Marking 20 years since the legendary game hit the market across the Atlantic, giving everyday gamers the means to become rock legends. Not literally, though you'd be hard-pressed telling that anyone who has nailed Free Bird’s four-minute guitar solo before an enthusiastic crowd of friends.
Created by Harmonix, the game gave players a plastic guitar peripheral to follow on-screen cues scrolling down the display synchronized to the music. Every sequence mimicked specific notes, creating the sensation of an authentic live show.
Harmonix had already tried its hand in the music genre prior to teaming up with the publisher, which was acquired by Activision during the mid-2000s. Together, they established the groundwork for an unlikely massively profitable franchise which made a significant impact for many musicians included, showcasing decades-old groups to millions of gaming enthusiasts.
A former executive, former COO of Harmonix, remembers the initial financial challenges of licensing the recordings – even though the first two games mostly used cover versions.
“We rerecorded all the music since the dollar figure prohibitive,” he says. “Despite having the necessary permissions alone, it proved extremely difficult. We failed to secure bands like legendary groups – RedOctane was operating on a shoestring budget, and we were fairly certain the project would flop. However, when Guitar Hero became a hit, and record sales airtime were going up, everyone wanted to participate.”
He adds: “One of the amazing things was the number of mothers and fathers got in touch expressing gratitude for exposing their kids to the music they adored. It became an intergenerational thing.”
Classic Rock Finds a New Audience
Irish blues-rock band one featured act included Never Too Late in the 2008 release the popular installment. Lead musician the artist remembers the way the game brought older hits back into vogue: “The game provided a larger, younger audience. Typically this had been considered music that was past it, however when it was featured on the game young people discovered it, abruptly it was cool. That legitimised it, eliminating the outdated tag. It gave our catalog renewed popularity.”
At that time, the band's first record was still not available stateside, meaning the game was a key medium for exposure for the group as they went on US tour supporting the rock giants. “Their crew had on Never Too Late on the tour bus, and some of them knew us thanks to the game,” Mahon says.
Rock’s Heavyweight Titles Enduring Influence
Music's biggest acts quickly took advantage of the series’ popularity, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and others starring in specialized game editions that focused on each band’s catalogue and associated stories, visuals and legendary status. For example, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, it was said to have made the band more money than any of their studio albums. It sold more than 500,000 copies in its first week, and sales of Aerosmith’s music rose of up to 40% during an era as the industry faced decline.
Guitar Hero still motivates nimble-fingered dedication within the community. Recently, a streamer completed an impressive attempt featuring the challenging track – an infamously tough power-metal song popularized through Guitar Hero – using a fan-made version, a freeware game with similar gameplay but an array of personalization features. This track is challenging enough on expert mode, let alone played at double speed while hitting every one of the thousands of cues. They stated it took nine months of practice.
“Guitar Hero is a fun, fantasy thing. Just as with other games, it doesn't imply you ought to pick up actual weapons and enlist,” notes DragonForce guitarist the artist.
DragonForce previously completed a profitable run before their hit was featured on Guitar Hero III, but Li says it turned them into widely recognized. “I recall the record label calling to tell me that our records were moving rapidly,” he says. “Popularity surged on the subsequent tour, 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 threatened to eclipsing all other the band has done. Last year, the track featured in promotional material for a major film. “In the past I felt otherwise, but I’ve made peace with it,” Li says. “If you only hear a single track, that's fine – everyone’s got their own path in music and I'm pleased we’ve been part of people’s lives”.
The Lasting Impact from the Iconic Controller
Top-tier marketing, whether it’s for cars, clothes or games, goes further than selling something – it evokes a longing. Did Guitar Hero tap into that? “Precisely what our team trying to create,” he confirms. “That thrill of being a rock star on the stage. From day one, the co-founders believed humans have a natural urge to make music, and they wanted to use technology to enable everyone to participate”.
The majority installments were released over a mere five-year period from 2005 to 2010, featuring derivative titles like the DJ version, including a turntable controller, and the band-focused game. After that, the publisher’s interest on peripherals died down, aside from a short-lived revival in 2015.
Games such as the fan project and Fortnite Festival have kept the scene alive, with expectations of a new product from the founders on the way. A new studio has begun production on their first music game. Original co-founders are participating in advisory roles. Are gamers ready to embrace another game following Guitar Hero?
“Our team believed those games might become similar to sports games allowing annual releases,” Dornbrook says. “There’s so much fresh tracks that it could be evergreen, thus I remain hopeful. It's entirely possible why it can’t persist with new generations.”
