It has been 20 years since Guitar Hero hit the market across the Atlantic, providing players everywhere the opportunity to feel like a rock star. Not literally, but try telling that anyone who's mastered Free Bird’s four-minute instrumental break before a packed living-room audience.
Developed by Harmonix, Guitar Hero gave players a guitar-shaped controller to match on-screen cues scrolling down the display synchronized to the music. Every sequence mimicked particular chords, producing the feel of an authentic live show.
The studio previously tried its hand in the music genre prior to teaming up with the publisher, which was purchased by Activision in 2006. Together, they established the groundwork for a surprising billion-dollar franchise which made a remarkable influence on numerous musicians featured, showcasing classic bands to millions of younger players.
A former executive, former COO from the developer, remembers the initial budgetary hurdles of licensing the recordings – despite the fact initial releases primarily featured cover versions.
“We rerecorded all the music since the dollar figure prohibitive,” he explains. “Despite having the publishing rights alone, it proved extremely difficult. We couldn’t get bands like the Who – the publisher had virtually no money, and our team was fairly certain it would fail. However, when the game took off, and record sales and radio play increased, everyone wanted to participate.”
He adds: “One of the amazing things was how many mothers and fathers got in touch expressing gratitude for introducing their children to the songs they adored. It became an intergenerational phenomenon.”
Classic Rock Finds Younger Fans
Irish group the Answer included their track on the 2008 game Guitar Hero World Tour. Guitarist Paul Mahon recalls how the series brought classic rock to the forefront: “The game offered a larger, new demographic. Typically this had been seen as outdated material, however when it was featured on the title young people were finding it, abruptly it was cool. That legitimised it, and got rid of the outdated tag. It provided our catalog renewed popularity.”
In 2008, the band's first record was still unreleased in the US, meaning the game was a key medium for exposure for the group as they went on a North American tour opening for the rock giants. “The roadies had on Never Too Late during travel, and several recognized us from Guitar Hero,” Mahon says.
Major Band Spin-offs and Lasting Influence
Rock’s biggest acts quickly took advantage of the game's success, with Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen starring in dedicated spin-off titles that focused on each band’s catalogue and associated stories, visuals and rock’n’roll mythology. In the case of, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, reportedly earned the band more money compared to their studio albums. It moved more than half a million units in its first week, and sales of Aerosmith’s music rose significantly during an era as the industry faced decline.
The series still motivates quick-handed dedication among its fans. Earlier this year, a streamer achieved an impressive attempt featuring the challenging track – an infamously tough power-metal song made popular by the game – on Clone Hero, a no-cost alternative with almost identical gameplay but an array of customisation options. The song is challenging even in the hardest setting, let alone performed at double speed and without missing a single one of the thousands of cues. They claimed it took months of practice of practice.
“Guitar Hero is a fun, 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 previously completed a successful tour when their hit was featured in the third game, but Li says it turned them into a household name. “I recall the record label informing us that our selling albums like crazy,” he shares. “It exploded when we next toured, and we performed just before the headliners on the Mayhem festival.”
Indeed, DragonForce’s exposure via the game was so immense that it has risked eclipsing all other the band has done. Recently, the song was used in promotional material for a major film. “In the past I thought differently, but I’ve made peace with it,” he admits. “If you only hear a single track, it’s totally cool – each person has a unique path in music and I’m glad we’ve been part in fans' experiences”.
Enduring Impact of a Iconic Controller
Top-tier marketing, be it for cars, clothes or video games, goes further mere transactions – it inspires a longing. Did Guitar Hero tap into that? “That’s exactly what we were trying to create,” Dornbrook says. “The excitement of being a music icon in the spotlight. Since the beginning, the co-founders felt that there’s an instinctive urge to create songs, and their goal was to use technology to allow people to do it”.
The majority installments came out over a mere half-decade from 2005 to 2010, featuring derivative titles such as the DJ version, complete with a spinning deck, and Band Hero. After that, the publisher’s interest on peripherals waned, aside from a short-lived revival in 2015.
Titles such as the fan project and newer releases have kept the scene active, with set to be a new product from the founders on the way. Recently formed developers has begun work on their first music game. Original co-founders are both involved in advisory roles. Is the world ready to embrace a new entry in the spirit of the classic?
“We thought such titles might become like Madden where you can releases,” he remarks. “There’s so much fresh tracks that it could be perennially popular, so I’ve always been hopeful. There’s no reason why it can’t persist for future fans.”
