It has been 20 years since Guitar Hero hit the market in North America, providing everyday gamers the tools to feel like rock legends. Not in reality, but try convincing anyone who has nailed Free Bird’s four-minute guitar solo before a packed living-room audience.
Created by the developers, Guitar Hero provided users with a plastic guitar peripheral to follow on-screen cues moving along the screen synchronized to the music. Each riff mimicked specific notes, creating the feel of an authentic live show.
The studio had already tried its hand with rhythm games before partnering with RedOctane, which was purchased by the gaming giant in 2006. Together, they laid the foundations for an unlikely billion-dollar franchise which made a remarkable influence for many of the artists featured, showcasing decades-old bands to millions of gaming enthusiasts.
A former executive, ex-chief operating officer from the developer, recalls the initial financial challenges of licensing the songs – despite the fact initial releases mostly used cover versions.
“We reproduced all the music since the dollar figure was so high,” he explains. “Despite having the necessary permissions alone, it was extremely difficult. We couldn’t get bands like the Who – RedOctane had virtually no money, and our team was pretty convinced the project would flop. However, when Guitar Hero became a hit, album purchases and radio play increased, everyone wanted to be in.”
He adds: “One of the amazing things was how many parents got in touch and thanked us for exposing their children to the songs they adored. It became a multigenerational phenomenon.”
Timeless Music Gains Younger Fans
Irish group one featured act included their track on the 2008 game Guitar Hero World Tour. Lead musician the artist recalls how the series brought older hits to the forefront: “The game provided a larger, younger audience. Typically such music was considered outdated material, but then once it got featured on the game young people discovered it, abruptly it was cool. This validated the genre, eliminating the ‘dad rock’ tag. It gave all our music a new life.”
In 2008, the Answer’s first record was still unreleased in the US, meaning Guitar Hero served as a primary platform of discovery for the group during their US tour supporting the rock giants. “The roadies had on the song on the tour bus, and several knew us thanks to the game,” Mahon says.
Major Band Titles Enduring Impact
Rock’s heavyweight names quickly capitalised on the series’ popularity, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen featuring in specialized spin-off titles that focused on their music collections and related stories, visuals and rock’n’roll mythology. For example, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, reportedly earned the band more money than any of their records. It sold well over 500,000 copies in its first week, while demand for their songs rose significantly during an era when the music business was already collapsing.
Guitar Hero still motivates quick-handed fanaticism among its fans. Recently, a streamer achieved a remarkable feat featuring the challenging track – a notoriously difficult power-metal song made popular by Guitar Hero – using a fan-made version, a no-cost alternative with similar gameplay but an array of customisation options. This track is challenging even in the hardest setting, let alone played at double speed while hitting a single one of its near 4,000 notes. They stated requiring months of practice to accomplish.
“The game is a fun, imaginary experience. Just as with Call of Duty, it doesn't imply you ought to pick up a real gun and go to war,” says DragonForce guitarist Herman Li.
DragonForce previously wrapped up a successful tour when their hit was featured in the third game, yet he explains it turned them into a household name. “I recall the record label informing us that our selling albums rapidly,” he shares. “It exploded on the subsequent tour, and we performed just before top acts on the Mayhem festival.”
Indeed, the band's visibility from Guitar Hero proved so vast that it has risked overshadow everything else accomplishments. Recently, the track featured in promotional material for Despicable Me 4. “Previously I felt otherwise, but I’ve made peace with it,” Li says. “If you only hear a single track, it’s totally cool – each person has a unique path in music and I'm pleased we played a role of people’s lives”.
Enduring Impact of a Iconic Controller
The best marketing, be it for cars, clothes or games, extends beyond than selling something – it inspires a desire. Was the game able to harness this? “Precisely what our team trying to create,” he confirms. “The excitement of performing as a rock star on the stage. Since the beginning, the co-founders believed there’s an instinctive urge to make music, and they wanted to leverage innovation to allow people to participate”.
The majority of Guitar Hero games came out in just a five-year period between 2005 and 2010, including derivative titles like the DJ version, including a turntable controller, and Band Hero. Subsequently, corporate focus in plastic instruments died down, except for a short-lived revival in 2015.
Games like the fan project and Fortnite Festival have kept the community active, and there’s set to be something from the founders on the way. A new studio has entered work 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 update every year,” he remarks. “There’s so much fresh tracks it could remain evergreen, so I’ve always been optimistic. It's entirely possible for it to persist for future fans.”
