Marking 20 years since Guitar Hero hit the market across the Atlantic, giving everyday gamers the opportunity to feel like rock legends. Figuratively speaking, but try telling that someone who's mastered Free Bird’s lengthy guitar solo before a packed crowd of friends.
Created by Harmonix, Guitar Hero provided users with a plastic guitar peripheral to match on-screen cues scrolling down the screen synchronized to the music. Every sequence mimicked particular chords, creating the sensation of an authentic performance.
The studio had already tried its hand with rhythm games prior to teaming up with the publisher, later purchased by Activision during the mid-2000s. Together, they established the foundations for a surprising massively profitable franchise which made a significant influence for many of the artists featured, introducing decades-old bands to millions of gaming enthusiasts.
Michael Dornbrook, former COO from the developer, remembers the early financial challenges in securing the recordings – despite the fact initial releases primarily featured rerecorded tracks.
“We rerecorded all the music since the dollar figure was so high,” he explains. “Even with the necessary permissions alone, it was extremely difficult. We failed to secure bands like legendary groups – the publisher had virtually no money, and our team was fairly certain it would fail. However, when the game became a hit, album purchases and radio play were going up, everyone wanted to be in.”
He continues: “One of the amazing things was the number of mothers and fathers got in touch expressing gratitude for introducing their kids to the songs they adored. It became an intergenerational thing.”
Timeless Music Gains Younger Fans
Irish blues-rock band the Answer had Never Too Late in the 2008 release the popular installment. Lead musician Paul Mahon remembers the way the game brought classic rock back into vogue: “The game offered a bigger, new demographic. Typically such music was considered outdated material, however when it was featured on the title and teenagers were finding it, abruptly it became trendy. This validated it, and got rid of the outdated tag. It gave our catalog renewed popularity.”
In 2008, the Answer’s debut album remained unreleased stateside, so the game was a key medium of discovery for the band as they went on a North American tour supporting the rock giants. “The roadies were playing the song during travel, and some of them recognized us from Guitar Hero,” he notes.
Rock’s Heavyweight Spin-offs Enduring Influence
Rock’s heavyweight names quickly capitalised on the game's success, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and others starring in specialized spin-off titles that focused on each band’s catalogue and related stories, imagery and rock’n’roll mythology. For example, the Aerosmith edition, reportedly earned the band more money than any of their studio albums. It moved more than half a million units upon release, and demand for Aerosmith’s music saw an increase of up to 40% at a time when the music business was already collapsing.
Guitar Hero continues to inspire nimble-fingered fanaticism within the community. Recently, a streamer completed a remarkable feat of DragonForce’s the challenging track – an infamously tough power-metal song made popular by Guitar Hero – on Clone Hero, a no-cost alternative with almost identical mechanics and extensive customisation options. The song is challenging enough on the hardest setting, let alone played at increased tempo and without missing every one of the thousands of cues. They claimed it took months of practice to accomplish.
“The game is a fun, fantasy thing. If you play other games, it doesn't imply you ought to use a real gun and enlist,” notes musician Herman Li.
The band had already completed a profitable run when Through the Fire and Flames appeared on Guitar Hero III, but Li says it made them a household name. “I recall our distributors calling to tell me that our selling albums rapidly,” he says. “It exploded on the subsequent tour, and we performed just before top acts at the event.”
Indeed, DragonForce’s exposure via the game was so immense that it has risked eclipsing everything else accomplishments. Last year, the song was used in a trailer for a major film. “In the past I thought differently, but I’ve made peace with it,” he admits. “Should you just listen to a single track, that's fine – everyone’s got a unique musical journey and I’m glad we’ve been part of people’s lives”.
The Lasting Impact of a Plastic Guitar
Top-tier marketing, whether it’s for cars, clothes or video games, extends beyond than selling something – it inspires a desire. Did Guitar Hero tap into that? “That’s exactly what we were aiming to achieve,” Dornbrook says. “The excitement of being a music icon in the spotlight. From day one, the co-founders believed there’s an instinctive urge to create songs, and they wanted to use technology to allow people to participate”.
Most of Guitar Hero games came out in just a half-decade from 2005 to 2010, including spin-offs such as the DJ version, including a turntable controller, and Band Hero. After that, 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 scene active, with set to be something from the founders on the way. Recently formed developers has entered production on its debut rhythm-based title. The initial creators are participating in advisory roles. Is the world prepared to welcome a new entry in the spirit of the classic?
“Our team believed such titles might become similar to sports games allowing annual update every year,” he remarks. “With abundant fresh tracks it could remain evergreen, so I’ve always been hopeful. It's entirely possible for it to persist for future fans.”
