It has been two decades since Guitar Hero first launched across the Atlantic, providing everyday gamers the opportunity to become rock legends. Not in reality, but try convincing anyone who's nailed Free Bird’s four-minute instrumental break in front of an enthusiastic crowd of friends.
Created by the developers, the game gave players a guitar-shaped controller to follow on-screen cues scrolling down the screen synchronized to a song. Each riff mimicked particular chords, creating the feel of a genuine live show.
The studio previously tried its hand with rhythm games prior to teaming up with the publisher, which was acquired by the gaming giant in 2006. Collaboratively, they established the groundwork for a surprising massively profitable franchise that had a remarkable impact for many musicians featured, introducing decades-old bands to a new generation of gaming enthusiasts.
Michael Dornbrook, ex-chief operating officer from the developer, recalls the initial budgetary hurdles of licensing the recordings – even though the first two games mostly used cover versions.
“We reproduced every song since the cost was so high,” he explains. “Even with the necessary permissions by themselves, it proved extremely difficult. We couldn’t get acts such as legendary groups – RedOctane had virtually no money, and we were fairly certain the project would flop. However, when Guitar Hero took off, album purchases airtime increased, all artists desired to be in.”
He continues: “One of the amazing things was the number of mothers and fathers reached out and thanked us for introducing their kids to the songs they loved. It evolved into an intergenerational thing.”
Timeless Music Gains a New Audience
Northern Irish blues-rock band the Answer included their track in the 2008 release the popular installment. Guitarist the artist remembers how the series brought classic rock to the forefront: “The game offered a bigger, new demographic. Typically this had been considered music that was past it, however when it was included in the title young people discovered it, abruptly it became trendy. This validated the genre, and got rid of the ‘dad rock’ label. It gave all our music renewed popularity.”
In 2008, the Answer’s first record remained not available in the US, so the game served as a primary platform for exposure for the group as they went on a North American tour opening for AC/DC. “Their crew had on Never Too Late on the tour bus, and several recognized us thanks to the game,” Mahon says.
Rock’s Heavyweight Spin-offs and Lasting Impact
Music's heavyweight names quickly took advantage of the series’ popularity, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen starring in specialized game editions centered around their music collections and related lore, visuals and rock’n’roll mythology. In the case of, the Aerosmith edition, reportedly earned the band greater revenue than any of their records. It moved more than 500,000 units in its first week, while sales of Aerosmith’s music saw an increase significantly during an era as the industry was already collapsing.
The series still motivates nimble-fingered fanaticism within the community. Recently, a streamer completed a remarkable feat featuring Through the Fire and Flames – a notoriously difficult anthem popularized through Guitar Hero – using a fan-made version, a no-cost alternative with almost identical gameplay and extensive personalization features. The song is difficult enough on the hardest setting, let alone played at increased tempo while hitting a single one of the thousands of cues. They claimed requiring nine months to accomplish.
“Guitar Hero offers a, imaginary experience. If you play other games, that doesn’t mean you ought to pick up a real gun and go to war,” notes musician Herman Li.
The band had already completed a successful tour before Through the Fire and Flames was featured on Guitar Hero III, yet he explains it made them widely recognized. “I recall the record label informing us that our records were moving like crazy,” he shares. “It exploded when we next toured, and we were playing just before top acts on the Mayhem festival.”
Indeed, the band's visibility from Guitar Hero proved so vast that it has risked eclipsing all other the band has done. Recently, the song featured in a trailer for a major film. “In the past I thought otherwise, but I’ve made peace with it,” he admits. “If you only listen to one DragonForce song, it’s totally cool – everyone’s got their own musical journey and I'm pleased we’ve been part in fans' experiences”.
The Lasting Legacy of a Iconic Controller
Top-tier marketing, be it for cars, apparel or video games, goes further mere transactions – it inspires a longing. Did Guitar Hero tap into that? “Precisely what we were trying to create,” he confirms. “The excitement of performing as a rock star on the stage. From day one, the co-founders believed humans have a natural urge to make music, and their goal was to use technology to allow people to participate”.
The majority of Guitar Hero games were released over a mere half-decade from 2005 to 2010, including derivative titles such as the DJ version, including a spinning deck, and the band-focused game. After that, corporate focus in plastic instruments died down, except for a brief comeback several years later.
Games such as the fan project and Fortnite Festival have kept the community alive, with expectations of something from the founders on the way. A new studio has begun production on their first rhythm-based title. The initial creators are participating in advisory roles. Are gamers ready to embrace another game in the spirit of Guitar Hero?
“Our team believed those games could be similar to sports games allowing annual update every year,” Dornbrook says. “With abundant fresh tracks that it could be perennially popular, so I’ve always been optimistic. It's entirely possible for it to persist for future fans.”
