Marking 20 years since Guitar Hero hit the market across the Atlantic, providing players everywhere the means to feel like a rock star. Not literally, but try telling that anyone who has mastered Free Bird’s four-minute instrumental break before a packed living-room audience.
Created by the developers, Guitar Hero gave players a plastic guitar peripheral to follow on-screen cues moving along the display synchronized to a song. Each riff corresponded to specific notes, creating the feel of an authentic live show.
Harmonix had already tried its hand in the music genre prior to teaming up with RedOctane, later acquired by Activision in 2006. Collaboratively, they established the foundations for a surprising billion-dollar franchise that had a remarkable impact on numerous of the artists included, showcasing decades-old groups to a new generation of younger players.
A former executive, former COO from the developer, recalls the initial financial challenges of licensing the songs – despite the fact the first two games primarily featured cover versions.
“We reproduced every song because the dollar figure was so high,” he says. “Despite having the publishing rights alone, it proved nearly impossible. We couldn’t get bands like 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, album purchases airtime increased, everyone wanted to participate.”
He adds: “One of the remarkable aspects was how many mothers and fathers reached out expressing gratitude for exposing their children to the music they adored. It evolved into an intergenerational phenomenon.”
Timeless Music Gains Younger Fans
Irish group the Answer included Never Too Late on the 2008 game the popular installment. Lead musician Paul Mahon recalls the way the game brought classic rock back into vogue: “Guitar Hero offered a bigger, younger audience. Generally such music was seen as music that was past it, however when it was included in the title young people discovered it, suddenly it was cool. That legitimised it, and got rid of the outdated label. It gave our catalog renewed popularity.”
In 2008, the band's first record was still not available in the US, so Guitar Hero was a key medium for exposure for the group during their a North American tour opening for the rock giants. “The roadies were playing the song on the tour bus, and some of them knew us thanks to the game,” Mahon says.
Rock’s Heavyweight Spin-offs Enduring Influence
Music's heavyweight names quickly capitalised on the game's success, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and others starring in specialized game editions centered around their music collections and associated stories, visuals and legendary status. For example, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, it was said to have made the band greater revenue than any of their studio albums. It moved more than half a million copies in its first week, and demand for their songs saw an increase of up to 40% at a time as the industry faced decline.
Guitar Hero continues to inspire quick-handed dedication among its fans. Earlier this year, an online personality completed a remarkable feat featuring Through the Fire and Flames – a notoriously difficult anthem popularized through the game – using a fan-made version, a freeware game with similar gameplay and extensive personalization features. The song is challenging even in the hardest setting, not to mention performed at increased tempo and without missing every one of its near 4,000 notes. The streamer stated it took months of practice of practice.
“Guitar Hero is a fun, imaginary experience. If you play Call of Duty, it doesn't imply you should pick up actual weapons and go to war,” notes DragonForce guitarist the artist.
The band previously completed a profitable run before their hit appeared on Guitar Hero III, but Li says it turned them into widely recognized. “I remember our distributors informing us that we were selling albums rapidly,” he shares. “It exploded on the subsequent tour, and we performed right ahead of top acts on the Mayhem festival.”
Indeed, the band's visibility from Guitar Hero was so immense that it has risked eclipsing everything else accomplishments. Recently, the song featured in a trailer for Despicable Me 4. “Previously I thought differently, but now I accept it,” Li says. “If you only hear a single track, that's fine – each person has a unique path in music and I’m glad we played a role of people’s lives”.
The Lasting Legacy of a Iconic Controller
Top-tier promotion, be it for automobiles, apparel or games, extends beyond mere transactions – it evokes a longing. Did Guitar Hero tap into that? “Precisely what we were aiming to achieve,” Dornbrook says. “The excitement of performing as a rock star on the stage. From day one, the co-founders felt that there’s an instinctive urge to make music, and they wanted to use technology to allow people to participate”.
Most installments came out over a mere five-year period from 2005 to 2010, including derivative titles like the DJ version, including a spinning deck, and the band-focused game. Subsequently, 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 founders in development. A new studio has begun work on its debut rhythm-based title. Original co-founders are both involved in advisory roles. Is the world ready to embrace a new entry in the spirit of Guitar Hero?
“We thought such titles could be similar to sports games allowing annual update every year,” he remarks. “There’s so much fresh tracks it could remain evergreen, so I’ve always been hopeful. It's entirely possible why it can’t continue for future fans.”
