It has been two decades after Guitar Hero debuted in North America, providing players everywhere the opportunity to become rock legends. Not literally, but try convincing anyone who has mastered Free Bird’s lengthy instrumental break before an enthusiastic crowd of friends.
Created by the developers, Guitar Hero gave players a plastic guitar peripheral to match coloured notes scrolling down the screen synchronized to the music. Every sequence mimicked particular chords, producing the sensation of a genuine live show.
Harmonix previously tried its hand in the music genre before partnering with RedOctane, later acquired by Activision in 2006. Collaboratively, they laid the foundations for an unlikely billion-dollar series which made a significant impact on numerous of the artists included, introducing decades-old groups to millions of gaming enthusiasts.
A former executive, former COO from the developer, remembers the early financial challenges in securing the recordings – even though initial releases mostly used rerecorded tracks.
“We rerecorded every song because the dollar figure was so high,” he says. “Despite having the necessary permissions by themselves, it was nearly impossible. We failed to secure bands like legendary groups – RedOctane had virtually no money, and we were fairly certain it would fail. But once the game became a hit, and record sales airtime increased, everyone wanted to participate.”
He continues: “Among the remarkable aspects was how many parents reached out expressing gratitude for introducing their children to the music they loved. It became a multigenerational thing.”
Timeless Music Finds a New Audience
Northern Irish group the Answer included their track on the 2008 game the popular installment. Guitarist the artist recalls how the series brought classic rock back into vogue: “The game offered a bigger, new demographic. Typically such music was considered music that was past it, but then when it was featured on the title young people were finding it, abruptly it was cool. That legitimised it, eliminating the outdated tag. It gave our catalog a new life.”
In 2008, the band's debut album was still not available stateside, meaning Guitar Hero served as a primary platform of discovery for the band as they went on US tour supporting AC/DC. “Their crew had on Never Too Late on the tour bus, and some of them recognized us from Guitar Hero,” he notes.
Rock’s Heavyweight Spin-offs Enduring Impact
Rock’s biggest acts quickly capitalised on the series’ popularity, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen starring in dedicated spin-off titles that focused on each band’s catalogue and related lore, imagery and legendary status. In the case of, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, reportedly to have made the group greater revenue compared to their records. It sold more than half a million units in its first week, while sales of their songs saw an increase of up to 40% during an era when the music business faced decline.
Guitar Hero still motivates quick-handed fanaticism among its fans. Recently, a streamer achieved an impressive attempt featuring the challenging track – a notoriously difficult power-metal song made popular by Guitar Hero – on Clone Hero, a freeware game with similar gameplay and extensive personalization features. The song is difficult even in the hardest setting, let alone performed at increased tempo while hitting a single one of the thousands of cues. They stated requiring nine months to accomplish.
“The game is a fun, fantasy thing. If you play other games, it doesn't imply you should use a real gun and enlist,” says DragonForce guitarist Herman Li.
DragonForce had already completed a profitable run before their hit was featured in the third game, but Li says it turned them into widely recognized. “I remember our distributors calling to tell me that our records were moving like crazy,” he says. “It exploded when we next toured, and we performed just before the headliners at the event.”
Indeed, 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 a trailer for Despicable Me 4. “In the past I thought otherwise, but I’ve made peace with it,” Li says. “If you only hear a single track, that's fine – everyone’s got a unique musical journey and I'm pleased we played a role in fans' experiences”.
The Lasting Legacy of a Plastic Guitar
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? “That’s exactly what we were trying to create,” he confirms. “That thrill of performing as a music icon on the stage. From day one, the creators believed humans have a natural human desire to make music, and they wanted to use technology to allow people to participate”.
Most installments were released over a mere five-year period from 2005 to 2010, including derivative titles like the DJ version, complete with a turntable controller, and the band-focused game. After that, the publisher’s interest in plastic instruments waned, aside from a short-lived revival in 2015.
Games like Clone Hero and Fortnite Festival have maintained the scene alive, and there’s set to be something from the original publisher on the way. Recently formed developers has entered production on its debut rhythm-based title. The initial creators are participating as special advisers. Is the world prepared to welcome a new entry following the classic?
“Our team believed those games might become similar to sports games allowing annual releases,” Dornbrook says. “With abundant new music it could remain evergreen, so I’ve always been optimistic. It's entirely possible for it to continue with new generations.”
