It has been two decades after the legendary game first launched across the Atlantic, providing players everywhere the opportunity to become a rock star. Not literally, but try convincing someone who has mastered Free Bird’s lengthy instrumental break in front of a packed living-room audience.
Created by the developers, the game gave players a guitar-shaped controller to match on-screen cues scrolling down the screen in time with the music. Each riff corresponded to specific notes, creating the feel of a genuine performance.
The studio previously tried its hand in the music genre prior to teaming up with RedOctane, which was purchased by Activision in 2006. Together, they laid the foundations for an unlikely billion-dollar series that had a significant impact on numerous musicians included, introducing decades-old bands to a new generation of younger players.
A former executive, former COO from the developer, remembers the early budgetary hurdles in securing the songs – even though the first two games mostly used rerecorded tracks.
“We rerecorded all the music since the dollar figure was so high,” he says. “Despite having the necessary permissions alone, it was nearly impossible. We failed to secure acts such as the Who – RedOctane was operating on a shoestring budget, and our team was fairly certain the project would flop. But once the game took off, and record sales and radio play were going up, all artists desired to be in.”
He adds: “One of the remarkable aspects was how many parents reached out expressing gratitude for exposing their children to the music they adored. It evolved into a multigenerational thing.”
Classic Rock Finds a New Audience
Irish blues-rock band the Answer had Never Too Late on the 2008 game the popular installment. Guitarist Paul Mahon remembers how the series revived classic rock back into vogue: “Guitar Hero provided a larger, new demographic. Generally this had been considered outdated material, but then when it was featured on the game and teenagers were finding it, abruptly it was cool. That legitimised the genre, and got rid of the outdated label. It gave our catalog a new life.”
At that time, the band's first record remained unreleased in the US, meaning Guitar Hero was a key medium for exposure for the band as they went on a North American tour opening for AC/DC. “Their crew were playing Never Too Late on the tour bus, and some of them recognized us from Guitar Hero,” Mahon says.
Rock’s Heavyweight Spin-offs and Lasting Influence
Rock’s biggest acts quickly took advantage of the series’ popularity, with Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen featuring in specialized spin-off titles that focused on their music collections and associated stories, visuals and rock’n’roll mythology. For example, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, it was said earned the band greater revenue than any of their records. It sold more than 500,000 units in its first week, while sales of their songs saw an increase significantly during an era as the industry was already collapsing.
The series still motivates quick-handed dedication within the community. Recently, a streamer achieved an impressive attempt of DragonForce’s the challenging track – an infamously tough power-metal song popularized through Guitar Hero – using a fan-made version, a no-cost alternative with similar mechanics and extensive customisation options. This track is challenging even in expert mode, let alone performed at double speed while hitting a single one of the thousands of cues. They claimed it took months of practice to accomplish.
“The game is a fun, imaginary experience. If you play other games, that doesn’t mean you ought to pick up a real gun and enlist,” says musician the artist.
The band had already completed a successful tour before their hit was featured on Guitar Hero III, but Li says it turned them into a household name. “I remember the record label calling to tell me that our records were moving rapidly,” he shares. “Popularity surged when we next toured, and we were playing right ahead of top acts at the event.”
In fact, the band's visibility via the game proved so vast that it risked eclipsing all other the band has done. Last year, the track featured in promotional material for Despicable Me 4. “Previously I felt otherwise, but now I accept it,” Li says. “Should you just hear a single track, that's fine – each person has their own musical journey and I’m glad we played a role of people’s lives”.
Enduring Legacy from the Plastic Guitar
Top-tier promotion, whether it’s for cars, apparel or games, extends beyond mere transactions – it inspires a longing. Was the game able to tap into that? “Precisely what our team aiming to achieve,” Dornbrook says. “That thrill of being a music icon in the spotlight. From day one, the co-founders believed there’s an instinctive human desire to create songs, and their goal was to use technology to allow people to do it”.
Most installments came out over a mere half-decade from 2005 to 2010, featuring spin-offs such as DJ Hero, including a spinning deck, and Band Hero. After that, the publisher’s interest in plastic instruments died down, aside from a brief comeback several years later.
Titles like the fan project and Fortnite Festival have maintained the scene alive, and there’s expectations of something from the original publisher on the way. A new studio has begun production on their first music game. 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 like Madden where you can releases,” Dornbrook says. “There’s so much fresh tracks that it could be evergreen, so I’ve always been hopeful. There’s no reason why it can’t continue with new generations.”
