It has been two decades since the legendary game hit the market in North America, offering everyday gamers the opportunity to feel like a rock star. Not in reality, though you'd be hard-pressed convincing someone who has nailed Free Bird’s lengthy guitar solo in front of an enthusiastic living-room audience.
Developed by Harmonix, the game provided users with a guitar-shaped controller to match on-screen cues scrolling down the screen synchronized to the music. Every sequence corresponded to specific notes, creating the sensation of a genuine performance.
The studio had already experimented in the music genre before partnering with RedOctane, which was purchased by Activision during the mid-2000s. Collaboratively, they established the groundwork for a surprising massively profitable franchise which made a significant influence for many of the artists included, introducing classic bands to millions of gaming enthusiasts.
A former executive, former COO from the developer, recalls the initial budgetary hurdles of licensing the recordings – despite the fact the first two games mostly used cover versions.
“We reproduced every song because the dollar figure prohibitive,” he says. “Despite having the publishing rights alone, it was nearly impossible. We failed to secure bands like the Who – the publisher was operating on a shoestring budget, and our team was pretty convinced it would fail. However, when Guitar Hero became a hit, album purchases airtime were going up, all artists desired to be in.”
He continues: “One of the amazing things was the number of parents got in touch expressing gratitude for exposing their kids to the songs they loved. It evolved into an intergenerational phenomenon.”
Classic Rock Finds a New Audience
Northern Irish group one featured act included Never Too Late in the 2008 release Guitar Hero World Tour. Lead musician the artist remembers the way the game revived classic rock to the forefront: “Guitar Hero provided a larger, younger audience. Generally this had been considered outdated material, but then when it was featured on the title young people discovered it, abruptly it became trendy. This validated it, eliminating the outdated tag. It gave our catalog renewed popularity.”
In 2008, the band's first record was still unreleased in the US, meaning the game was a key medium for exposure for the band as they went on US tour supporting AC/DC. “The roadies had on the song during travel, and some of them recognized us thanks to the game,” he notes.
Major Band Spin-offs and Lasting Influence
Music's heavyweight names quickly capitalised on the series’ popularity, with Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen featuring in dedicated game editions centered around their music collections and associated stories, visuals and rock’n’roll mythology. In the case of, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, reportedly to have made the band greater revenue compared to their studio albums. It sold more than 500,000 copies upon release, while demand for Aerosmith’s music rose of up to 40% during an era as the industry faced decline.
The series continues to inspire nimble-fingered dedication among its fans. Recently, a streamer 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 but an array of customisation options. The song is difficult enough on the hardest setting, not to mention played at double speed and without missing every one of the thousands of cues. The streamer stated requiring months of practice of practice.
“The game offers a, fantasy thing. If you play other games, that doesn’t mean you should pick up a real gun and enlist,” notes DragonForce guitarist Herman Li.
DragonForce had already completed a successful tour before their hit appeared in the third game, but Li says it made them widely recognized. “I recall the record label informing us that we were records were moving rapidly,” he says. “Popularity surged when we next toured, and we performed right ahead of top acts on the Mayhem festival.”
Indeed, DragonForce’s exposure via the game proved so vast that it threatened to overshadow everything else accomplishments. Recently, the song was used in a trailer for Despicable Me 4. “Previously I thought otherwise, but I’ve made peace with it,” he admits. “If you only hear a single track, it’s totally cool – each person has a unique musical journey and I'm pleased we’ve been part of people’s lives”.
The Lasting Legacy of a Plastic Guitar
The best promotion, whether it’s for cars, clothes or video games, extends beyond mere transactions – it inspires a longing. Did Guitar Hero tap into that? “That’s exactly what we were aiming to achieve,” Dornbrook says. “That thrill of being a rock star on the stage. Since the beginning, the co-founders believed humans have a natural human desire to make music, and their goal was to leverage innovation to allow people to participate”.
Most installments came out in just a five-year period from 2005 to 2010, including derivative titles like DJ Hero, complete with a turntable controller, and Band Hero. After that, the publisher’s interest in plastic instruments died down, aside from a short-lived revival in 2015.
Titles like Clone Hero and newer releases have kept the scene alive, and there’s expectations of something from the founders on the way. A new studio has begun work on its debut rhythm-based title. The initial creators are both involved as special advisers. Are gamers prepared to welcome another game in the spirit of the classic?
“Our team believed those games could be similar to sports games where you can update every year,” he remarks. “With abundant fresh tracks that it could be evergreen, so I’ve always been hopeful. It's entirely possible why it can’t persist for future fans.”
