It has been 20 years since the legendary game first launched across the Atlantic, providing everyday gamers the opportunity to become a rock star. Figuratively speaking, though you'd be hard-pressed convincing someone who has nailed Free Bird’s lengthy instrumental break in front of an enthusiastic living-room audience.
Developed by Harmonix, the game gave players a plastic guitar peripheral to follow coloured notes scrolling down the screen synchronized to the music. Each riff mimicked particular chords, creating the feel of an authentic performance.
Harmonix had already experimented with rhythm games prior to teaming up with RedOctane, which was acquired by Activision during the mid-2000s. Together, they established the foundations for a surprising billion-dollar franchise that had a remarkable influence on numerous of the artists included, showcasing classic bands to a new generation of gaming enthusiasts.
A former executive, ex-chief operating officer of Harmonix, remembers the initial budgetary hurdles in securing the songs – despite the fact initial releases primarily featured cover versions.
“We rerecorded all the music because the cost was so high,” he says. “Even with the publishing rights alone, it was extremely difficult. We couldn’t get bands like legendary groups – RedOctane had virtually no money, and we were fairly certain it would fail. However, when the game took off, album purchases airtime increased, everyone wanted to be in.”
He continues: “One of the amazing things was the number of parents got in touch and thanked us for introducing their children to the songs they adored. It became a multigenerational thing.”
Timeless Music Finds a New Audience
Northern Irish group the Answer had their track on the 2008 game the popular installment. Lead musician Paul Mahon recalls the way the game brought older hits back into vogue: “The game offered a larger, new demographic. Typically such music was considered outdated material, however when it was featured on the game young people were finding it, suddenly it was cool. That legitimised it, eliminating the outdated label. It gave all our music a new life.”
At that time, the band's debut album was still not available stateside, meaning Guitar Hero served as a primary platform for exposure for the band during their US tour opening for AC/DC. “Their crew had on Never Too Late on the tour bus, and several knew us thanks to the game,” Mahon says.
Rock’s Heavyweight Titles Enduring Impact
Music's heavyweight names quickly 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 associated stories, imagery and rock’n’roll mythology. In the case of, the Aerosmith edition, reportedly to have made the group greater revenue than any of their records. It moved more than half a million units in its first week, while demand for their songs rose significantly at a time when the music business faced decline.
Guitar Hero continues to inspire quick-handed dedication within the community. Earlier this year, an online personality completed a remarkable feat featuring the challenging track – a notoriously difficult power-metal song made popular by the game – on Clone Hero, a no-cost alternative with almost identical mechanics and extensive customisation options. This track is difficult even in the hardest setting, let alone performed at double speed and without missing every one of its near 4,000 notes. The streamer stated requiring months of practice to accomplish.
“The game offers a, imaginary experience. If you play Call of Duty, that doesn’t mean you ought to pick up actual weapons and enlist,” notes DragonForce guitarist Herman Li.
The band previously wrapped up a profitable run when their hit was featured on Guitar Hero III, but Li says it made them widely recognized. “I remember the record label informing us that we were records were moving like crazy,” he says. “It exploded when we next toured, and we were playing right ahead of the headliners at the event.”
Indeed, the band's visibility from Guitar Hero proved so vast that it has threatened to eclipsing all other the band has done. Recently, the track was used in promotional material for Despicable Me 4. “Previously I felt differently, but now I accept it,” Li says. “If you only listen to one DragonForce song, that's fine – each person has their own musical journey and I'm pleased we’ve been part in fans' experiences”.
Enduring Legacy of a Plastic Guitar
The best marketing, whether it’s for cars, clothes or video games, extends beyond than selling something – it evokes a longing. Was the game able to harness this? “Precisely what our team aiming to achieve,” Dornbrook says. “That thrill of being a music icon on the stage. From day one, the creators felt that there’s an instinctive urge to make music, and they wanted to leverage innovation to enable everyone to participate”.
Most installments came out in just a five-year period from 2005 to 2010, featuring derivative titles such as the DJ version, including a turntable controller, and the band-focused game. After that, the publisher’s interest in plastic instruments waned, aside from a short-lived revival in 2015.
Titles like Clone Hero and newer releases have maintained the community active, with set to be something from the original publisher in development. Recently formed developers has entered work on their first rhythm-based title. Original co-founders are both involved as special advisers. Is the world prepared to welcome another game following Guitar Hero?
“Our team believed such titles might become similar to sports games allowing annual releases,” Dornbrook says. “With abundant fresh tracks that it could be evergreen, thus I remain hopeful. It's entirely possible why it can’t persist with new generations.”
