It has been 20 years since the legendary game hit the market across the Atlantic, offering everyday gamers the tools to feel like rock legends. Figuratively speaking, but try telling that anyone who has nailed Free Bird’s four-minute instrumental break before a packed crowd of friends.
Created by Harmonix, the game provided users with a guitar-shaped controller to follow coloured notes moving along the screen in time with a song. Each riff mimicked particular chords, producing the feel of a genuine performance.
Harmonix had already experimented with rhythm games before partnering with RedOctane, later purchased by Activision in 2006. Collaboratively, they established the foundations for an unlikely billion-dollar series which made a remarkable impact for many musicians included, introducing classic groups to a new generation of younger players.
A former executive, former COO from the developer, recalls the initial budgetary hurdles in securing the recordings – even though initial releases mostly used rerecorded tracks.
“We rerecorded every song since the dollar figure was so high,” he explains. “Despite having the publishing rights by themselves, it was nearly impossible. We couldn’t get bands like legendary groups – RedOctane had virtually no money, and our team was pretty convinced it would fail. However, when the game took off, and record sales and radio play were going up, everyone wanted to participate.”
He continues: “One of the amazing things was the number of mothers and fathers reached out and thanked us for introducing their kids to the songs they adored. It became an intergenerational thing.”
Timeless Music Finds a New Audience
Irish blues-rock band the Answer included Never Too Late in the 2008 release Guitar Hero World Tour. Lead musician the artist remembers the way the game revived older hits back into vogue: “The game offered a larger, younger audience. Typically such music was considered outdated material, but then when it was featured on the game and teenagers discovered it, suddenly it was cool. This validated it, and got rid of the outdated tag. It gave our catalog a new life.”
In 2008, the Answer’s first record remained not available in the US, meaning Guitar Hero was a key medium for exposure for the group as they went on US tour supporting the rock giants. “Their crew had on the song on the tour bus, and some of them knew us thanks to the game,” he notes.
Major Band Spin-offs and Lasting Impact
Rock’s biggest acts quickly capitalised on the series’ popularity, with Aerosmith, Metallica and others starring in dedicated game editions centered around each band’s catalogue and related lore, imagery and rock’n’roll mythology. For example, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, reportedly earned the group more money compared to their records. It sold more than half a million units in its first week, and sales of Aerosmith’s music saw an increase of up to 40% at a time when the music business faced decline.
Guitar Hero still motivates quick-handed fanaticism within the community. Earlier this year, an online personality completed an impressive attempt of DragonForce’s the challenging track – a notoriously difficult anthem made popular by Guitar Hero – on Clone Hero, a freeware game with almost identical gameplay and extensive personalization features. This track is difficult enough on the hardest setting, let alone performed at double speed while hitting every one of the thousands of cues. They claimed it took nine months to accomplish.
“The game is a fun, imaginary experience. Just as with other games, it doesn't imply you should pick up actual weapons and go to war,” says musician the artist.
DragonForce previously completed a profitable run when Through the Fire and Flames appeared in the third game, yet he explains it turned them into a household name. “I remember the record label calling to tell me that our selling albums rapidly,” he shares. “Popularity surged when we next toured, and we were playing just before top acts at the event.”
Indeed, DragonForce’s exposure from Guitar Hero proved so vast that it threatened to overshadow everything else the band has done. Last year, the track featured in promotional material for a major film. “Previously I thought otherwise, but I’ve made peace with it,” he admits. “If you only hear a single track, that's fine – everyone’s got their own path in music and I'm pleased we played a role in fans' experiences”.
Enduring Impact of a Plastic Guitar
Top-tier promotion, whether it’s for cars, clothes or video games, goes further mere transactions – it evokes a longing. Did Guitar Hero tap into that? “That’s exactly what our team aiming to achieve,” Dornbrook says. “The excitement of performing as a rock star on the stage. Since the beginning, the creators believed there’s an instinctive human desire to create songs, and their goal was to leverage innovation to allow people to participate”.
The majority installments came out in just a half-decade between 2005 and 2010, featuring spin-offs such as the DJ version, complete with a turntable controller, and Band Hero. After that, the publisher’s interest in plastic instruments waned, except for a brief comeback several years later.
Games like the fan project and Fortnite Festival have maintained the scene alive, with set to be something from the founders on the way. Recently formed developers has begun work on its debut rhythm-based title. Original co-founders are both involved in advisory roles. Are gamers prepared to welcome a new entry in the spirit of Guitar Hero?
“Our team believed such titles could be like Madden where you can releases,” Dornbrook says. “With abundant fresh tracks it could remain evergreen, thus I remain hopeful. It's entirely possible why it can’t continue with new generations.”
