It has been 20 years after the legendary game debuted in North America, giving everyday gamers the tools to become rock legends. Not literally, but try convincing someone who has nailed Free Bird’s four-minute guitar solo before an enthusiastic crowd of friends.
Developed by the developers, the game gave players a plastic guitar peripheral to follow coloured notes scrolling down the screen in time with a song. Every sequence mimicked particular chords, creating the sensation of a genuine performance.
The studio previously tried its hand with rhythm games before partnering with the publisher, which was acquired by Activision during the mid-2000s. Together, they established the groundwork for a surprising massively profitable series that had a remarkable impact on numerous of the artists included, introducing decades-old groups to millions of gaming enthusiasts.
A former executive, former COO of Harmonix, remembers the initial budgetary hurdles of licensing the songs – despite the fact the first two games primarily featured rerecorded tracks.
“We reproduced every song because the cost was so high,” he says. “Despite having the publishing rights by themselves, it was nearly impossible. We couldn’t get bands like the Who – the publisher had virtually no money, and our team was pretty convinced the project would flop. However, when the game took off, and record sales airtime were going up, all artists desired to be in.”
He continues: “Among the amazing things was how many parents reached out and thanked us for introducing their children to the music they loved. It became a multigenerational thing.”
Timeless Music Finds a New Audience
Northern Irish blues-rock band the Answer had Never Too Late on the 2008 game Guitar Hero World Tour. Lead musician Paul Mahon recalls how the series brought classic rock to the forefront: “Guitar Hero provided a bigger, younger audience. Typically such music was considered music that was past it, however once it got featured on the game and teenagers discovered it, suddenly it became trendy. This validated it, and got rid of the ‘dad rock’ tag. It provided all our music renewed popularity.”
In 2008, the Answer’s debut album was still not available stateside, so the game was a key medium for exposure for the group during their US tour opening for the rock giants. “Their crew were playing the song during travel, and some of them recognized us thanks to the game,” he notes.
Major Band Spin-offs and Lasting Influence
Music's heavyweight names soon capitalised on the series’ popularity, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and others starring in specialized spin-off titles that focused on each band’s catalogue and related lore, imagery and legendary status. In the case of, the Aerosmith edition, reportedly to have made the group more money compared to their studio albums. It sold well over 500,000 copies in its first week, while demand for their songs rose of up to 40% during an era when the music business faced decline.
Guitar Hero continues to inspire nimble-fingered fanaticism among its fans. Recently, an online personality achieved a remarkable feat of DragonForce’s Through the Fire and Flames – a notoriously difficult power-metal song made popular by the game – on Clone Hero, a no-cost alternative with almost identical mechanics but an array of personalization features. The song is challenging enough on the hardest setting, not to mention performed at double speed and without missing a single one of the thousands of cues. They claimed requiring months of practice to accomplish.
“Guitar Hero is a fun, imaginary experience. Just as with other games, it doesn't imply you should use a real gun and enlist,” notes DragonForce guitarist the artist.
The band had already completed a successful tour before their hit was featured on Guitar Hero III, yet he explains it made them a household name. “I remember our distributors informing us that our records were moving rapidly,” he shares. “It exploded when we next toured, and we were playing right ahead of the headliners at the event.”
Indeed, DragonForce’s exposure via the game proved so vast that it has risked eclipsing everything else accomplishments. Recently, the track was used in a trailer for Despicable Me 4. “In the past I thought differently, but I’ve made peace with it,” he admits. “Should you just hear a single track, it’s totally cool – each person has a unique path in music and I'm pleased we’ve been part in fans' experiences”.
Enduring Impact from the Iconic Controller
The best marketing, be it for automobiles, clothes or video games, extends beyond mere transactions – it inspires a desire. Was the game able to tap into that? “That’s exactly what our team aiming to achieve,” Dornbrook says. “The excitement of performing as a rock star on the stage. From day one, the creators felt that there’s an instinctive urge to create songs, and their goal was to leverage innovation to allow people to participate”.
Most installments came out in just a five-year period between 2005 and 2010, featuring spin-offs like DJ Hero, complete with a turntable controller, and Band Hero. After that, the publisher’s interest on peripherals waned, except for a brief comeback in 2015.
Titles like the fan project and Fortnite Festival have kept the scene active, with set to be something from the founders in development. A new studio has begun work on its debut music game. The initial creators are both involved as special advisers. Are gamers prepared to welcome a new entry following the classic?
“We thought such titles might become like Madden where you can update every year,” Dornbrook says. “With abundant new music it could remain perennially popular, thus I remain hopeful. It's entirely possible why it can’t continue with new generations.”
