Marking 20 years since Guitar Hero debuted in North America, providing players everywhere the tools to feel like a rock star. Figuratively speaking, though you'd be hard-pressed telling that anyone who's mastered Free Bird’s four-minute instrumental break before an enthusiastic crowd of friends.
Developed by the developers, Guitar Hero provided users with a plastic guitar peripheral to follow on-screen cues moving along the display synchronized to the music. Each riff corresponded to particular chords, producing the feel of an authentic performance.
The studio had already experimented in the music genre before partnering with RedOctane, which was purchased by Activision during the mid-2000s. Together, they laid the groundwork for a surprising massively profitable franchise that had a significant impact on numerous musicians included, showcasing classic groups to a new generation of younger players.
A former executive, former COO of Harmonix, remembers the initial financial challenges in securing the songs – despite the fact the first two games mostly used rerecorded tracks.
“We rerecorded every song because the dollar figure prohibitive,” he explains. “Even with the publishing rights alone, it proved nearly impossible. We failed to secure acts such as the Who – RedOctane was operating on a shoestring budget, and our team was fairly certain it would fail. However, when Guitar Hero took off, and record sales airtime were going up, everyone wanted to participate.”
He continues: “One of the remarkable aspects was the number of mothers and fathers got in touch and thanked us for introducing their kids to the songs they adored. It became an intergenerational phenomenon.”
Classic Rock Gains a New Audience
Northern Irish blues-rock band one featured act had their track in the 2008 release Guitar Hero World Tour. Guitarist the artist recalls the way the game revived classic rock back into vogue: “Guitar Hero provided a larger, new demographic. Typically such music was considered outdated material, however once it got featured on the title young people discovered it, suddenly it was cool. That legitimised the genre, eliminating the outdated tag. It provided our catalog renewed popularity.”
At that time, the Answer’s first record remained not available stateside, so Guitar Hero was a key medium for exposure for the band during their a North American tour opening for AC/DC. “Their crew had on Never Too Late during travel, and several recognized us thanks to the game,” Mahon says.
Rock’s Heavyweight Spin-offs Enduring Impact
Music's heavyweight names quickly capitalised on the game's success, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and others starring in dedicated game editions that focused on each band’s catalogue and associated stories, visuals and legendary status. For example, the Aerosmith edition, it was said to have made the group more money than any of their studio albums. It moved well over half a million units in its first week, while demand for Aerosmith’s music saw an increase of up to 40% at a time when the music business faced decline.
Guitar Hero still motivates nimble-fingered fanaticism among its fans. Earlier this year, an online personality completed an impressive attempt featuring the challenging track – a notoriously difficult power-metal song popularized through Guitar Hero – on Clone Hero, a freeware game with almost identical gameplay but an array of customisation options. The song is difficult even in expert mode, not to mention played at double speed and without missing a single one of the thousands of cues. The streamer claimed it took nine months of practice.
“The game offers a, fantasy thing. If you play Call of Duty, that doesn’t mean you should pick up actual weapons and enlist,” says DragonForce guitarist the artist.
The band previously wrapped up a profitable run before their hit was featured in the third game, but Li says it turned them into widely recognized. “I remember the record label calling to tell me that our records were moving like crazy,” he shares. “Popularity surged on the subsequent tour, and we were playing right ahead of top acts at the event.”
In fact, DragonForce’s exposure from Guitar Hero was so immense that it risked overshadow everything else the band has done. Last year, the track was used in a trailer for a major film. “In the past I felt differently, but I’ve made peace with it,” Li says. “If you only listen to a single track, it’s totally cool – everyone’s got a unique musical journey and I’m glad we’ve been part of people’s lives”.
Enduring Legacy of a Iconic Controller
Top-tier promotion, be it for cars, clothes or games, extends beyond than selling something – it inspires a desire. Was the game able to harness this? “Precisely what our team trying to create,” Dornbrook says. “The excitement of performing as a rock star on the stage. Since the beginning, the creators felt that humans have a natural urge to make music, and they wanted to leverage innovation to allow people to participate”.
Most of Guitar Hero games came out over a mere five-year period between 2005 and 2010, featuring spin-offs like DJ Hero, complete with a spinning deck, and the band-focused game. Subsequently, corporate focus in plastic instruments died down, except for a short-lived revival several years later.
Games like Clone Hero and Fortnite Festival have kept the community active, with expectations of something from the founders on the way. A new studio has begun work on their first rhythm-based title. The initial creators are both involved in advisory roles. Is the world prepared to welcome a new entry following Guitar Hero?
“We thought those games might become like Madden where you can update every year,” he remarks. “There’s so much new music that it could be evergreen, so I’ve always been hopeful. It's entirely possible why it can’t continue with new generations.”
