Marking 20 years after the legendary game first launched across the Atlantic, giving everyday gamers the tools to feel like rock legends. Not literally, though you'd be hard-pressed telling that anyone who has nailed Free Bird’s four-minute instrumental break before an enthusiastic crowd of friends.
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 a song. Each riff corresponded to specific notes, producing the sensation of an authentic performance.
The studio had already experimented in the music genre before partnering with the publisher, later purchased by Activision in 2006. Together, they laid the foundations for a surprising billion-dollar series that had a significant influence for many musicians included, showcasing classic bands to millions of younger players.
A former executive, ex-chief operating officer from the developer, recalls the early budgetary hurdles of licensing the songs – even though the first two games primarily featured cover versions.
“We reproduced every song because the cost prohibitive,” he explains. “Despite having the publishing rights alone, it proved nearly impossible. We couldn’t get acts such as legendary groups – the publisher was operating on a shoestring budget, and we were fairly certain it would fail. But once Guitar Hero became a hit, album purchases airtime increased, all artists desired to be in.”
He continues: “One of the remarkable aspects was how many parents got in touch expressing gratitude for introducing their children to the music they adored. It became an intergenerational phenomenon.”
Timeless Music Finds Younger Fans
Irish blues-rock band the Answer had Never Too Late in the 2008 release Guitar Hero World Tour. Lead musician Paul Mahon remembers how the series brought classic rock to the forefront: “Guitar Hero provided a larger, younger audience. Generally this had been considered music that was past it, however when it was featured on the title and teenagers were finding it, suddenly it was cool. That legitimised it, and got rid of the outdated label. It gave our catalog renewed popularity.”
In 2008, the band's first record was still not available in the US, so Guitar Hero was a key medium of discovery for the group during their a North American tour opening for AC/DC. “Their crew had on Never Too Late during travel, and several recognized us from Guitar Hero,” he notes.
Rock’s Heavyweight Spin-offs and Lasting Impact
Rock’s biggest acts quickly took advantage of the game's success, with Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen starring in dedicated game editions that focused on their music collections and associated stories, imagery and rock’n’roll mythology. For example, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, reportedly to have made the band greater revenue than any of their studio albums. It sold well over 500,000 copies upon release, while sales of their songs saw an increase of up to 40% during an era as the industry faced decline.
Guitar Hero still motivates nimble-fingered fanaticism among its fans. Recently, an online personality achieved a remarkable feat of DragonForce’s Through the Fire and Flames – an infamously tough anthem popularized through the game – on Clone Hero, a freeware game with similar mechanics but an array of customisation options. This track is challenging even in the hardest setting, let alone played at double speed and without missing every one of its near 4,000 notes. They claimed it took months of practice of practice.
“Guitar Hero offers a, fantasy thing. If you play Call of Duty, it doesn't imply you should use a real gun and enlist,” says DragonForce guitarist the artist.
DragonForce previously completed a successful tour before Through the Fire and Flames was featured on Guitar Hero III, but Li says it made them a household name. “I recall the record label informing us that we were records were moving rapidly,” he shares. “Popularity surged when we next toured, and we were playing right ahead of top acts on the Mayhem festival.”
Indeed, the band's visibility from Guitar Hero was so immense that it risked eclipsing all other accomplishments. Last year, the song featured in a trailer for Despicable Me 4. “In the past I felt otherwise, but I’ve made peace with it,” Li says. “If you only listen to a single track, it’s totally cool – each person has their own path in music and I’m glad we’ve been part in fans' experiences”.
Enduring Impact from the Iconic Controller
The best promotion, be it for automobiles, clothes or games, goes further mere transactions – it evokes a desire. Did Guitar Hero harness this? “Precisely what our team aiming to achieve,” he confirms. “The excitement of performing as a rock star in the spotlight. Since the beginning, the co-founders felt that there’s an instinctive human desire to make music, and their goal was to leverage innovation to enable everyone to participate”.
Most of Guitar Hero games came out over a mere five-year period from 2005 to 2010, including spin-offs like DJ Hero, including a spinning deck, and Band Hero. Subsequently, the publisher’s interest on peripherals waned, except for a brief comeback in 2015.
Titles such as Clone Hero and Fortnite Festival have maintained the scene active, and there’s set to be something from the founders on the way. A new studio has entered production on its debut music game. Original co-founders are both involved as special advisers. Are gamers ready to embrace another game in the spirit of Guitar Hero?
“We thought those games might become similar to sports games allowing annual releases,” he remarks. “With abundant new music that it could be perennially popular, so I’ve always been hopeful. There’s no reason why it can’t persist with new generations.”
