s no reason why it can’t persist for future fans.”
