Marking two decades after the legendary game debuted in North America, providing everyday gamers the means to become rock legends. Not in reality, but try convincing someone who has mastered Free Bird’s lengthy instrumental break before an enthusiastic crowd of friends.
Developed by Harmonix, Guitar Hero gave players a guitar-shaped controller to follow coloured notes scrolling down the screen in time with the music. Each riff corresponded to specific notes, creating the feel of a genuine performance.
The studio previously experimented with rhythm games before partnering with RedOctane, which was purchased by Activision during the mid-2000s. Together, they established the foundations for an unlikely billion-dollar franchise that had a remarkable influence for many musicians featured, introducing decades-old groups to a new generation of gaming enthusiasts.
A former executive, ex-chief operating officer from the developer, recalls the early budgetary hurdles in securing the songs – even though the first two games primarily featured rerecorded tracks.
“We reproduced every song because the cost prohibitive,” he says. “Even with the necessary permissions alone, it was nearly impossible. We failed to secure acts such as legendary groups – RedOctane was operating on a shoestring budget, and we were fairly certain it would fail. However, when Guitar Hero took off, album purchases airtime were going up, everyone wanted to be in.”
He continues: “Among the amazing things was how many mothers and fathers reached out and thanked us for exposing their children to the songs they loved. It evolved into a multigenerational phenomenon.”
Timeless Music Gains Younger Fans
Irish group the Answer had Never Too Late on the 2008 game Guitar Hero World Tour. Lead musician the artist recalls how the series brought classic rock to the forefront: “The game offered a bigger, new demographic. Typically this had been considered music that was past it, however once it got included in the title young people discovered it, abruptly it became trendy. That legitimised the genre, eliminating the outdated label. It provided our catalog a new life.”
At that time, the Answer’s debut album remained not available in the US, so Guitar Hero was a key medium for exposure for the band during their a North American tour supporting AC/DC. “The roadies had on Never Too Late during travel, and some of them knew us from Guitar Hero,” he notes.
Major Band Titles and Lasting Impact
Rock’s heavyweight names quickly capitalised on the game's success, with Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen featuring in dedicated game editions that focused on each band’s catalogue and associated stories, visuals and rock’n’roll mythology. For example, the Aerosmith edition, it was said earned the band more money compared to their records. It moved well over half a million copies upon release, and sales of Aerosmith’s music saw an increase significantly during an era as the industry was already collapsing.
Guitar Hero continues to inspire quick-handed fanaticism among its fans. Earlier this year, an online personality completed a remarkable feat featuring Through the Fire and Flames – a notoriously difficult anthem popularized through the game – on Clone Hero, a freeware game with similar mechanics and extensive personalization features. This track is difficult enough on the hardest setting, let alone played at increased tempo while hitting a single one of the thousands of cues. They stated requiring months of practice to accomplish.
“Guitar Hero is a fun, imaginary experience. Just as with other games, that doesn’t mean you ought to use actual weapons and enlist,” notes DragonForce guitarist Herman Li.
DragonForce previously completed a successful tour when their hit was featured on Guitar Hero III, but Li says it made them a household name. “I remember the record label informing us that our selling albums rapidly,” he shares. “Popularity surged when we next toured, and we performed right ahead of top acts on the Mayhem festival.”
Indeed, the band's visibility via the game was so immense that it has threatened to eclipsing everything else accomplishments. Last year, the song was used in promotional material for Despicable Me 4. “Previously I thought differently, but I’ve made peace with it,” Li says. “Should you just listen to one DragonForce song, that's fine – everyone’s got their own musical journey and I’m glad we’ve been part in fans' experiences”.
Enduring Legacy from the Plastic Guitar
Top-tier marketing, be it for automobiles, clothes or games, goes further mere transactions – it inspires a longing. Was the game able to tap into that? “That’s exactly what we were trying to create,” he confirms. “That thrill of being a music icon on the stage. Since the beginning, the co-founders felt that there’s an instinctive human desire to make music, and their goal was to use technology to enable everyone to participate”.
Most of Guitar Hero games were released in just a half-decade from 2005 to 2010, featuring derivative titles like the DJ version, including a turntable controller, and the band-focused game. After that, corporate focus on peripherals waned, aside from a short-lived revival in 2015.
Games like the fan project and newer releases have maintained the scene active, and there’s set to be something from the original publisher in development. Recently formed developers has begun work on its debut rhythm-based title. Original co-founders are participating as special advisers. Are gamers ready to embrace a new entry in the spirit of Guitar Hero?
“We thought those games might become similar to sports games where you can releases,” Dornbrook says. “There’s so much fresh tracks it could remain perennially popular, thus I remain optimistic. It's entirely possible why it can’t persist with new generations.”
