Marking two decades since the legendary game hit the market across the Atlantic, giving everyday gamers the means to become rock legends. Not literally, but try convincing someone who has mastered Free Bird’s lengthy guitar solo in front of a packed crowd of friends.
Created by Harmonix, Guitar Hero provided users with a guitar-shaped controller to follow on-screen cues scrolling down the display synchronized to a song. Each riff mimicked particular chords, creating the feel of an authentic performance.
The studio previously experimented in the music genre before partnering with the publisher, later purchased by the gaming giant during the mid-2000s. Together, they laid the groundwork for a surprising billion-dollar franchise which made a significant influence on numerous musicians featured, showcasing classic bands to a new generation of gaming enthusiasts.
A former executive, former COO of Harmonix, recalls the initial financial challenges in securing the songs – despite the fact the first two games primarily featured rerecorded tracks.
“We rerecorded all the music since the cost prohibitive,” he says. “Even with the publishing rights alone, it proved extremely difficult. We couldn’t get bands like legendary groups – RedOctane was operating on a shoestring budget, and we were fairly certain it would fail. However, when the game took off, and record sales airtime were going up, all artists desired to be in.”
He continues: “Among the amazing things was how many parents reached out and thanked us for exposing their children to the songs they loved. It became an intergenerational thing.”
Timeless Music Finds a New Audience
Irish group one featured act had their track on the 2008 game the popular installment. Lead musician the artist remembers the way the game brought older hits back into vogue: “Guitar Hero provided a bigger, new demographic. Typically this had been seen as music that was past it, but then when it was featured on the game and teenagers were finding it, abruptly it became trendy. This validated it, eliminating the outdated tag. It gave our catalog a new life.”
In 2008, the Answer’s first record remained unreleased stateside, meaning the game served as a primary platform of discovery for the band as they went on US tour supporting AC/DC. “Their crew had on Never Too Late on the tour bus, and several recognized us thanks to the game,” he notes.
Rock’s Heavyweight Spin-offs and Lasting Influence
Music's heavyweight names quickly capitalised on the game's success, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen featuring in dedicated spin-off titles that focused on their music collections and associated stories, visuals and rock’n’roll mythology. For example, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, reportedly earned the group greater revenue compared to their records. It sold more than 500,000 units in its first week, and demand for Aerosmith’s music saw an increase of up to 40% during an era as the industry faced decline.
The series continues to inspire quick-handed dedication among its fans. Earlier this year, a streamer achieved an impressive attempt of DragonForce’s the challenging track – an infamously tough power-metal song made popular by the game – on Clone Hero, a freeware game with similar mechanics and extensive customisation options. This track is challenging enough on expert mode, let alone performed at increased tempo while hitting a single one of the thousands of cues. They claimed requiring nine months to accomplish.
“The game is a fun, fantasy thing. If you play other games, that doesn’t mean you should use actual weapons and enlist,” says musician Herman Li.
DragonForce had already wrapped up a profitable run before their hit appeared on Guitar Hero III, yet he explains it turned them into widely recognized. “I recall our distributors informing us that we were records were moving rapidly,” he shares. “Popularity surged on the subsequent tour, and we were playing right ahead of top acts at the event.”
In fact, DragonForce’s exposure via the game was so immense that it risked eclipsing all other the band has done. Last year, the song featured in promotional material for Despicable Me 4. “Previously I thought otherwise, but I’ve made peace with it,” he admits. “Should you just listen to a single track, it’s totally cool – each person has their own musical journey and I’m glad we’ve been part in fans' experiences”.
Enduring Impact from the Plastic Guitar
The best marketing, whether it’s for cars, apparel or games, goes further than selling something – it inspires a desire. Was the game able to tap into that? “That’s exactly what our team trying to create,” he confirms. “The excitement of being a music icon in the spotlight. From day one, the co-founders felt that humans have a natural urge to make music, and they wanted to leverage innovation to enable everyone to participate”.
Most installments were released in just a five-year period between 2005 and 2010, including derivative titles like the DJ version, including a spinning deck, and the band-focused game. Subsequently, the publisher’s interest in plastic instruments waned, aside from a brief comeback several years later.
Games like the fan project and newer releases have maintained the community active, with set to be a new product from the founders on the way. Recently formed developers has entered work on their first rhythm-based title. The initial creators are both involved in advisory roles. Are gamers ready to embrace another game following the classic?
“Our team believed such titles might become like Madden allowing annual update every year,” Dornbrook says. “With abundant fresh tracks it could remain evergreen, so I’ve always been optimistic. It's entirely possible why it can’t continue for future fans.”
