Marking two decades since Guitar Hero first launched across the Atlantic, offering players everywhere the means to become rock legends. Not literally, but try convincing anyone who's mastered Free Bird’s four-minute guitar solo in front of a packed crowd of friends.
Created by Harmonix, Guitar Hero gave players a guitar-shaped controller to follow on-screen cues scrolling down the display synchronized to the music. Each riff corresponded to specific notes, creating the feel of a genuine performance.
Harmonix had already experimented in the music genre before partnering with RedOctane, later purchased by Activision in 2006. Collaboratively, they laid the foundations for an unlikely billion-dollar franchise which made a remarkable impact on numerous musicians included, introducing decades-old bands to a new generation of gaming enthusiasts.
A former executive, ex-chief operating officer from the developer, remembers the initial financial challenges in securing the recordings – despite the fact initial releases primarily featured cover versions.
“We reproduced every song because the dollar figure prohibitive,” he says. “Despite having the publishing rights alone, it proved nearly impossible. We couldn’t get acts such as legendary groups – RedOctane was operating on a shoestring budget, and we were fairly certain it would fail. But once Guitar Hero became a hit, album purchases airtime were going up, all artists desired to be in.”
He adds: “Among the remarkable aspects was how many parents got in touch expressing gratitude for introducing their kids to the songs they adored. It evolved into an intergenerational thing.”
Classic Rock Finds a New Audience
Irish group one featured act had their track on the 2008 game Guitar Hero World Tour. Lead musician Paul Mahon recalls the way the game brought older hits to the forefront: “Guitar Hero provided a larger, younger audience. Generally such music was considered outdated material, but then when it was featured on the title and teenagers discovered it, suddenly it became trendy. This validated it, and got rid of the outdated label. It gave our catalog a new life.”
At that time, the band's first record remained unreleased stateside, so the game served as a primary platform for exposure for the band 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 from Guitar Hero,” he notes.
Rock’s Heavyweight Spin-offs Enduring Influence
Rock’s heavyweight names quickly took advantage of the series’ popularity, with Aerosmith, Metallica and others starring in specialized spin-off titles that focused on each band’s catalogue and associated stories, imagery and legendary status. For example, the Aerosmith edition, reportedly earned the band more money than any of their studio albums. It moved well over 500,000 copies in its first week, while sales of Aerosmith’s music saw an increase of up to 40% at a time when the music business faced decline.
Guitar Hero continues to inspire quick-handed fanaticism within the community. Recently, an online personality completed a remarkable feat of DragonForce’s the challenging track – an infamously tough power-metal song popularized through the game – using a fan-made version, a no-cost alternative with similar mechanics and extensive customisation options. This track is challenging enough on the hardest setting, let alone performed at double speed and without missing every one of its near 4,000 notes. The streamer claimed requiring nine months of practice.
“The game offers a, fantasy thing. If you play other games, that doesn’t mean you ought to use a real gun and enlist,” notes DragonForce guitarist the artist.
DragonForce had already wrapped up a successful tour before Through the Fire and Flames was featured in the third game, but Li says it made them 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, DragonForce’s exposure via the game was so immense that it risked overshadow all other the band has done. Last year, the track featured in a trailer for a major film. “Previously I thought differently, but now I accept it,” Li says. “If you only hear a single track, that's fine – each person has their own musical journey and I’m glad we’ve been part of people’s lives”.
Enduring Impact from the Iconic Controller
Top-tier marketing, be it for cars, clothes or video games, extends beyond than selling something – it evokes a longing. Did Guitar Hero harness this? “Precisely what our team trying to create,” Dornbrook says. “That thrill of being a rock star on the stage. Since the beginning, the co-founders felt that humans have a natural urge to make music, and they wanted to use technology to enable everyone to participate”.
Most installments were released in just a five-year period between 2005 and 2010, featuring derivative titles such as the DJ version, including a spinning deck, and Band Hero. After that, corporate focus on peripherals died down, aside from a brief comeback several years later.
Games like Clone Hero and newer releases have kept the community alive, and there’s expectations of a new product from the original publisher on the way. A new studio has entered production on their first music game. Original co-founders are participating as special advisers. Is the world ready to embrace a new entry in the spirit of Guitar Hero?
“We thought such titles could be like Madden allowing annual releases,” he remarks. “There’s so much new music it could remain perennially popular, so I’ve always been optimistic. It's entirely possible why it can’t persist with new generations.”
