Marking 20 years since Guitar Hero first launched in North America, offering everyday gamers the means to become a rock star. Not literally, but try convincing someone who has nailed Free Bird’s lengthy guitar solo before a packed living-room audience.
Created by Harmonix, Guitar Hero gave players a plastic guitar peripheral to follow coloured notes scrolling down the display in time with the music. Every sequence mimicked specific notes, creating the sensation of a genuine live show.
The studio previously tried its hand with rhythm games before partnering with the publisher, which was purchased by Activision in 2006. Collaboratively, they laid the groundwork for an unlikely billion-dollar series that had a significant impact on numerous musicians featured, introducing classic groups to millions of gaming enthusiasts.
A former executive, former COO from the developer, remembers the early financial challenges in securing the songs – even though initial releases primarily featured cover versions.
“We rerecorded every song since the dollar figure prohibitive,” he says. “Even with the publishing rights by themselves, it proved nearly impossible. We failed to secure bands like the Who – RedOctane had virtually no money, and we were fairly certain the project would flop. However, when Guitar Hero became a hit, album purchases airtime were going up, everyone wanted to be in.”
He continues: “One of the remarkable aspects was the number of parents reached out and thanked us for introducing their kids to the songs they adored. It became an intergenerational thing.”
Classic Rock Gains Younger Fans
Northern Irish blues-rock band the Answer included Never Too Late in the 2008 release the popular installment. Guitarist the artist recalls the way the game revived older hits back into vogue: “Guitar Hero offered a bigger, younger audience. Typically this had been considered music that was past it, however when it was featured on the game and teenagers were finding it, suddenly it was cool. This validated the genre, eliminating the outdated label. It provided all our music renewed popularity.”
In 2008, the Answer’s first record remained not available stateside, so Guitar Hero was a key medium of discovery for the group as they went on a North American tour opening for the rock giants. “The roadies had on the song during travel, and some of them recognized us thanks to the game,” he notes.
Rock’s Heavyweight Spin-offs Enduring Influence
Music's biggest acts quickly took advantage of the game's success, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and others featuring in dedicated game editions centered around their music collections and associated stories, imagery and rock’n’roll mythology. For example, the Aerosmith edition, reportedly to have made the band more money compared to their records. It moved well over 500,000 units in its first week, while sales of their songs rose significantly during an era when the music business faced decline.
Guitar Hero continues to inspire quick-handed fanaticism within the community. Recently, a streamer achieved an impressive attempt of DragonForce’s Through the Fire and Flames – an infamously tough anthem popularized through the game – on Clone Hero, a freeware game with almost identical mechanics and extensive customisation options. This track is challenging even in the hardest setting, let alone performed at increased tempo and without missing a single one of the thousands of cues. The streamer stated requiring months of practice of practice.
“Guitar Hero is a fun, fantasy thing. Just as with Call of Duty, that doesn’t mean you should pick up actual weapons and enlist,” says DragonForce guitarist Herman Li.
The band previously wrapped up a profitable run when Through the Fire and Flames was featured in the third game, yet he explains it turned them into a household name. “I recall our distributors calling to tell me that we were selling albums rapidly,” he says. “Popularity surged when we next toured, and we were playing just before top acts on the Mayhem festival.”
Indeed, the band's visibility via the game proved so vast that it has risked overshadow everything else the band has done. Recently, the track was used in promotional material for Despicable Me 4. “In the past I thought differently, but I’ve made peace with it,” he admits. “Should you just hear a single track, that's fine – everyone’s got 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, be it for automobiles, apparel or games, extends beyond than selling something – it inspires a longing. Did Guitar Hero harness this? “That’s exactly what we were aiming to achieve,” Dornbrook says. “The excitement of being a music icon on the stage. From day one, the creators felt that there’s an instinctive human desire to create songs, and their goal was to use technology to enable everyone to do it”.
The majority of Guitar Hero games came out over a mere half-decade between 2005 and 2010, featuring spin-offs such as DJ Hero, including a turntable controller, and the band-focused game. After that, corporate focus on peripherals died down, aside from a brief comeback in 2015.
Titles like Clone Hero and Fortnite Festival have maintained the community alive, with set to be something from the original publisher on the way. Recently formed developers has entered work on their first music game. Original co-founders are participating as special advisers. Are gamers prepared to welcome a new entry in the spirit of the classic?
“Our team believed such titles might become like Madden allowing annual update every year,” he remarks. “There’s so much fresh tracks that it could be evergreen, thus I remain hopeful. There’s no reason why it can’t persist with new generations.”
