Marking two decades since the legendary game first launched in North America, giving everyday gamers the means to feel like a rock star. Not literally, though you'd be hard-pressed convincing anyone who has nailed Free Bird’s four-minute 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 display synchronized to the music. Each riff corresponded to particular chords, creating the sensation of an authentic performance.
The studio had already experimented with rhythm games before partnering with RedOctane, later purchased by Activision in 2006. Together, they established the foundations for an unlikely massively profitable series which made a significant impact for many of the artists featured, showcasing decades-old bands to a new generation of gaming enthusiasts.
A former executive, former COO from the developer, remembers the initial budgetary hurdles in securing the songs – despite the fact initial releases primarily featured rerecorded tracks.
“We reproduced all the music because the dollar figure prohibitive,” he explains. “Despite having the necessary permissions by themselves, it proved extremely difficult. We couldn’t get bands like the Who – the publisher had virtually no money, and we were fairly certain the project would flop. However, when the game took off, and record sales airtime increased, all artists desired to be in.”
He continues: “Among the remarkable aspects was how many parents reached out and thanked us for exposing their kids to the songs they adored. It evolved into a multigenerational phenomenon.”
Timeless Music Gains Younger Fans
Irish group the Answer included Never Too Late in the 2008 release the popular installment. Lead musician Paul Mahon remembers how the series revived older hits to the forefront: “Guitar Hero provided a bigger, new demographic. Typically such music was seen as music that was past it, however when it was included in the title and teenagers were finding it, suddenly it became trendy. This validated the genre, and got rid of the ‘dad rock’ label. It provided all our music a new life.”
At that time, the band's first record was still not available in the US, so Guitar Hero served as a primary platform of discovery for the group as they went on a North American tour supporting AC/DC. “Their crew were playing Never Too Late on the tour bus, and some of them recognized us thanks to the game,” he notes.
Rock’s Heavyweight Spin-offs Enduring Influence
Music's heavyweight names quickly took advantage of the game's success, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and others featuring in dedicated game editions that focused on their music collections and associated stories, imagery and legendary status. In the case of, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, reportedly earned the band more money compared to their studio albums. It moved more than 500,000 copies in its first week, while demand for their songs rose significantly at a time when the music business faced decline.
The series still motivates quick-handed fanaticism among its fans. Earlier this year, a streamer achieved a remarkable feat of DragonForce’s Through the Fire and Flames – an infamously tough power-metal song made popular by Guitar Hero – on Clone Hero, a no-cost alternative with similar mechanics and extensive customisation options. The song is challenging enough on the hardest setting, not to mention performed at double speed and without missing every one of the thousands of cues. The streamer stated requiring nine months to accomplish.
“The game is a fun, fantasy thing. Just as with Call of Duty, that doesn’t mean you ought to pick up actual weapons and enlist,” notes DragonForce guitarist the artist.
DragonForce previously completed a successful tour before Through the Fire and Flames appeared in the third game, but Li says it turned them into a household name. “I remember our distributors calling to tell me that our selling albums rapidly,” he says. “Popularity surged when we next toured, and we were playing right ahead of the headliners at the event.”
Indeed, the band's visibility from Guitar Hero proved so vast that it risked overshadow all other the band has done. Recently, the song featured in promotional material for a major film. “In the past I felt differently, but now I accept it,” he admits. “Should you just hear one DragonForce song, it’s totally cool – each person has a unique path in music and I’m glad we played a role in fans' experiences”.
The Lasting Legacy of a Iconic Controller
Top-tier promotion, be it for cars, clothes or games, goes further than selling something – it evokes a desire. Was the game able to tap into that? “Precisely what we were aiming to achieve,” he confirms. “That thrill of performing as a music icon in the spotlight. Since the beginning, the co-founders believed there’s an instinctive human desire to make music, and they wanted to use technology to enable everyone to do it”.
Most of Guitar Hero games were released in just a five-year period between 2005 and 2010, including derivative titles such as the DJ version, including a turntable controller, and Band Hero. Subsequently, corporate focus on peripherals died down, aside from a brief comeback in 2015.
Games like the fan project and Fortnite Festival have maintained the community active, and there’s set to be a new product from the original publisher on the way. Recently formed developers has entered work on their first music game. The initial creators are participating in advisory roles. Are gamers prepared to welcome a new entry following Guitar Hero?
“Our team believed such titles might become similar to sports games allowing annual update every year,” he remarks. “There’s so much fresh tracks it could remain perennially popular, so I’ve always been optimistic. There’s no reason why it can’t continue with new generations.”
