Marking 20 years after Guitar Hero hit the market across the Atlantic, providing everyday gamers the tools to become rock legends. Figuratively speaking, but try convincing anyone who's mastered Free Bird’s lengthy instrumental break before an enthusiastic living-room audience.
Created by the developers, Guitar Hero gave players a plastic guitar peripheral to match coloured notes scrolling down the display in time with a song. Each riff mimicked specific notes, creating the feel of an authentic live show.
The studio had already experimented in the music genre before partnering with the publisher, later purchased by the gaming giant in 2006. Collaboratively, they established the foundations for an unlikely billion-dollar series that had a remarkable impact for many musicians featured, showcasing classic bands to a new generation of gaming enthusiasts.
A former executive, ex-chief operating officer of Harmonix, recalls the early budgetary hurdles of licensing the recordings – even though the first two games mostly used cover versions.
“We rerecorded every song because the cost was so high,” he says. “Even with the publishing rights by themselves, it proved nearly impossible. We couldn’t get acts such as the Who – RedOctane was operating on a shoestring budget, and our team was pretty convinced the project would flop. But once the game took off, album purchases airtime were going up, all artists desired to be in.”
He continues: “Among the remarkable aspects was how many mothers and fathers reached out and thanked us for introducing their children to the songs they loved. It became an intergenerational thing.”
Classic Rock Finds Younger Fans
Northern Irish blues-rock band the Answer included their track on the 2008 game Guitar Hero World Tour. Lead musician the artist recalls the way the game brought classic rock to the forefront: “The game provided a bigger, younger audience. Generally this had been seen as music that was past it, but then once it got featured on the game and teenagers were finding it, suddenly it became trendy. That legitimised it, and got rid of the outdated tag. It gave our catalog a new life.”
At that time, the band's first record remained unreleased stateside, meaning Guitar Hero was a key medium of discovery for the group as they went on US tour supporting the rock giants. “The roadies were playing Never Too Late on the tour bus, and several recognized us thanks to the game,” Mahon says.
Rock’s Heavyweight Titles and Lasting Influence
Music's biggest acts soon capitalised on the series’ popularity, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and others starring in specialized spin-off titles that focused on their music collections and associated lore, imagery and legendary status. For example, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, reportedly earned the group greater revenue compared to their records. It sold well over half a million units upon release, and sales of their songs saw an increase of up to 40% during an era as the industry was already collapsing.
Guitar Hero still motivates nimble-fingered fanaticism within the community. Recently, an online personality completed a remarkable feat featuring Through the Fire and Flames – a notoriously difficult anthem popularized through the game – using a fan-made version, a no-cost alternative with similar mechanics and extensive personalization features. This track is challenging even in expert mode, let alone played at increased tempo while hitting every one of the thousands of cues. The streamer claimed requiring months of practice of practice.
“The game is a fun, fantasy thing. Just as with Call of Duty, it doesn't imply you should use actual weapons and go to war,” says musician Herman Li.
DragonForce had already completed a successful tour before their hit was featured in the third game, yet he explains it turned them into widely recognized. “I remember our distributors informing us that we were selling albums rapidly,” he says. “Popularity surged when we next toured, and we were playing right ahead of the headliners at the event.”
In fact, DragonForce’s exposure from Guitar Hero proved so vast that it threatened to eclipsing everything else accomplishments. Last year, the song was used in promotional material for a major film. “Previously I felt otherwise, but I’ve made peace with it,” Li says. “If you only hear a single track, it’s totally cool – everyone’s got a unique path in music and I’m glad we played a role of people’s lives”.
The Lasting Impact of a Plastic Guitar
Top-tier marketing, whether it’s for cars, apparel or games, extends beyond mere transactions – it inspires a longing. Did Guitar Hero harness this? “That’s exactly what we were aiming to achieve,” Dornbrook says. “The excitement of performing as a music icon in the spotlight. From day one, the creators believed there’s an instinctive urge to create songs, and their goal was to leverage innovation to enable everyone to participate”.
Most installments came out over a mere five-year period between 2005 and 2010, including spin-offs such as the DJ version, complete with a turntable controller, and Band Hero. Subsequently, corporate focus in plastic instruments waned, except for a short-lived revival several years later.
Titles like Clone Hero and newer releases have kept the community active, with set to be something from the founders in development. A new studio has begun production on its debut rhythm-based title. The initial creators are participating in advisory roles. Is the world prepared to welcome a new entry following the classic?
“Our team believed such titles could be similar to sports games allowing annual update every year,” he remarks. “With abundant new music it could remain evergreen, so I’ve always been hopeful. There’s no reason for it to continue for future fans.”
