It has been 20 years since Guitar Hero first launched across the Atlantic, offering players everywhere the opportunity to become rock legends. Not in reality, though you'd be hard-pressed telling that anyone who has mastered Free Bird’s lengthy guitar solo in front of an enthusiastic living-room audience.
Developed by the developers, the game gave players a guitar-shaped controller to follow coloured notes moving along the screen in time with a song. Each riff mimicked specific notes, creating the sensation of a genuine performance.
Harmonix had already tried its hand with rhythm games before partnering with RedOctane, which was acquired by Activision during the mid-2000s. Collaboratively, they established the foundations for an unlikely massively profitable franchise which made a remarkable influence for many of the artists included, showcasing decades-old groups to a new generation of gaming enthusiasts.
A former executive, ex-chief operating officer from the developer, remembers the initial budgetary hurdles in securing the songs – even though the first two games mostly used cover versions.
“We rerecorded every song since the dollar figure prohibitive,” he explains. “Despite having the necessary permissions 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 pretty convinced it would fail. But once the game took off, album purchases and radio play increased, all artists desired to be in.”
He continues: “Among the amazing things was how many parents reached out expressing gratitude for introducing their children to the music they loved. It evolved into a multigenerational thing.”
Timeless Music Finds a New Audience
Irish group the Answer had their track on the 2008 game the popular installment. Guitarist the artist remembers the way the game brought classic rock to the forefront: “The game provided a bigger, younger audience. Generally such music was considered outdated material, but then when it was featured on the game and teenagers were finding it, abruptly it became trendy. That legitimised it, and got rid of the outdated tag. It provided all our music renewed popularity.”
At that time, the band's debut album remained not available in the US, so Guitar Hero served as a primary platform for exposure for the band as they went on US tour supporting AC/DC. “Their crew were playing the song during travel, and several recognized us from Guitar Hero,” he notes.
Major Band Spin-offs Enduring Impact
Rock’s heavyweight names soon took advantage of the game's success, with Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen featuring in dedicated spin-off titles centered around each band’s catalogue and related lore, imagery and legendary status. For example, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, it was said to have made the band more money compared to their studio albums. It sold more than half a million units in its first week, while demand for their songs saw an increase of up to 40% at a time when the music business faced decline.
The series still motivates quick-handed dedication within the community. Earlier this year, a streamer achieved a remarkable feat of DragonForce’s the challenging track – a notoriously difficult power-metal song made popular by Guitar Hero – using a fan-made version, a freeware game with similar mechanics but an array of personalization features. This track is difficult even in the hardest setting, let alone played at double speed while hitting a single one of the thousands of cues. The streamer claimed it took months of practice of practice.
“The game offers a, imaginary experience. Just as with other games, it doesn't imply you should use a real gun and enlist,” notes DragonForce guitarist the artist.
DragonForce had already completed a profitable run when Through the Fire and Flames appeared in the third game, yet he explains it made them a household name. “I recall our distributors informing us that our selling albums rapidly,” he says. “It exploded when we next toured, and we performed just before the headliners on the Mayhem festival.”
In fact, the band's visibility via the game proved so vast that it has risked overshadow everything else the band has done. Last year, the song was used in a trailer for a major film. “In the past I thought differently, but now I accept it,” he admits. “If you only listen to a single track, that's fine – everyone’s got a unique musical journey and I’m glad we’ve been part in fans' experiences”.
The Lasting Impact from the Plastic Guitar
The best promotion, be it for cars, apparel or video games, extends beyond mere transactions – it inspires a desire. Was the game able to harness this? “Precisely what we were aiming to achieve,” Dornbrook says. “The excitement of performing as a music icon on the stage. From day one, the co-founders believed there’s an instinctive urge to create songs, and their goal was to use technology to enable everyone to do it”.
The majority installments came out in just a half-decade between 2005 and 2010, including derivative titles such as DJ Hero, including a spinning deck, and Band Hero. Subsequently, the publisher’s interest on peripherals died down, except for a brief comeback in 2015.
Games like the fan project and newer releases have maintained the community active, and there’s set to be something from the founders in development. A new studio has entered work on their first music game. The initial creators are participating as special advisers. Are gamers prepared to welcome another game in the spirit of Guitar Hero?
“We thought such titles could be like Madden allowing annual releases,” he remarks. “With abundant new music it could remain perennially popular, so I’ve always been optimistic. There’s no reason why it can’t persist with new generations.”
