Marking 20 years after Guitar Hero hit the market in North America, providing players everywhere the means to feel like rock legends. Not in reality, but try convincing someone who has mastered Free Bird’s lengthy guitar solo before an enthusiastic living-room audience.
Created by Harmonix, the game gave players a plastic guitar peripheral to follow coloured notes moving along the display synchronized to the music. Every sequence mimicked specific notes, producing the feel of an authentic performance.
The studio had already tried its hand with rhythm games before partnering with the publisher, which was acquired by Activision during the mid-2000s. Together, they laid the groundwork for a surprising billion-dollar franchise that had a significant impact for many of the artists included, introducing decades-old bands to millions of younger players.
Michael Dornbrook, ex-chief operating officer of Harmonix, recalls the initial budgetary hurdles of licensing the songs – despite the fact the first two games primarily featured rerecorded tracks.
“We reproduced all the music because the dollar figure prohibitive,” he says. “Even with the publishing rights alone, it proved extremely difficult. We failed to secure bands like legendary groups – the publisher had virtually no money, and we were fairly certain it would fail. However, when the game took off, and record sales airtime increased, everyone wanted to be in.”
He continues: “One of the remarkable aspects was the number of mothers and fathers reached out and thanked us for exposing their children to the songs they adored. It became a multigenerational thing.”
Classic Rock Finds a New Audience
Irish group one featured act had their track in the 2008 release Guitar Hero World Tour. Guitarist Paul Mahon recalls the way the game brought older hits to the forefront: “Guitar Hero provided a bigger, younger audience. Typically such music was seen as music that was past it, however once it got featured on the title young people were finding it, abruptly it was cool. That legitimised it, and got rid of the outdated label. It provided our catalog a new life.”
In 2008, the band's debut album remained unreleased in the US, so the game was a key medium of discovery for the group as they went on a North American tour opening for AC/DC. “The roadies had on Never Too Late on the tour bus, and several knew us thanks to the game,” he notes.
Major Band Spin-offs and Lasting Influence
Music's biggest acts quickly took advantage of the series’ popularity, with Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen featuring in dedicated spin-off titles that focused on their music collections and related lore, visuals and rock’n’roll mythology. In the case of, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, it was said earned the group more money compared to their records. It sold well over half a million units upon release, and sales of their songs saw an increase significantly at a time as the industry faced decline.
The series still motivates quick-handed fanaticism among its fans. Earlier this year, an online personality achieved an impressive attempt featuring Through the Fire and Flames – an infamously tough anthem made popular by Guitar Hero – using a fan-made version, a no-cost alternative with similar gameplay and extensive customisation options. This track is difficult enough on expert mode, let alone performed at double speed while hitting a single one of its near 4,000 notes. The streamer claimed it took nine months to accomplish.
“The game offers a, fantasy thing. Just as with other games, that doesn’t mean you should pick up actual weapons and enlist,” says DragonForce guitarist Herman Li.
DragonForce had already wrapped up a profitable run before Through the Fire and Flames appeared on Guitar Hero III, but Li says it turned them into widely recognized. “I remember the record label informing us that we were selling albums rapidly,” he says. “Popularity surged on the subsequent tour, and we performed just before the headliners on the Mayhem festival.”
Indeed, DragonForce’s exposure via the game proved so vast that it has threatened to eclipsing everything else the band has done. Recently, the track featured in a trailer for Despicable Me 4. “Previously I felt differently, but now I accept it,” Li says. “Should you just listen to a single track, it’s totally cool – everyone’s got their own path in music and I'm pleased we played a role of people’s lives”.
Enduring Legacy from the Iconic Controller
The best marketing, be it for cars, clothes or video games, goes further than selling something – it inspires a desire. Was the game able to harness this? “Precisely what our team trying to create,” Dornbrook says. “That thrill of being a music icon on the stage. From day one, the creators believed there’s an instinctive human desire to create songs, and their goal was to leverage innovation to allow people to participate”.
The majority of Guitar Hero games came out in just a half-decade between 2005 and 2010, featuring derivative titles such as the DJ version, complete with a spinning deck, and Band Hero. Subsequently, the publisher’s interest in plastic instruments waned, aside from a short-lived revival in 2015.
Games like the fan project and newer releases have kept the scene active, and there’s set to be something from the original publisher in development. Recently formed developers has begun work on their first rhythm-based title. The initial creators are both involved in advisory roles. Is the world ready to embrace a new entry in the spirit of Guitar Hero?
“Our team believed such titles might become similar to sports games allowing annual releases,” Dornbrook says. “With abundant fresh tracks it could remain perennially popular, so I’ve always been hopeful. It's entirely possible why it can’t continue with new generations.”
