Marking 20 years after Guitar Hero hit the market in North America, providing players everywhere the opportunity to feel like a rock star. Figuratively speaking, but try convincing someone who has mastered Free Bird’s four-minute guitar solo before an enthusiastic living-room audience.
Created by the developers, the game gave players a guitar-shaped controller to match coloured notes scrolling down the display synchronized to the music. Every sequence mimicked specific notes, creating the sensation of a genuine performance.
Harmonix previously experimented in the music genre prior to teaming up with the publisher, later purchased by Activision during the mid-2000s. Together, they laid the foundations for a surprising massively profitable franchise that had a significant influence for many musicians featured, introducing classic bands to a new generation of gaming enthusiasts.
A former executive, ex-chief operating officer of Harmonix, recalls the initial financial challenges in securing the songs – despite the fact the first two games mostly used cover versions.
“We rerecorded every song since the cost prohibitive,” he says. “Even with the publishing rights by themselves, it proved nearly impossible. We couldn’t get acts such as the Who – the publisher had virtually no money, and we were pretty convinced it would fail. But once Guitar Hero became a hit, album purchases airtime increased, everyone wanted to participate.”
He adds: “Among the remarkable aspects was the number of mothers and fathers got in touch and thanked us for exposing their kids to the music they loved. It evolved into an intergenerational phenomenon.”
Classic Rock Finds a New Audience
Northern Irish blues-rock band one featured act had Never Too Late in the 2008 release Guitar Hero World Tour. Guitarist Paul Mahon recalls how the series brought older hits to the forefront: “The game provided a bigger, new demographic. Typically such music was considered music that was past it, however when it was included in the game and teenagers were finding it, suddenly it was cool. That legitimised the genre, eliminating the ‘dad rock’ label. It provided all our music renewed popularity.”
At that time, the Answer’s first record was still unreleased in the US, so the game was a key medium of discovery for the band as they went on a North American tour supporting the rock giants. “The roadies were playing Never Too Late during travel, and several recognized us thanks to the game,” Mahon says.
Major Band Spin-offs Enduring Impact
Rock’s biggest acts quickly took advantage of the series’ popularity, with Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen starring in specialized game editions that focused on each band’s catalogue and associated lore, visuals and legendary status. In the case of, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, reportedly earned the band greater revenue than any of their studio albums. It moved more than 500,000 copies upon release, while sales of Aerosmith’s music saw an increase of up to 40% during an era when the music business was already collapsing.
Guitar Hero still motivates quick-handed fanaticism among its fans. Earlier this year, a streamer achieved a remarkable feat featuring the challenging track – an infamously tough power-metal song made popular by Guitar Hero – on Clone Hero, a no-cost alternative with almost identical gameplay but an array of personalization features. The song is challenging enough on expert mode, not to mention performed at double speed while hitting every one of the thousands of cues. They claimed requiring nine months to accomplish.
“The game is a fun, fantasy thing. Just as with Call of Duty, that doesn’t mean you should pick up a real gun and go to war,” says DragonForce guitarist Herman Li.
DragonForce previously wrapped up a successful tour before Through the Fire and Flames appeared on Guitar Hero III, but Li says it turned them into a household name. “I remember our distributors calling to tell me that our records were moving like crazy,” he says. “Popularity surged when we next toured, and we performed just before top acts at the event.”
Indeed, DragonForce’s exposure via the game was so immense that it has risked eclipsing all other accomplishments. Last year, the song was used in promotional material for Despicable Me 4. “In the past I thought differently, but I’ve made peace with it,” Li says. “If you only hear one DragonForce song, it’s totally cool – everyone’s got a unique musical journey and I'm pleased we played a role in fans' experiences”.
The Lasting Legacy of a Plastic Guitar
The best marketing, whether it’s for cars, clothes or video games, extends beyond than selling something – it evokes a longing. Was the game able to tap into that? “That’s exactly what we were aiming to achieve,” he confirms. “That thrill of performing as a music icon on the stage. From day one, the creators believed humans have a natural urge to create songs, and their goal was to use technology to enable everyone to participate”.
The majority installments came out over a mere five-year period from 2005 to 2010, featuring derivative titles such as DJ Hero, complete with a turntable controller, and the band-focused game. After that, corporate focus in plastic instruments waned, aside from a short-lived revival in 2015.
Titles like the fan project and Fortnite Festival have kept the community alive, with set to be a new product from the original publisher in development. A new studio has begun work on their first rhythm-based title. Original co-founders are both involved as special advisers. Are gamers ready to embrace a new entry following the classic?
“We thought such titles might become like Madden where you can update every year,” Dornbrook says. “With abundant new music that it could be perennially popular, so I’ve always been hopeful. There’s no reason for it to persist for future fans.”
