It has been 20 years since the legendary game hit the market in North America, giving everyday gamers the means to become a rock star. Figuratively speaking, though you'd be hard-pressed convincing anyone who's mastered Free Bird’s lengthy instrumental break in front of a packed crowd of friends.
Developed by the developers, the game gave players a guitar-shaped controller to follow on-screen cues scrolling down the screen synchronized to a song. Every sequence mimicked specific notes, producing the sensation of an authentic live show.
Harmonix previously experimented in the music genre prior to teaming up with RedOctane, later acquired by the gaming giant during the mid-2000s. Collaboratively, they established the foundations for an unlikely billion-dollar series that had a significant impact for many of the artists included, showcasing classic bands to millions of gaming enthusiasts.
A former executive, former COO of Harmonix, recalls the early financial challenges in securing the songs – even though the first two games primarily featured cover versions.
“We reproduced all the music since the cost prohibitive,” he says. “Despite having the publishing rights alone, it was nearly impossible. We couldn’t get acts such as legendary groups – RedOctane was operating on a shoestring budget, and our team was fairly certain the project would flop. But once the game became a hit, album purchases airtime were going up, all artists desired to be in.”
He continues: “Among the amazing things was the number of mothers and fathers reached out and thanked us for introducing their children to the music they loved. It became a multigenerational phenomenon.”
Timeless Music Finds a New Audience
Irish group the Answer included Never Too Late in the 2008 release Guitar Hero World Tour. Lead musician Paul Mahon remembers the way the game revived older hits to the forefront: “Guitar Hero offered a larger, new demographic. Typically such music was seen as outdated material, but then when it was included in the title young people were finding it, abruptly it was cool. That legitimised the genre, eliminating the outdated tag. It gave all our music a new life.”
In 2008, the band's debut album remained not available stateside, so the game was a key medium of discovery for the band during their a North American tour supporting the rock giants. “Their crew were playing the song on the tour bus, and some of them knew us from Guitar Hero,” Mahon says.
Rock’s Heavyweight Titles and Lasting Influence
Music's heavyweight names quickly capitalised on the series’ popularity, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and others starring in specialized game editions that focused on each band’s catalogue and related lore, visuals and rock’n’roll mythology. For example, the Aerosmith edition, reportedly to have made the band greater revenue compared to their records. It sold well over 500,000 copies in its first week, and sales of their songs rose of up to 40% during an era as the industry faced decline.
The series continues to inspire quick-handed dedication among its fans. Recently, a streamer completed an impressive attempt of DragonForce’s the challenging track – an infamously tough anthem popularized through Guitar Hero – using a fan-made version, a no-cost alternative with similar gameplay but an array of customisation options. This track is challenging even in the hardest setting, let alone played at double speed while hitting a single one of the thousands of cues. The streamer claimed it took nine months to accomplish.
“Guitar Hero offers a, imaginary experience. If you play Call of Duty, that doesn’t mean you should pick up actual weapons and go to war,” notes DragonForce guitarist the artist.
The band had already completed a profitable run when their hit appeared on Guitar Hero III, yet he explains it made them widely recognized. “I remember our distributors calling to tell me that we were records were moving like crazy,” he says. “It exploded when we next toured, and we performed right ahead of top acts at the event.”
In fact, the band's visibility via the game was so immense that it has risked eclipsing all other accomplishments. Recently, the song was used in promotional material for Despicable Me 4. “Previously I thought otherwise, 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’ve been part in fans' experiences”.
The Lasting Impact of a Iconic Controller
Top-tier marketing, be it for cars, clothes or video games, goes further mere transactions – it evokes a desire. Did Guitar Hero harness this? “Precisely what our team aiming to achieve,” he confirms. “That thrill of performing as a rock star on the stage. From day one, the co-founders believed there’s an instinctive urge to make music, and they wanted to use technology to enable everyone to do it”.
Most installments came out in just a five-year period between 2005 and 2010, featuring spin-offs such as the DJ version, including a spinning deck, and Band Hero. After that, the publisher’s interest in plastic instruments waned, aside from a short-lived revival in 2015.
Titles like Clone Hero and Fortnite Festival have kept the community active, and there’s expectations of something from the founders on the way. Recently formed developers has entered work on their first rhythm-based title. Original co-founders are participating as special advisers. Is the world ready to embrace another game following Guitar Hero?
“We thought those games might become like Madden allowing annual releases,” Dornbrook says. “With abundant new music that it could be perennially popular, so I’ve always been optimistic. It's entirely possible why it can’t continue for future fans.”
