Marking two decades since Guitar Hero debuted in North America, providing players everywhere the opportunity to feel like a rock star. Not in reality, though you'd be hard-pressed convincing anyone who's nailed Free Bird’s four-minute guitar solo in front of an enthusiastic crowd of friends.
Developed by Harmonix, the game gave players a guitar-shaped controller to follow on-screen cues moving along the screen synchronized to a song. Each riff corresponded to particular chords, producing the feel of a genuine performance.
The studio previously experimented in the music genre before partnering with the publisher, which was purchased by Activision during the mid-2000s. Together, they laid the groundwork for an unlikely billion-dollar series that had a significant impact for many of the artists included, showcasing decades-old bands to a new generation of younger players.
Michael Dornbrook, ex-chief operating officer from the developer, recalls the initial financial challenges of licensing the songs – even though the first two games mostly used cover versions.
“We reproduced all the music because the cost was so high,” he says. “Despite having the necessary permissions alone, it was extremely difficult. We couldn’t get acts such as the Who – RedOctane had virtually no money, and we were pretty convinced the project would flop. But once Guitar Hero took off, and record sales airtime were going up, all artists desired to participate.”
He continues: “Among the amazing things was the number of parents reached out and thanked us for exposing their children to the songs they loved. It became an intergenerational thing.”
Classic Rock Gains a New Audience
Irish group the Answer had their track on the 2008 game the popular installment. Lead musician the artist recalls the way the game revived older hits back into vogue: “Guitar Hero offered a bigger, new demographic. Typically this had been considered music that was past it, however once it got featured on the title and teenagers discovered it, suddenly it was cool. That legitimised it, eliminating the outdated tag. It gave all our music renewed popularity.”
At that time, the Answer’s debut album remained unreleased stateside, so the game served as a primary platform for exposure for the band as they went on a North American tour supporting the rock giants. “Their crew were playing the song on the tour bus, and some of them knew us thanks to the game,” Mahon says.
Major Band Spin-offs and Lasting Impact
Music's biggest acts soon took advantage of the game's success, with Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen starring in specialized game editions that focused on each band’s catalogue and associated lore, imagery and legendary status. For example, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, reportedly to have made the group more money compared to their records. It sold more than 500,000 copies in its first week, while sales of their songs rose significantly during an era as the industry faced decline.
Guitar Hero continues to inspire quick-handed fanaticism among its fans. Recently, an online personality completed a remarkable feat featuring the challenging track – a notoriously difficult anthem made popular by Guitar Hero – on Clone Hero, a freeware game with almost identical mechanics and extensive personalization features. This track is challenging even in expert mode, let alone played at double speed while hitting every one of its near 4,000 notes. The streamer claimed requiring months of practice to accomplish.
“Guitar Hero offers a, imaginary experience. Just as with other games, it doesn't imply you should pick up actual weapons and enlist,” notes DragonForce guitarist the artist.
DragonForce had already wrapped up a profitable run when their hit was featured in the third game, yet he explains it turned them into a household name. “I recall the record label informing us that we were selling albums like crazy,” he says. “It exploded when we next toured, and we performed just before the headliners on the Mayhem festival.”
Indeed, DragonForce’s exposure from Guitar Hero proved so vast that it has risked overshadow all other accomplishments. Last year, the song featured in promotional material for a major film. “In the past I thought otherwise, but now I accept it,” he admits. “Should you just hear a single track, it’s totally cool – each person has their own path in music and I’m glad we played a role of people’s lives”.
The Lasting Legacy from the Iconic Controller
Top-tier marketing, whether it’s for cars, clothes or games, extends beyond mere transactions – it inspires a longing. Was the game able to harness this? “Precisely what we were aiming to achieve,” Dornbrook says. “The excitement of performing as a rock star in the spotlight. Since the beginning, the co-founders felt that humans have a natural urge to create songs, and they wanted to leverage innovation to allow people to participate”.
The majority installments were released in just a five-year period between 2005 and 2010, featuring derivative titles like DJ Hero, complete with a spinning deck, and the band-focused game. Subsequently, the publisher’s interest on peripherals died down, except for a short-lived revival in 2015.
Games like the fan project and newer releases have maintained the community active, and there’s expectations of a new product from the original publisher on the way. Recently formed developers has entered production on their first rhythm-based title. Original co-founders are both involved in advisory roles. Is the world prepared to welcome a new entry following Guitar Hero?
“We thought such titles could be similar to sports games where you can releases,” Dornbrook says. “With abundant fresh tracks that it could be evergreen, thus I remain optimistic. There’s no reason for it to continue for future fans.”
