Marking 20 years after the legendary game hit the market in North America, offering players everywhere the opportunity to feel like rock legends. Not literally, but try convincing someone who has nailed Free Bird’s lengthy instrumental break in front of a packed living-room audience.
Developed by Harmonix, the game provided users with a plastic guitar peripheral to match coloured notes moving along the screen synchronized to the music. Each riff mimicked particular chords, creating the sensation of an authentic live show.
Harmonix previously tried its hand in the music genre before partnering with RedOctane, which was purchased by the gaming giant in 2006. Together, they laid the groundwork for a surprising massively profitable series that had a remarkable influence on numerous of the artists included, showcasing classic groups to a new generation of gaming enthusiasts.
Michael Dornbrook, former COO from the developer, recalls the initial financial challenges in securing the recordings – even though initial releases primarily featured cover versions.
“We reproduced every song because the cost prohibitive,” he says. “Despite having the necessary permissions alone, it proved nearly impossible. We couldn’t get bands like legendary groups – RedOctane was operating on a shoestring budget, and we were fairly certain the project would flop. However, when Guitar Hero took off, and record sales airtime increased, everyone wanted to be in.”
He adds: “One of the remarkable aspects was how many mothers and fathers got in touch and thanked us for introducing their children to the songs they loved. It evolved into a multigenerational phenomenon.”
Timeless Music Finds Younger Fans
Irish blues-rock band the Answer included Never Too Late in the 2008 release Guitar Hero World Tour. Guitarist Paul Mahon remembers the way the game brought older hits back into vogue: “Guitar Hero 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, suddenly it became trendy. This validated the genre, eliminating the outdated tag. It provided our catalog a new life.”
In 2008, the Answer’s debut album was still unreleased in the US, so the game served as a primary platform for exposure for the group during their US tour supporting the rock giants. “Their crew had on Never Too Late during travel, and some of them recognized us from Guitar Hero,” he notes.
Rock’s Heavyweight Titles and Lasting Impact
Rock’s heavyweight names quickly took advantage of the series’ popularity, with Aerosmith, Metallica and others featuring in specialized spin-off titles centered around their music collections and related stories, visuals and rock’n’roll mythology. In the case of, the Aerosmith edition, reportedly to have made the band more money than any of their records. It moved well over half a million copies upon release, and sales of Aerosmith’s music rose of up to 40% at a time when the music business was already collapsing.
The series continues to inspire quick-handed dedication within the community. Earlier this year, an online personality completed an impressive attempt of DragonForce’s the challenging track – a notoriously difficult anthem made popular by Guitar Hero – on Clone Hero, a freeware game with almost identical gameplay but an array of personalization features. This track is challenging enough on expert mode, not to mention performed at double speed while hitting a single one of its near 4,000 notes. They claimed requiring months of practice of practice.
“The game is a fun, imaginary experience. If you play Call of Duty, it doesn't imply you ought to use a real gun and enlist,” notes musician Herman Li.
DragonForce previously completed a successful tour when their hit was featured in the third game, yet he explains it turned them into widely recognized. “I recall our distributors informing us that we were records were moving like crazy,” he shares. “It exploded when we next toured, and we performed right ahead of the headliners on the Mayhem festival.”
In fact, DragonForce’s exposure via the game was so immense that it has threatened to overshadow everything else accomplishments. Last year, the song featured in a trailer for a major film. “Previously I thought otherwise, but I’ve made peace with it,” he admits. “Should you just listen to one DragonForce song, that's fine – each person has their own path in music and I'm pleased we’ve been part in fans' experiences”.
The Lasting Legacy from the Iconic Controller
The best promotion, whether it’s for cars, apparel or video games, goes further mere transactions – it evokes a longing. Did Guitar Hero tap into that? “That’s exactly what we were aiming to achieve,” Dornbrook says. “That thrill of performing as a music icon in the spotlight. Since the beginning, the co-founders felt that humans have a natural human desire to make music, and they wanted to leverage innovation to allow people to participate”.
Most of Guitar Hero games came out over a mere five-year period between 2005 and 2010, featuring derivative titles such as the DJ version, complete with a spinning deck, and Band Hero. After that, corporate focus in plastic instruments died down, aside from a short-lived revival in 2015.
Games such as the fan project and newer releases have kept the scene active, with expectations of something from the founders in development. Recently formed developers has entered work on its debut music game. Original co-founders are both involved in advisory roles. Are gamers ready to embrace another game in the spirit of the classic?
“Our team believed such titles could be like Madden allowing annual update every year,” he remarks. “With abundant new music it could remain perennially popular, thus I remain hopeful. It's entirely possible for it to persist for future fans.”
