It has been 20 years after the legendary game first launched in North America, offering everyday gamers the means to feel like rock legends. Not in reality, but try telling that anyone who has nailed Free Bird’s four-minute instrumental break before a packed living-room audience.
Developed by Harmonix, Guitar Hero provided users with a plastic guitar peripheral to follow coloured notes moving along the display in time with the music. Each riff mimicked particular chords, producing the feel of an authentic performance.
The studio had already tried its hand in the music genre before partnering with the publisher, later acquired by Activision in 2006. Together, they established the foundations for a surprising billion-dollar franchise which made a significant impact on numerous of the artists featured, introducing classic bands to a new generation of gaming enthusiasts.
Michael Dornbrook, ex-chief operating officer of Harmonix, remembers the initial financial challenges of licensing the songs – even though the first two games primarily featured cover versions.
“We rerecorded every song since the cost was so high,” he says. “Even with the necessary permissions by themselves, it proved nearly impossible. We couldn’t get bands like the Who – RedOctane had virtually no money, and we were pretty convinced the project would flop. However, when Guitar Hero became a hit, album purchases airtime increased, everyone wanted to be in.”
He adds: “Among the remarkable aspects was how many parents reached out expressing gratitude for introducing their kids to the songs they loved. It became a multigenerational thing.”
Classic Rock Gains Younger Fans
Irish blues-rock band the Answer included Never Too Late in the 2008 release Guitar Hero World Tour. Lead musician the artist remembers how the series revived older hits back into vogue: “The game offered a larger, younger audience. Typically this had been considered outdated material, however when it was featured on the title young people were finding it, abruptly it became trendy. That legitimised the genre, and got rid of the ‘dad rock’ label. It gave our catalog renewed popularity.”
At that time, the Answer’s first record remained unreleased stateside, so Guitar Hero served as a primary platform of discovery for the group during their US tour supporting AC/DC. “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 and Lasting Influence
Rock’s biggest acts quickly took advantage of the series’ popularity, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and others starring in specialized spin-off titles centered around each band’s catalogue and associated stories, visuals and legendary status. In the case of, the Aerosmith edition, reportedly earned the band greater revenue compared to their records. It sold well over 500,000 units in its first week, and demand for Aerosmith’s music rose of up to 40% during an era when the music business was already collapsing.
The series continues to inspire quick-handed fanaticism within the community. Earlier this year, a streamer completed a remarkable feat of DragonForce’s the challenging track – a notoriously difficult anthem popularized through the game – using a fan-made version, a freeware game with similar mechanics but an array of customisation options. The song is challenging enough on the hardest setting, let alone performed at increased tempo and without missing a single one of the thousands of cues. They claimed requiring months of practice of practice.
“Guitar Hero offers a, imaginary experience. Just as with Call of Duty, that doesn’t mean you should use actual weapons and go to war,” notes musician the artist.
The band had already wrapped up a profitable run when their hit was featured on Guitar Hero III, yet he explains it turned them into widely recognized. “I recall our distributors calling to tell me that our selling albums like crazy,” he says. “Popularity surged on the subsequent tour, and we were playing right ahead of top acts at the event.”
Indeed, the band's visibility from Guitar Hero proved so vast that it has threatened to overshadow all other accomplishments. Recently, the song featured in a trailer for Despicable Me 4. “Previously I felt differently, but I’ve made peace with it,” Li says. “If you only hear one DragonForce song, that's fine – each person has a unique musical journey and I'm pleased we played a role in fans' experiences”.
The Lasting Legacy of a Plastic Guitar
Top-tier promotion, whether it’s for automobiles, apparel or video games, extends beyond than selling something – it inspires a desire. Did Guitar Hero harness this? “Precisely what we were trying to create,” he confirms. “The excitement of being a rock star in the spotlight. From day one, the creators believed there’s an instinctive human desire to make music, and they wanted to use technology to allow people to do it”.
Most of Guitar Hero games came out over a mere half-decade from 2005 to 2010, featuring derivative titles such as the DJ version, including a turntable controller, and Band Hero. Subsequently, corporate focus in plastic instruments died down, aside from a brief comeback several years later.
Games like the fan project and newer releases have kept the community active, and there’s set to be something from the founders in development. A new studio has entered work 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 such titles might become similar to sports games where you can releases,” Dornbrook says. “With abundant fresh tracks it could remain evergreen, thus I remain hopeful. It's entirely possible why it can’t continue with new generations.”
