It has been two decades after the legendary game hit the market across the Atlantic, giving everyday gamers the means to feel like rock legends. Not literally, but try telling that someone who's mastered Free Bird’s lengthy instrumental break in front of an enthusiastic living-room audience.
Developed by Harmonix, the game provided users with a guitar-shaped controller to follow coloured notes scrolling down the screen in time with the music. Every sequence mimicked particular chords, producing the sensation of a genuine live show.
The studio had already tried its hand with rhythm games prior to teaming up with RedOctane, later acquired by the gaming giant during the mid-2000s. Collaboratively, they laid the foundations for a surprising billion-dollar franchise which made a remarkable impact for many of the artists featured, introducing classic groups to millions of gaming enthusiasts.
Michael Dornbrook, former COO from the developer, remembers the early budgetary hurdles in securing the songs – even though initial releases mostly used rerecorded tracks.
“We reproduced all the music because the cost prohibitive,” he says. “Even with the publishing rights alone, it was extremely difficult. We couldn’t get bands like the Who – the publisher had virtually no money, and our team was pretty convinced it would fail. However, when the game became a hit, album purchases and radio play increased, all artists desired to be in.”
He continues: “Among the remarkable aspects was how many parents reached out and thanked us for introducing their children to the songs they adored. It evolved into a multigenerational phenomenon.”
Timeless Music Gains a New Audience
Irish blues-rock band the Answer included Never Too Late on the 2008 game the popular installment. Guitarist Paul Mahon remembers the way the game brought classic rock to the forefront: “Guitar Hero provided a larger, new demographic. Typically such music was considered music that was past it, but then when it was included in the title young people discovered it, suddenly it was cool. That legitimised it, eliminating the outdated label. It provided our catalog a new life.”
In 2008, the Answer’s debut album was still unreleased stateside, so the game served as a primary platform of discovery for the band during their US tour opening for AC/DC. “The roadies had on Never Too Late on the tour bus, and several recognized us from Guitar Hero,” Mahon says.
Major Band Spin-offs and Lasting Influence
Rock’s heavyweight names soon took advantage of the game's success, with Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen starring in specialized game editions centered around each band’s catalogue and associated lore, imagery and rock’n’roll mythology. In the case of, the Aerosmith edition, reportedly earned the band greater revenue than any of their records. It moved more than 500,000 units upon release, and sales of their songs saw an increase of up to 40% at a time when the music business was already collapsing.
Guitar Hero still motivates quick-handed dedication within the community. Recently, a streamer completed a remarkable feat of DragonForce’s Through the Fire and Flames – an infamously tough anthem made popular by the game – on Clone Hero, a freeware game with similar mechanics but an array of personalization features. The song is difficult even in the hardest setting, not to mention played at double speed and without missing every one of its near 4,000 notes. They claimed requiring nine months to accomplish.
“Guitar Hero is a fun, fantasy thing. If you play Call of Duty, that doesn’t mean you ought to pick up actual weapons and go to war,” notes DragonForce guitarist the artist.
The band previously completed a successful tour before Through the Fire and Flames was featured in the third game, but Li says it turned them into a household name. “I recall our distributors calling to tell me that our selling albums like crazy,” he shares. “It exploded when we next toured, and we performed right ahead of top acts on the Mayhem festival.”
In fact, DragonForce’s exposure via the game was so immense that it threatened to overshadow all other accomplishments. Last year, the track was used in promotional material for a major film. “Previously I thought otherwise, but now I accept it,” he admits. “If you only hear one DragonForce song, that's fine – each person has their own musical journey and I'm pleased we played a role of people’s lives”.
Enduring Impact of a Iconic Controller
The best marketing, whether it’s for cars, clothes or games, extends beyond mere transactions – it evokes a desire. Was the game able to harness this? “That’s exactly what our team aiming to achieve,” Dornbrook says. “That thrill of being a rock star in the spotlight. Since the beginning, the creators felt that there’s an instinctive human desire to create songs, and they wanted to use technology to allow people to do it”.
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 Band Hero. Subsequently, corporate focus in plastic instruments died down, aside from a brief comeback several years later.
Titles such as Clone Hero and Fortnite Festival have maintained the scene active, and there’s set to be a new product from the original publisher on the way. A new studio has begun work on its debut rhythm-based title. The initial creators are both involved in advisory roles. Is the world prepared to welcome a new entry following Guitar Hero?
“Our team believed those games could be like Madden where you can releases,” he remarks. “There’s so much fresh tracks it could remain evergreen, so I’ve always been hopeful. There’s no reason for it to persist with new generations.”
