Marking 20 years after Guitar Hero hit the market in North America, providing everyday gamers the opportunity to feel like rock legends. Not in reality, but try convincing someone who has nailed Free Bird’s four-minute instrumental break in front of 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. Every sequence mimicked particular chords, creating the sensation of a genuine performance.
The studio had already tried its hand in the music genre before partnering with RedOctane, which was acquired by the gaming giant during the mid-2000s. Collaboratively, they laid the foundations for a surprising massively profitable franchise that had a remarkable influence for many of the artists featured, introducing decades-old bands to millions of younger players.
Michael Dornbrook, ex-chief operating officer of Harmonix, remembers the early budgetary hurdles in securing the recordings – even though initial releases mostly used cover versions.
“We rerecorded every song because the cost prohibitive,” he explains. “Despite having the publishing rights alone, it proved extremely difficult. We failed to secure acts such as legendary groups – the publisher had virtually no money, and we were fairly certain the project would flop. However, when Guitar Hero became a hit, and record sales and radio play were going up, all artists desired to be in.”
He continues: “One of the amazing things was the number of mothers and fathers reached out and thanked us for exposing their children to the music they adored. It became a multigenerational thing.”
Classic Rock Gains Younger Fans
Northern Irish blues-rock band the Answer included their track on the 2008 game the popular installment. Lead musician the artist remembers the way the game revived older hits back into vogue: “The game offered a bigger, new demographic. Generally this had been seen as outdated material, however when it was featured on the game and teenagers were finding it, abruptly it was cool. This validated it, eliminating the ‘dad rock’ tag. It gave our catalog renewed popularity.”
In 2008, the band's debut album was still not available stateside, meaning Guitar Hero served as a primary platform for exposure for the band as they went on US tour supporting the rock giants. “The roadies were playing Never Too Late on the tour bus, and several knew us thanks to the game,” he notes.
Rock’s Heavyweight Titles Enduring Impact
Music's heavyweight names quickly capitalised on the series’ popularity, with Aerosmith, Metallica and others starring in specialized game editions that focused on each band’s catalogue and related lore, imagery and legendary status. In the case of, the Aerosmith edition, reportedly earned the band greater revenue than any of their records. It sold well over 500,000 copies upon release, and demand for their songs saw an increase of up to 40% during an era as the industry faced decline.
The series continues to inspire quick-handed fanaticism among its fans. Earlier this year, an online personality completed an impressive attempt featuring the challenging track – an infamously tough power-metal song popularized through the game – using a fan-made version, a no-cost alternative with almost identical mechanics but an array of personalization features. The song is difficult even in expert mode, let alone played at increased tempo and without missing a single one of its near 4,000 notes. They stated it took months of practice to accomplish.
“The game offers a, fantasy thing. Just as with Call of Duty, it doesn't imply you should pick up actual weapons and enlist,” says DragonForce guitarist Herman Li.
DragonForce previously completed a successful tour before their hit appeared on Guitar Hero III, but Li says it turned them into widely recognized. “I recall the record label informing us that our selling albums rapidly,” he says. “It exploded on the subsequent tour, and we were playing just before top acts on the Mayhem festival.”
Indeed, DragonForce’s exposure via the game proved so vast that it has risked eclipsing everything else accomplishments. Last year, the song featured 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 – everyone’s got a unique path in music and I'm pleased we’ve been part of people’s lives”.
The Lasting Legacy from the Plastic Guitar
Top-tier marketing, whether it’s for cars, clothes or games, extends beyond mere transactions – it inspires a desire. Was the game able to tap into that? “That’s exactly what our team aiming to achieve,” Dornbrook says. “That thrill of being a music icon in the spotlight. Since the beginning, the creators felt that there’s an instinctive human desire to create songs, and they wanted to leverage innovation to allow people to participate”.
Most installments came out in just a half-decade between 2005 and 2010, including derivative titles such as DJ Hero, including a spinning deck, and the band-focused game. Subsequently, corporate focus in plastic instruments waned, except for a short-lived revival several years later.
Titles like the fan project and Fortnite Festival have maintained the scene alive, with expectations of something from the founders on the way. A new studio has begun work on its debut rhythm-based title. Original co-founders are participating as special advisers. Is the world prepared to welcome another game following Guitar Hero?
“Our team believed such titles could be like Madden allowing annual releases,” Dornbrook says. “There’s so much new music it could remain evergreen, so I’ve always been hopeful. It's entirely possible for it to persist with new generations.”
