Marking 20 years since the legendary game hit the market in North America, giving players everywhere the means to feel like a rock star. Not in reality, though you'd be hard-pressed telling that someone who has nailed Free Bird’s lengthy guitar solo in front of an enthusiastic crowd of friends.
Created by the developers, Guitar Hero provided users with a plastic guitar peripheral to follow coloured notes moving along the screen in time with the music. Every sequence corresponded to particular chords, producing the sensation of an authentic live show.
The studio had already experimented with rhythm games prior to teaming up with the publisher, which was acquired by the gaming giant during the mid-2000s. Together, they established the groundwork for a surprising massively profitable series that had a remarkable influence on numerous musicians included, showcasing classic bands to millions of gaming enthusiasts.
Michael Dornbrook, former COO of Harmonix, remembers the initial financial challenges of licensing the songs – even though initial releases mostly used rerecorded tracks.
“We reproduced every song since the cost was so high,” he explains. “Even with the necessary permissions alone, it proved nearly impossible. We couldn’t get acts such as legendary groups – the publisher had virtually no money, and we were pretty convinced it would fail. However, when the game became a hit, album purchases and radio play increased, all artists desired to be in.”
He continues: “Among the remarkable aspects was how many mothers and fathers reached out expressing gratitude for introducing their children to the music they adored. It became a multigenerational phenomenon.”
Timeless Music Gains a New Audience
Irish blues-rock band the Answer had Never Too Late in the 2008 release Guitar Hero World Tour. Lead musician Paul Mahon remembers the way the game revived older hits back into vogue: “The game offered a larger, new demographic. Generally such music was seen as music that was past it, however when it was featured on the title young people were finding it, abruptly it became trendy. That legitimised the genre, eliminating the outdated label. It gave our catalog a new life.”
In 2008, the band's debut album remained unreleased stateside, meaning the game served as a primary platform for exposure for the band during their US tour supporting the rock giants. “Their crew had on Never Too Late on the tour bus, and some of them knew us from Guitar Hero,” Mahon says.
Rock’s Heavyweight Titles and Lasting Impact
Rock’s heavyweight names soon took advantage of the game's success, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and others starring in dedicated spin-off titles that focused on each band’s catalogue and associated stories, visuals and legendary status. In the case of, the Aerosmith edition, it was said earned the band greater revenue than any of their records. It sold more than 500,000 copies in its first week, and demand for Aerosmith’s music rose significantly at a time when the music business was already collapsing.
Guitar Hero still motivates nimble-fingered fanaticism within the community. Recently, a streamer completed an impressive attempt featuring the challenging track – an infamously tough anthem made popular by the game – on Clone Hero, a no-cost alternative with similar gameplay but an array of personalization features. This track is difficult even in expert mode, let alone performed at increased tempo and without missing every one of the thousands of cues. They stated requiring nine months of practice.
“The game offers a, fantasy thing. If you play other games, it doesn't imply you should use a real gun and enlist,” says DragonForce guitarist the artist.
The band had already completed a profitable run when their hit appeared on Guitar Hero III, but Li says it made them a household name. “I recall our distributors informing us that our selling albums like crazy,” he shares. “Popularity surged when we next toured, and we were playing right ahead of the headliners on the Mayhem festival.”
In fact, the band's visibility from Guitar Hero proved so vast that it threatened to eclipsing all other accomplishments. Last year, the track was used in a trailer for Despicable Me 4. “In the past I felt otherwise, but I’ve made peace with it,” he admits. “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 in fans' experiences”.
Enduring Impact of a Iconic Controller
Top-tier promotion, be it for cars, apparel or games, goes further mere transactions – it inspires a longing. Was the game able to tap into that? “Precisely what our team aiming to achieve,” he confirms. “That thrill of performing as a rock star on the stage. From day one, the creators believed there’s an instinctive human desire to make music, and their goal was to use technology to enable everyone to do it”.
Most of Guitar Hero games came out in just a five-year period between 2005 and 2010, including derivative titles such as the DJ version, complete with a turntable controller, and Band Hero. After that, corporate focus in plastic instruments waned, except for a brief comeback several years later.
Games like the fan project and newer releases have kept the scene alive, with expectations of something from the original publisher on the way. A new studio has entered work on its debut rhythm-based title. Original co-founders are participating in advisory roles. Are gamers ready to embrace another game following the classic?
“We thought those games could be like Madden where you can releases,” he remarks. “With abundant fresh tracks it could remain evergreen, thus I remain hopeful. There’s no reason why it can’t persist for future fans.”
