Marking two decades since Guitar Hero first launched in North America, offering everyday gamers the opportunity to become a rock star. Figuratively speaking, but try convincing someone who has mastered Free Bird’s lengthy instrumental break in front of an enthusiastic crowd of friends.
Created by Harmonix, Guitar Hero gave players a plastic guitar peripheral to follow on-screen cues moving along the display in time with a song. Every sequence corresponded to specific notes, creating the sensation of an authentic performance.
The studio had already experimented with rhythm games before partnering with the publisher, which was acquired by Activision during the mid-2000s. Collaboratively, they laid the groundwork for a surprising massively profitable series which made a remarkable impact for many musicians included, introducing decades-old bands to a new generation of gaming enthusiasts.
A former executive, former COO of Harmonix, recalls the initial financial challenges in securing the recordings – even though initial releases primarily featured rerecorded tracks.
“We reproduced every song since the cost prohibitive,” he says. “Despite having the necessary permissions by themselves, it proved nearly impossible. We couldn’t get bands like legendary groups – the publisher was operating on a shoestring budget, and we were pretty convinced the project would flop. However, when Guitar Hero became a hit, album purchases airtime were going up, everyone wanted to be in.”
He adds: “Among the remarkable aspects was how many parents got in touch and thanked us for introducing their kids to the music they adored. It evolved into a multigenerational thing.”
Classic Rock Gains Younger Fans
Northern Irish blues-rock band one featured act had their track on the 2008 game Guitar Hero World Tour. Lead musician the artist recalls the way the game revived classic rock back into vogue: “The game offered a larger, new demographic. Generally this had been considered music that was past it, but then once it got included in the title young people discovered it, abruptly it was cool. That legitimised the genre, and got rid of the outdated tag. It provided our catalog renewed popularity.”
In 2008, the Answer’s debut album was still not available in the US, so the game was a key medium of discovery for the group as they went on a North American tour supporting the rock giants. “The roadies were playing Never Too Late on the tour bus, and some of them recognized us from Guitar Hero,” Mahon says.
Major Band Spin-offs Enduring Influence
Rock’s biggest acts quickly capitalised on the series’ popularity, with Aerosmith, Metallica and others starring in specialized spin-off titles centered around their music collections and related lore, visuals and rock’n’roll mythology. In the case of, the Aerosmith edition, it was said earned the group more money than any of their records. It sold well over half a million units in its first week, and sales of their songs saw an increase significantly at a time as the industry was already collapsing.
Guitar Hero still motivates quick-handed dedication among its fans. Recently, an online personality completed a remarkable feat of DragonForce’s 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 even in expert mode, let alone played at increased tempo and without missing every one of the thousands of cues. They stated it took nine months to accomplish.
“The game offers a, imaginary experience. If you play other games, that doesn’t mean you should use actual weapons and enlist,” notes musician Herman Li.
DragonForce had already completed a profitable run when Through the Fire and Flames was featured on Guitar Hero III, but Li says it turned them into a household name. “I recall our distributors calling to tell me that our selling albums rapidly,” he shares. “It exploded when we next toured, and we were playing just before top acts at the event.”
In fact, DragonForce’s exposure via the game proved so vast that it has threatened to overshadow everything else accomplishments. Recently, the song featured in promotional material for a major film. “Previously I thought otherwise, but now I accept it,” Li says. “Should you just listen to one DragonForce song, it’s totally cool – each person has a unique path in music and I’m glad we played a role in fans' experiences”.
Enduring Impact of a Plastic Guitar
Top-tier marketing, whether it’s for cars, apparel or games, goes further mere transactions – it evokes a desire. Did Guitar Hero tap into that? “That’s exactly what our team aiming to achieve,” Dornbrook says. “That thrill of performing as a music icon on the stage. Since the beginning, the co-founders felt that humans have a natural urge to create songs, and their goal was to use technology to allow people to participate”.
The majority installments came out in just a five-year period from 2005 to 2010, including spin-offs like DJ Hero, complete with a spinning deck, and Band Hero. Subsequently, the publisher’s interest on peripherals waned, aside from a brief comeback in 2015.
Games such as Clone Hero and Fortnite Festival have kept the scene alive, and there’s set to be something from the founders in development. Recently formed developers has begun work on its debut music game. Original co-founders are participating as special advisers. Are gamers ready to embrace another game in the spirit of Guitar Hero?
“Our team believed such titles might become similar to sports games where you can update every year,” Dornbrook says. “With abundant new music it could remain evergreen, so I’ve always been hopeful. There’s no reason why it can’t persist for future fans.”
