It has been 20 years since the legendary game first launched across the Atlantic, offering everyday gamers the tools to become rock legends. Not literally, though you'd be hard-pressed telling that anyone who has mastered Free Bird’s lengthy guitar solo before a packed crowd of friends.
Created by the developers, Guitar Hero provided users with a guitar-shaped controller to match on-screen cues moving along the display synchronized to the music. Each riff mimicked specific notes, producing the sensation of an authentic performance.
The studio previously tried its hand in the music genre before partnering with the publisher, which was acquired by Activision during the mid-2000s. Together, they established the groundwork for a surprising massively profitable franchise which made a significant impact on numerous of the artists included, introducing classic groups to a new generation of gaming enthusiasts.
A former executive, former COO of Harmonix, remembers the early budgetary hurdles of licensing the recordings – even though initial releases primarily featured rerecorded tracks.
“We reproduced all the music because the dollar figure was so high,” he says. “Even with the publishing rights alone, it was nearly impossible. We failed to secure acts such as legendary groups – the publisher had virtually no money, and we were pretty convinced it would fail. But once the game became a hit, album purchases and radio play increased, all artists desired to participate.”
He adds: “Among the amazing things was the number of parents reached out expressing gratitude for exposing their children to the songs they loved. It evolved into an intergenerational phenomenon.”
Classic Rock Gains Younger Fans
Northern Irish blues-rock band the Answer had their track on the 2008 game Guitar Hero World Tour. Guitarist Paul Mahon remembers the way the game brought classic rock to the forefront: “The game offered a larger, new demographic. Generally such music was considered outdated material, but then when it was featured on the title and teenagers were finding it, abruptly it became trendy. This validated it, eliminating the ‘dad rock’ tag. It gave our catalog a new life.”
In 2008, the Answer’s first record was still unreleased stateside, so Guitar Hero served as a primary platform for exposure for the group during their a North American tour opening for AC/DC. “Their crew had on Never Too Late during travel, and some of them recognized us from Guitar Hero,” he notes.
Major Band Titles Enduring Influence
Music's biggest acts quickly took advantage of the series’ popularity, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and others starring in specialized game editions that focused on each band’s catalogue and associated stories, imagery and rock’n’roll mythology. In the case of, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, it was said earned the group greater revenue than any of their records. It sold well over half a million units in its first week, and sales of Aerosmith’s music saw an increase of up to 40% during an era as the industry was already collapsing.
The series continues to inspire quick-handed dedication among its fans. Recently, a streamer achieved an impressive attempt featuring the challenging track – a notoriously difficult anthem popularized through Guitar Hero – on Clone Hero, a freeware game with almost identical gameplay and extensive customisation options. The song is difficult enough on the hardest setting, not to mention played at double speed while hitting a single one of the thousands of cues. The streamer claimed it took nine months to accomplish.
“Guitar Hero offers a, fantasy thing. Just as with other games, it doesn't imply you should use actual weapons and enlist,” says musician Herman Li.
DragonForce previously completed a profitable run when their hit was featured on Guitar Hero III, but Li says it made them a household name. “I recall our distributors calling to tell me that our records were moving rapidly,” he shares. “It exploded on the subsequent tour, and we were playing just before the headliners at the event.”
In fact, DragonForce’s exposure from Guitar Hero was so immense that it threatened to overshadow all other the band has done. Recently, the song featured in a trailer for Despicable Me 4. “In the past I thought otherwise, but now I accept it,” he admits. “If you only hear one DragonForce song, it’s totally cool – each person has their own path in music and I’m glad we played a role of people’s lives”.
Enduring Impact from the Plastic Guitar
Top-tier marketing, be it for cars, apparel or games, extends beyond than selling something – it evokes a longing. Was the game able to harness this? “Precisely what our team trying to create,” Dornbrook says. “That thrill of performing as a rock star on the stage. From day one, the creators felt that humans have a natural urge to make music, and they wanted to leverage innovation to allow people to do it”.
The majority of Guitar Hero games were released over a mere half-decade from 2005 to 2010, including spin-offs like DJ Hero, including a spinning deck, and Band Hero. Subsequently, the publisher’s interest in plastic instruments waned, aside from a short-lived revival several years later.
Games like the fan project and Fortnite Festival have maintained the community active, and there’s set to be something from the founders on the way. A new studio has entered production on their first music game. The initial creators are participating as special advisers. Is the world ready to embrace a new entry following Guitar Hero?
“Our team believed such titles could be similar to sports games where you can releases,” Dornbrook says. “There’s so much fresh tracks it could remain perennially popular, so I’ve always been hopeful. There’s no reason why it can’t persist with new generations.”
