It has been 20 years after Guitar Hero hit the market across the Atlantic, offering players everywhere the opportunity to feel like a rock star. Not in reality, but try telling that anyone who has mastered Free Bird’s lengthy guitar solo in front of an enthusiastic crowd of friends.
Developed by the developers, the game provided users with a guitar-shaped controller to follow on-screen cues scrolling down the screen in time with a song. Every sequence mimicked specific notes, producing the feel of a genuine performance.
Harmonix previously tried its hand in the music genre before partnering with the publisher, later purchased by the gaming giant in 2006. Together, they established the foundations for an unlikely billion-dollar franchise that had a remarkable impact for many of the artists included, introducing classic bands to a new generation of younger players.
A former executive, former COO from the developer, recalls the early budgetary hurdles of licensing the recordings – despite the fact initial releases primarily featured rerecorded tracks.
“We reproduced all the music since the dollar figure was so high,” he says. “Even with the publishing rights by themselves, it was nearly impossible. We failed to secure bands like the Who – the publisher had virtually no money, and we were pretty convinced the project would flop. However, when Guitar Hero took off, and record sales airtime were going up, all artists desired to participate.”
He continues: “One of the remarkable aspects was the number of parents got in touch and thanked us for exposing their children to the songs they loved. It evolved into a multigenerational phenomenon.”
Classic Rock Gains Younger Fans
Irish group the Answer had Never Too Late on the 2008 game Guitar Hero World Tour. Guitarist the artist recalls how the series brought classic rock back into vogue: “The game provided a larger, younger audience. Generally this had been seen as outdated material, however once it got included in the title and teenagers discovered it, suddenly it became trendy. That legitimised it, and got rid of the outdated tag. It provided all our music a new life.”
At that time, the Answer’s debut album remained unreleased in the US, meaning the game served as a primary platform for exposure for the group as they went on US tour supporting AC/DC. “The roadies had on Never Too Late on the tour bus, and some of them knew us thanks to the game,” he notes.
Major Band Titles and Lasting Impact
Music's heavyweight names quickly capitalised on the series’ popularity, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen featuring in specialized spin-off titles that focused on their music collections and associated lore, visuals and rock’n’roll mythology. In the case of, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, reportedly earned the group more money compared to their studio albums. It sold well over half a million units in its first week, and demand for their songs saw an increase of up to 40% during an era when the music business was already collapsing.
The series continues to inspire nimble-fingered dedication within the community. Earlier this year, a streamer achieved an impressive attempt of DragonForce’s Through the Fire and Flames – a notoriously difficult anthem popularized through Guitar Hero – on Clone Hero, a freeware game with almost identical gameplay and extensive personalization features. This track is difficult enough on the hardest setting, let alone played at double speed and without missing every one of its near 4,000 notes. The streamer claimed it took nine months of practice.
“The game is a fun, fantasy thing. Just as with Call of Duty, it doesn't imply you ought to pick up actual weapons and enlist,” notes DragonForce guitarist the artist.
The band previously completed a profitable run when Through the Fire and Flames appeared on Guitar Hero III, but Li says it turned them into a household name. “I recall the record label informing us that we were records were moving like crazy,” he shares. “It exploded when we next toured, and we were playing right ahead of the headliners on the Mayhem festival.”
In fact, the band's visibility via the game was so immense that it risked eclipsing all other accomplishments. Recently, the track was used in promotional material for Despicable Me 4. “In the past I felt differently, but I’ve made peace with it,” Li says. “If you only hear one DragonForce song, it’s totally cool – each person has their own musical journey and I'm pleased we’ve been part in fans' experiences”.
Enduring Impact from the Plastic Guitar
The best promotion, whether it’s for automobiles, apparel or video games, extends beyond mere transactions – it inspires a longing. Was the game able to harness this? “Precisely what we were trying to create,” he confirms. “That thrill of performing as a rock star on the stage. Since the beginning, the creators felt that humans have a natural urge to create songs, and they wanted to leverage innovation to enable everyone to do it”.
Most installments were released over a mere half-decade between 2005 and 2010, including spin-offs like DJ Hero, complete with a turntable controller, and Band Hero. Subsequently, corporate focus on peripherals died down, except for a short-lived revival in 2015.
Titles such as Clone Hero and Fortnite Festival have kept the scene alive, with expectations of a new product from the founders on the way. A new studio has entered production on their first rhythm-based title. Original co-founders are both involved as special advisers. Are gamers prepared to welcome another game in the spirit of Guitar Hero?
“Our team believed those games might become similar to sports games allowing annual update every year,” he remarks. “With abundant fresh tracks that it could be evergreen, thus I remain optimistic. It's entirely possible for it to persist for future fans.”
