It has been 20 years since the legendary game hit the market across the Atlantic, offering everyday gamers the means to feel like a rock star. Figuratively speaking, but try convincing someone who's mastered Free Bird’s lengthy instrumental break in front of an enthusiastic crowd of friends.
Created by Harmonix, Guitar Hero provided users with a guitar-shaped controller to follow on-screen cues moving along the screen in time with the music. Every sequence corresponded to specific notes, producing the sensation of an authentic live show.
Harmonix had already tried its hand with rhythm games before partnering with the publisher, later purchased by Activision during the mid-2000s. Together, they laid the groundwork for an unlikely billion-dollar series that had a significant impact for many musicians included, introducing decades-old groups to a new generation of younger players.
A former executive, former COO from the developer, remembers the initial financial challenges of licensing the recordings – even though initial releases mostly used cover versions.
“We reproduced every song because the dollar figure prohibitive,” he explains. “Even with the publishing rights by themselves, it proved extremely difficult. We failed to secure bands like legendary groups – RedOctane was operating on a shoestring budget, and our team was pretty convinced it would fail. But once Guitar Hero became a hit, and record sales and radio play increased, all artists desired to be in.”
He adds: “One of the amazing things was the number of mothers and fathers got in touch and thanked us for introducing their kids to the music they loved. It became a multigenerational thing.”
Timeless Music Gains a New Audience
Irish blues-rock band one featured act included Never Too Late on the 2008 game Guitar Hero World Tour. Guitarist the artist remembers the way the game revived classic rock to the forefront: “The game offered a larger, younger audience. Generally this had been seen as outdated material, however when it was featured on the title and teenagers discovered it, suddenly it was cool. This validated it, and got rid of the outdated label. It gave our catalog a new life.”
At that time, the Answer’s debut album was still not available in the US, so Guitar Hero served as a primary platform of discovery for the band during their a North American tour supporting the rock giants. “The roadies had on Never Too Late during travel, and several recognized us thanks to the game,” Mahon says.
Major Band Spin-offs and Lasting Impact
Music's biggest acts quickly took advantage of the series’ popularity, with Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen starring in dedicated game editions centered around each band’s catalogue and related lore, imagery and rock’n’roll mythology. In the case of, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, reportedly to have made the band greater revenue 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 significantly during an era when the music business was already collapsing.
The series still motivates quick-handed dedication within the community. Earlier this year, a streamer achieved an impressive attempt of DragonForce’s the challenging track – a notoriously difficult power-metal song made popular by the game – using a fan-made version, a freeware game with almost identical gameplay but an array of personalization features. The song is challenging even in expert mode, let alone performed at double speed and without missing a single one of the thousands of cues. The streamer claimed it took months of practice of practice.
“Guitar Hero offers a, fantasy thing. Just as with Call of Duty, it doesn't imply you ought to pick up actual weapons and enlist,” says musician the artist.
DragonForce had already completed a profitable run when their hit was featured on Guitar Hero III, yet he explains it turned them into widely recognized. “I remember our distributors calling to tell me that our records were moving rapidly,” he shares. “It exploded when we next toured, and we were playing just before the headliners on the Mayhem festival.”
In fact, DragonForce’s exposure from Guitar Hero proved so vast that it threatened to eclipsing everything else 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 listen to a single track, it’s totally cool – each person has a unique path in music and I’m glad we’ve been part of people’s lives”.
The Lasting Impact from the Iconic Controller
The best promotion, whether it’s for cars, apparel or video games, extends beyond mere transactions – it inspires a longing. Did Guitar Hero tap into that? “Precisely what we were aiming to achieve,” Dornbrook says. “The excitement of performing as a music icon on the stage. Since the beginning, the co-founders believed humans have a natural human desire to create songs, and their goal was to use technology to allow people to do it”.
Most installments were released in just a half-decade from 2005 to 2010, featuring derivative titles like the DJ version, complete with a turntable controller, and Band Hero. Subsequently, the publisher’s interest on peripherals waned, aside from a brief comeback several years later.
Titles like the fan project and newer releases have kept the community active, and there’s set to be something from the original publisher on the way. A new studio has entered work on its debut rhythm-based title. The initial creators are both involved as special advisers. Is the world ready to embrace another game in the spirit of the classic?
“Our team believed such titles could be similar to sports games where you can update every year,” he remarks. “With abundant new music it could remain perennially popular, so I’ve always been optimistic. There’s no reason why it can’t persist for future fans.”
