It has been two decades since the legendary game first launched in North America, offering everyday gamers the tools to feel like a rock star. Not in reality, but try convincing anyone who's nailed Free Bird’s lengthy instrumental break before an enthusiastic crowd of friends.
Created by the developers, Guitar Hero gave players a plastic guitar peripheral to follow on-screen cues moving along the screen synchronized to the music. Each riff corresponded to specific notes, producing the sensation of a genuine live show.
The studio previously experimented in the music genre prior to teaming up with the publisher, later acquired by the gaming giant during the mid-2000s. Collaboratively, they established the foundations for an unlikely massively profitable franchise which made a significant influence on numerous of the artists included, showcasing decades-old groups to a new generation of younger players.
A former executive, former COO of Harmonix, recalls the early budgetary hurdles of licensing the songs – even though the first two games mostly used rerecorded tracks.
“We rerecorded every song since the dollar figure prohibitive,” he explains. “Despite having the necessary permissions by themselves, it proved nearly impossible. We failed to secure acts such as legendary groups – RedOctane was operating on a shoestring budget, and our team was pretty convinced the project would flop. But once the game became a hit, and record sales and radio play increased, all artists desired to be in.”
He continues: “Among the amazing things was how many mothers and fathers reached out and thanked us for exposing their kids to the music they loved. It evolved into a multigenerational phenomenon.”
Classic Rock Finds a New Audience
Irish blues-rock band the Answer had Never Too Late on the 2008 game the popular installment. Lead musician the artist recalls how the series brought older hits to the forefront: “The game provided a larger, younger audience. Generally this had been seen as outdated material, but then when it was featured on the game young people discovered it, abruptly it became trendy. This validated it, eliminating the outdated tag. It provided our catalog renewed popularity.”
At that time, the Answer’s first record remained unreleased in the US, meaning the game was a key medium for exposure for the group as they went on a North American tour opening for the rock giants. “Their crew were playing Never Too Late on the tour bus, and several knew us from Guitar Hero,” he notes.
Rock’s Heavyweight Titles Enduring Influence
Rock’s heavyweight names soon took advantage of the series’ popularity, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and others starring in dedicated spin-off titles that focused on their music collections and related stories, imagery and rock’n’roll mythology. For example, the Aerosmith edition, it was said earned the band more money than any of their studio albums. It sold more than 500,000 copies upon release, while demand for their songs saw an increase of up to 40% during an era when the music business was already collapsing.
The series continues to inspire quick-handed fanaticism within the community. Earlier this year, a streamer achieved an impressive attempt of DragonForce’s Through the Fire and Flames – a notoriously difficult anthem made popular by Guitar Hero – on Clone Hero, a freeware game with almost identical gameplay and extensive customisation options. This track is difficult even in the hardest setting, let alone performed at double speed and without missing a single one of the thousands of cues. They stated it took nine months to accomplish.
“Guitar Hero is a fun, fantasy thing. Just as with other games, that doesn’t mean you should use a real gun and go to war,” notes DragonForce guitarist Herman Li.
DragonForce had already wrapped up a profitable run when their hit was featured in the third game, yet he explains it turned them into widely recognized. “I recall the record label calling to tell me that our selling albums rapidly,” he shares. “Popularity surged on the subsequent tour, and we performed right ahead of the headliners on the Mayhem festival.”
Indeed, the band's visibility from Guitar Hero proved so vast that it has threatened to eclipsing all other the band has done. Last year, the song featured in promotional material for Despicable Me 4. “Previously I felt differently, but I’ve made peace with it,” Li says. “If you only hear one DragonForce song, it’s totally cool – everyone’s got their own path in music and I’m glad we played a role of people’s lives”.
The Lasting Legacy of a Plastic Guitar
The best marketing, be it for automobiles, clothes or games, goes further mere transactions – it evokes a longing. Was the game able to tap into that? “Precisely what our team aiming to achieve,” Dornbrook says. “That thrill of performing as a rock star on the stage. From day one, the creators believed humans have a natural urge to create songs, and they wanted to leverage innovation to enable everyone to do it”.
The majority installments were released in just a five-year period from 2005 to 2010, including derivative titles like DJ Hero, complete with a spinning deck, and the band-focused game. After that, the publisher’s interest in plastic instruments died down, aside from a short-lived revival in 2015.
Games like the fan project and Fortnite Festival have maintained the community active, and there’s expectations of a new product from the original publisher in development. Recently formed developers has entered production on their first rhythm-based title. Original co-founders are both involved as special advisers. Are gamers ready to embrace another game in the spirit of the classic?
“We thought those games might become like Madden where you can update every year,” he remarks. “With abundant fresh tracks that it could be perennially popular, thus I remain optimistic. There’s no reason for it to persist for future fans.”
