It has been two decades since the legendary game debuted in North America, giving players everywhere the opportunity to feel like a rock star. Not literally, though you'd be hard-pressed telling that someone who's nailed Free Bird’s four-minute guitar solo in front of a packed living-room audience.
Developed by the developers, the game provided users with a plastic guitar peripheral to match coloured notes scrolling down the screen synchronized to the music. Each riff mimicked particular chords, producing the feel of an authentic performance.
Harmonix previously tried its hand in the music genre before partnering with the publisher, later acquired by the gaming giant during the mid-2000s. Together, they laid the groundwork for a surprising billion-dollar franchise that had a significant impact on numerous musicians featured, introducing classic groups to millions of younger players.
Michael Dornbrook, former COO from the developer, recalls the initial budgetary hurdles of licensing the songs – even though the first two games mostly used cover versions.
“We rerecorded every song since the dollar figure was so high,” he explains. “Even with the necessary permissions by themselves, it was extremely difficult. We failed to secure bands like the Who – RedOctane was operating on a shoestring budget, and we were fairly certain it would fail. However, when Guitar Hero became a hit, and record sales airtime increased, everyone wanted to be in.”
He continues: “Among the amazing things was how many mothers and fathers reached out and thanked us for exposing their kids to the music they adored. It evolved into a multigenerational phenomenon.”
Timeless Music Gains a New Audience
Irish blues-rock band one featured act had Never Too Late on the 2008 game Guitar Hero World Tour. Lead musician Paul Mahon remembers how the series revived older hits back into vogue: “The game provided a bigger, younger audience. Generally this had been seen as outdated material, however once it got featured on the title young people were finding it, abruptly it was cool. That legitimised it, eliminating the ‘dad rock’ label. It provided all our music a new life.”
In 2008, the Answer’s first record remained unreleased in the US, so Guitar Hero was a key medium of discovery for the band as they went on US tour supporting AC/DC. “Their crew had on the song on the tour bus, and some of them knew us from Guitar Hero,” he notes.
Rock’s Heavyweight Spin-offs Enduring Impact
Music's biggest acts soon capitalised on the series’ popularity, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and others featuring in specialized game editions that focused on their music collections and associated lore, imagery and legendary status. In the case of, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, reportedly to have made the group more money compared to their studio albums. It moved more than half a million copies in its first week, and demand for Aerosmith’s music rose significantly during an era as the industry faced decline.
The series still motivates quick-handed fanaticism within the community. Earlier this year, a streamer achieved an impressive attempt of DragonForce’s the challenging track – an infamously tough anthem popularized through the game – on Clone Hero, a freeware game with similar gameplay and extensive customisation options. The song is challenging even in expert mode, not to mention performed at increased tempo while hitting every one of the thousands of cues. They claimed it took months of practice to accomplish.
“The game offers a, imaginary experience. If you play Call of Duty, it doesn't imply you should use actual weapons and go to war,” says musician the artist.
DragonForce previously completed a profitable run before their hit was featured on Guitar Hero III, yet he explains it turned them into widely recognized. “I recall the record label informing us that we were selling albums rapidly,” he shares. “It exploded when we next toured, and we performed right ahead of top acts at the event.”
In fact, the band's visibility from Guitar Hero proved so vast that it has risked overshadow everything else accomplishments. Recently, the song featured in a trailer for a major film. “Previously I thought differently, but I’ve made peace with it,” he admits. “Should you just hear one DragonForce song, that's fine – everyone’s got their own path in music and I’m glad we’ve been part in fans' experiences”.
The Lasting Impact of a Plastic Guitar
Top-tier promotion, whether it’s for cars, clothes or games, goes further than selling something – it evokes a desire. Did Guitar Hero tap into that? “Precisely 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 humans have a natural urge to make music, and they wanted to use technology to enable everyone to participate”.
The majority of Guitar Hero games were released over a mere five-year period from 2005 to 2010, featuring derivative titles such as the DJ version, including a spinning deck, and Band Hero. Subsequently, the publisher’s interest in plastic instruments waned, except for a brief comeback several years later.
Titles such as Clone Hero and Fortnite Festival have maintained the scene active, with set to be something from the original publisher in development. Recently formed developers has entered work on its debut rhythm-based title. The initial creators are participating in advisory roles. Is the world ready to embrace another game following Guitar Hero?
“We thought such titles might become similar to sports games where you can update every year,” Dornbrook says. “There’s so much fresh tracks that it could be perennially popular, thus I remain optimistic. It's entirely possible for it to continue with new generations.”
