Marking two decades since Guitar Hero debuted across the Atlantic, giving everyday gamers the opportunity to become a rock star. Not in reality, though you'd be hard-pressed telling that someone who's nailed the epic lengthy instrumental break before an enthusiastic living-room audience.
Developed by the developers, the game provided users with a guitar-shaped controller to match coloured notes scrolling down the screen in time with the music. Every sequence mimicked specific notes, creating the sensation of a genuine live show.
Harmonix had already tried its hand with rhythm games prior to teaming up with RedOctane, which was acquired by the gaming giant during the mid-2000s. Together, they laid the groundwork for an unlikely massively profitable series that had a remarkable impact for many of the artists featured, introducing classic groups to a new generation of younger players.
Michael Dornbrook, former COO of Harmonix, recalls the early financial challenges in securing the songs – despite the fact the first two games mostly used cover versions.
“We rerecorded every song since the cost prohibitive,” he says. “Despite having the necessary permissions by themselves, it was extremely difficult. We couldn’t get acts such as legendary groups – the publisher had virtually no money, and our team was fairly certain the project would flop. But once Guitar Hero became a hit, album purchases and radio play were going up, everyone wanted to be in.”
He continues: “One of the remarkable aspects was the number of mothers and fathers got in touch expressing gratitude for introducing their kids to the songs they loved. It became a multigenerational thing.”
Timeless Music Finds Younger Fans
Irish group one featured act included Never Too Late in the 2008 release Guitar Hero World Tour. Lead musician Paul Mahon recalls how the series revived classic rock to the forefront: “Guitar Hero provided a larger, new demographic. Generally this had been considered music that was past it, but then once it got included in the game and teenagers were finding it, abruptly it became trendy. That legitimised it, eliminating the ‘dad rock’ label. It gave all our music renewed popularity.”
At that time, the band's first record was still unreleased stateside, meaning the game was a key medium of discovery for the band during their a North American tour supporting AC/DC. “The roadies had on Never Too Late during travel, and several knew us from Guitar Hero,” Mahon says.
Major Band Spin-offs Enduring Influence
Music's biggest acts soon took advantage of the game's success, with Aerosmith, Metallica and others starring in specialized game editions that focused on their music collections and associated lore, visuals and rock’n’roll mythology. For example, the Aerosmith edition, reportedly to have made the group greater revenue than any of their records. It moved more than 500,000 units in its first week, while sales of Aerosmith’s music saw an increase significantly during an era as the industry was already collapsing.
Guitar Hero continues to inspire quick-handed dedication among its fans. Earlier this year, a streamer completed a remarkable feat featuring the challenging track – a notoriously difficult anthem made popular by Guitar Hero – using a fan-made version, a no-cost alternative with almost identical mechanics but an array of personalization features. This track is challenging enough on expert mode, let alone played at double speed and without missing every one of the thousands of cues. They claimed it took months of practice to accomplish.
“Guitar Hero offers a, imaginary experience. If you play other games, it doesn't imply you ought to use a real gun and enlist,” notes DragonForce guitarist the artist.
DragonForce previously wrapped up a successful tour when Through the Fire and Flames was featured 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 says. “Popularity surged when we next toured, and we were playing right ahead of the headliners on the Mayhem festival.”
In fact, the band's visibility via the game was so immense that it has risked overshadow all other accomplishments. Last year, the song featured in promotional material for Despicable Me 4. “Previously I felt otherwise, but now I accept it,” he admits. “If you only hear one DragonForce song, that's fine – each person has a unique musical journey and I'm pleased we’ve been part in fans' experiences”.
The Lasting Legacy of a Plastic Guitar
Top-tier marketing, be it for automobiles, clothes or games, goes further mere transactions – it inspires a desire. Did Guitar Hero harness this? “That’s exactly what we were aiming to achieve,” Dornbrook says. “That thrill of performing as a rock star on the stage. Since the beginning, the creators believed there’s an instinctive urge to create songs, and their goal was to use technology to allow people to participate”.
Most installments came out over a mere half-decade from 2005 to 2010, featuring spin-offs like DJ Hero, including a spinning deck, and the band-focused game. After that, corporate focus in plastic instruments waned, aside from a brief comeback in 2015.
Titles such as Clone Hero and newer releases have maintained the scene active, and there’s set to be a new product from the founders on the way. A new studio has entered production on their first music game. Original co-founders are both involved as special advisers. Is the world ready to embrace another game in the spirit of Guitar Hero?
“We thought those games might become like Madden allowing annual update every year,” Dornbrook says. “There’s so much fresh tracks it could remain evergreen, thus I remain optimistic. There’s no reason for it to continue with new generations.”
