It has been 20 years after Guitar Hero first launched across the Atlantic, providing everyday gamers the tools to become a rock star. Not in reality, but try convincing anyone who has mastered Free Bird’s lengthy instrumental break before a packed living-room audience.
Developed by the developers, the game gave players a guitar-shaped controller to follow on-screen cues scrolling down the display synchronized to the music. Each riff mimicked specific notes, creating the feel of a genuine performance.
The studio previously tried its hand in the music genre prior to teaming up with RedOctane, which was purchased by the gaming giant in 2006. Collaboratively, they laid the foundations for an unlikely massively profitable series which made a remarkable impact on numerous musicians featured, introducing classic bands to a new generation of younger players.
A former executive, former COO of Harmonix, remembers the early budgetary hurdles of licensing the recordings – despite the fact initial releases mostly used rerecorded tracks.
“We rerecorded all the music since the cost prohibitive,” he explains. “Despite having the publishing rights alone, it proved nearly impossible. We couldn’t get bands like legendary groups – RedOctane had virtually no money, and our team was fairly certain it would fail. However, when Guitar Hero became a hit, album purchases airtime were going up, all artists desired to be in.”
He adds: “One of the amazing things was how many mothers and fathers got in touch and thanked us for introducing their kids to the songs they adored. It became a multigenerational thing.”
Classic Rock Finds a New Audience
Northern Irish blues-rock band one featured act had their track on the 2008 game the popular installment. Guitarist the artist recalls the way the game revived classic rock to the forefront: “The game provided a bigger, younger audience. Typically this had been seen as music that was past it, but then when it was featured on the game and teenagers discovered it, suddenly it became trendy. That legitimised the genre, eliminating the ‘dad rock’ tag. It provided our catalog renewed popularity.”
At that time, the Answer’s debut album was still not available stateside, so the game served as a primary platform of discovery for the group as they went on a North American tour opening for AC/DC. “The roadies were playing Never Too Late on the tour bus, and some of them recognized us from Guitar Hero,” he notes.
Major Band Titles Enduring Impact
Music's heavyweight names quickly capitalised on the series’ popularity, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen starring in specialized game editions centered around each band’s catalogue and associated stories, visuals and legendary status. In the case of, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, reportedly earned the band more money than any of their records. It moved more than half a million units upon release, and sales of Aerosmith’s music rose of up to 40% during an era when the music business faced decline.
The series still motivates nimble-fingered dedication among its fans. Recently, an online personality achieved a remarkable feat featuring the challenging track – an infamously tough anthem made popular by the game – on Clone Hero, a freeware game with almost identical gameplay and extensive customisation options. This track is challenging even in expert mode, not to mention performed at double speed while hitting every one of the thousands of cues. The streamer claimed requiring months of practice to accomplish.
“The game offers a, fantasy thing. If you play other games, that doesn’t mean you should use a real gun and enlist,” says musician Herman Li.
DragonForce previously wrapped up a profitable run when Through the Fire and Flames appeared in the third game, but Li says it made them widely recognized. “I recall the record label informing us that we were selling albums like crazy,” he shares. “It exploded when we next toured, and we performed right ahead of the headliners on the Mayhem festival.”
In fact, DragonForce’s exposure from Guitar Hero was so immense that it threatened to eclipsing everything else the band has done. Last year, the song featured in promotional material for a major film. “Previously I thought differently, but now I accept it,” Li says. “Should you just listen to one DragonForce song, it’s totally cool – everyone’s got their own musical journey and I'm pleased we’ve been part of people’s lives”.
Enduring Legacy from the Plastic Guitar
The best promotion, whether it’s for automobiles, apparel or video games, goes further than selling something – it evokes a longing. Was the game able to tap into that? “That’s exactly what our team trying to create,” Dornbrook says. “The excitement of being a music icon on the stage. Since the beginning, the co-founders felt that there’s an instinctive urge to create songs, and their goal was to leverage innovation to enable everyone to participate”.
The majority installments came out over a mere half-decade between 2005 and 2010, featuring spin-offs like the DJ version, complete with a turntable controller, and the band-focused game. After that, corporate focus in plastic instruments waned, except for a short-lived revival in 2015.
Titles such as the fan project and Fortnite Festival have maintained the community alive, and there’s set to be something from the original publisher in development. A new studio has entered work on its debut music game. The initial creators are participating as special advisers. Is the world prepared to welcome a new entry in the spirit of the classic?
“Our team believed such titles could be like Madden where you can update every year,” Dornbrook says. “With abundant fresh tracks it could remain perennially popular, so I’ve always been optimistic. There’s no reason for it to continue for future fans.”
