Marking 20 years since Guitar Hero hit the market in North America, offering everyday gamers the tools to feel like a rock star. Figuratively speaking, though you'd be hard-pressed telling that anyone who has mastered the epic four-minute instrumental break in front of an enthusiastic living-room audience.
Created by the developers, the game provided users with a plastic guitar peripheral to match coloured notes moving along the screen synchronized to the music. Every sequence mimicked specific notes, creating the feel of an authentic performance.
Harmonix had already tried its hand in the music genre before partnering with the publisher, which was acquired by Activision in 2006. Together, they laid the foundations for a surprising billion-dollar franchise which made a remarkable influence for many of the artists featured, introducing classic bands to a new generation of gaming enthusiasts.
Michael Dornbrook, former COO of Harmonix, recalls the initial budgetary hurdles in securing the songs – despite the fact initial releases primarily featured rerecorded tracks.
“We rerecorded every song since the dollar figure was so high,” he says. “Even with the publishing rights alone, it was extremely difficult. We couldn’t get bands like legendary groups – RedOctane was operating on a shoestring budget, and we were fairly certain it would fail. But once the game took off, and record sales and radio play were going up, everyone wanted to be in.”
He continues: “One of the remarkable aspects was how many mothers and fathers reached out and thanked us for exposing their children to the music they adored. It evolved into a multigenerational phenomenon.”
Classic Rock Gains Younger Fans
Northern Irish blues-rock band the Answer included their track on the 2008 game Guitar Hero World Tour. Lead musician the artist recalls the way the game brought classic rock to the forefront: “The game offered a larger, younger audience. Typically this had been considered music that was past it, but then once it got included in the game young people were finding it, suddenly it became trendy. This validated the genre, eliminating the outdated tag. It gave all our music renewed popularity.”
In 2008, the band's debut album remained unreleased in the US, meaning the game served as a primary platform for exposure for the band during their a North American tour opening for AC/DC. “Their crew had on Never Too Late during travel, and several recognized us from Guitar Hero,” Mahon says.
Major Band Titles Enduring Impact
Music's biggest acts quickly capitalised on the series’ popularity, with Aerosmith, Metallica and others starring in specialized spin-off titles that focused on their music collections and related stories, visuals and legendary status. For example, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, it was said earned the group more money than any of their records. It sold more than 500,000 copies in its first week, while demand for their songs saw an increase significantly during an era when the music business was already collapsing.
The series still motivates nimble-fingered fanaticism among its fans. Recently, a streamer completed a remarkable feat featuring Through the Fire and Flames – a notoriously difficult anthem made popular by Guitar Hero – using a fan-made version, a no-cost alternative with similar mechanics but an array of customisation options. The song is difficult even in the hardest setting, let alone performed at increased tempo while hitting every one of its near 4,000 notes. They claimed it took nine months to accomplish.
“Guitar Hero is a fun, fantasy thing. Just as with Call of Duty, that doesn’t mean you should use actual weapons and go to war,” notes DragonForce guitarist Herman Li.
DragonForce previously completed a successful tour when their hit appeared in the third game, yet he explains it made them a household name. “I remember the record label calling to tell me that we were records were moving rapidly,” he shares. “It exploded on the subsequent tour, and we performed just before top acts on the Mayhem festival.”
In fact, DragonForce’s exposure from Guitar Hero proved so vast that it has risked eclipsing all other accomplishments. Last year, the track was used in a trailer for a major film. “Previously I thought differently, but I’ve made peace with it,” Li says. “Should you just listen to one DragonForce song, that's fine – each person has their own musical journey and I'm pleased we’ve been part of people’s lives”.
Enduring Impact of a Plastic Guitar
Top-tier marketing, be it for automobiles, clothes or games, extends beyond than selling something – it evokes a longing. Was the game able to harness this? “Precisely what we were aiming to achieve,” he confirms. “The excitement of being a music icon in the spotlight. From day one, the creators believed there’s an instinctive urge to create songs, and they wanted to use technology to allow people to do it”.
Most of Guitar Hero games came out in just a half-decade from 2005 to 2010, featuring derivative titles such as DJ Hero, complete with a spinning deck, and the band-focused game. Subsequently, the publisher’s interest on peripherals waned, except for a short-lived revival in 2015.
Titles such as the fan project and Fortnite Festival have maintained the scene alive, with expectations of something from the original publisher in development. Recently formed developers has begun work on its debut rhythm-based title. The initial creators are both involved in advisory roles. Is the world prepared to welcome another game in the spirit of the classic?
“Our team believed those games might become like Madden where you can releases,” Dornbrook says. “There’s so much fresh tracks that it could be evergreen, so I’ve always been optimistic. There’s no reason for it to continue with new generations.”
