Marking 20 years after the legendary game hit the market across the Atlantic, providing players everywhere the tools to feel like rock legends. Figuratively speaking, though you'd be hard-pressed convincing someone who's mastered Free Bird’s lengthy guitar solo before a packed living-room audience.
Developed by the developers, the game provided users with a plastic guitar peripheral to follow on-screen cues scrolling down the display in time with the music. Each riff mimicked particular chords, creating the sensation of a genuine live show.
The studio had already experimented in the music genre prior to teaming up with the publisher, later purchased by Activision during the mid-2000s. Together, they established the foundations for an unlikely billion-dollar franchise that had a significant influence for many musicians featured, introducing classic bands to millions of younger players.
Michael Dornbrook, former COO of Harmonix, recalls the early financial challenges of licensing the recordings – despite the fact initial releases mostly used cover versions.
“We reproduced all the music since the cost was so high,” he explains. “Despite having the publishing rights alone, it was extremely difficult. We couldn’t get acts such as legendary groups – the publisher was operating on a shoestring budget, and our team was fairly certain it would fail. But once the game became a hit, album purchases airtime were going up, everyone wanted to be in.”
He continues: “One of the remarkable aspects was how many mothers and fathers got in touch and thanked us for introducing their kids to the music they loved. It evolved into an intergenerational phenomenon.”
Timeless Music Finds a New Audience
Irish group one featured act had their track in the 2008 release the popular installment. Lead musician Paul Mahon recalls how the series revived older hits back into vogue: “Guitar Hero provided a bigger, new demographic. Generally such music was seen as outdated material, however when it was featured on the title young people discovered it, suddenly it became trendy. That legitimised it, and got rid of the outdated tag. It provided our catalog a new life.”
At that time, the band's first record remained unreleased stateside, so Guitar Hero was a key medium for exposure for the band as they went on US tour opening for the rock giants. “The roadies had on the song during travel, and some of them recognized us from Guitar Hero,” Mahon says.
Major Band Spin-offs Enduring Influence
Music's biggest acts quickly took advantage of the series’ popularity, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and others featuring in dedicated spin-off titles centered around their music collections and associated lore, imagery and rock’n’roll mythology. For example, the Aerosmith edition, it was said earned the band more money compared to their records. It sold more than half a million units upon release, while sales of Aerosmith’s music rose significantly during an era as the industry was already collapsing.
The series continues to inspire quick-handed dedication among its fans. Earlier this year, an online personality achieved an impressive attempt featuring the challenging track – an infamously tough power-metal song popularized through Guitar Hero – on Clone Hero, a no-cost alternative with similar mechanics and extensive customisation options. The song is difficult even in expert mode, let alone performed at increased tempo while hitting a single one of the thousands of cues. The streamer stated it took months of practice to accomplish.
“The game offers a, fantasy thing. If you play other games, that doesn’t mean you should pick up a real gun and enlist,” notes DragonForce guitarist Herman Li.
The band had already wrapped up a profitable run before Through the Fire and Flames was featured on Guitar Hero III, but Li says it turned them into a household name. “I recall our distributors informing us that we were records were moving rapidly,” he says. “Popularity surged on the subsequent tour, and we were playing just before top acts on the Mayhem festival.”
In fact, the band's visibility via the game proved so vast that it risked eclipsing all other the band has done. Last year, the song was used in a trailer for Despicable Me 4. “Previously I felt otherwise, but now I accept it,” he admits. “If you only listen to a single track, it’s totally cool – everyone’s got a unique path in music and I'm pleased we’ve been part of people’s lives”.
Enduring Impact from the Iconic Controller
Top-tier marketing, whether it’s for cars, apparel or video games, goes further mere transactions – it evokes a desire. Did Guitar Hero harness this? “Precisely what we were trying to create,” he confirms. “That thrill of being a rock star in the spotlight. Since the beginning, the co-founders felt that humans have a natural urge to make music, and they wanted to leverage innovation to allow people to do it”.
The majority installments were released in just a five-year period between 2005 and 2010, featuring spin-offs like DJ Hero, including a spinning deck, and the band-focused game. After that, corporate focus on peripherals died down, aside from a short-lived revival in 2015.
Games like Clone Hero and newer releases have kept the scene active, and there’s set to be a new product from the original publisher on the way. Recently formed developers has entered production on their first rhythm-based title. The initial creators are both involved as special advisers. Is the world prepared to welcome a new entry in the spirit of Guitar Hero?
“Our team believed those games might become like Madden where you can update every year,” he remarks. “With abundant fresh tracks it could remain evergreen, so I’ve always been optimistic. It's entirely possible why it can’t continue with new generations.”
