It has been 20 years since Guitar Hero hit the market in North America, providing everyday gamers the means to feel like a rock star. Not in reality, though you'd be hard-pressed telling that someone who's nailed Free Bird’s four-minute guitar solo in front of an enthusiastic living-room audience.
Created by the developers, the game provided users with a guitar-shaped controller to match on-screen cues scrolling down the display in time with the music. Every sequence corresponded to particular chords, producing the sensation of a genuine performance.
Harmonix previously tried its hand in the music genre prior to teaming up with RedOctane, which was purchased by Activision during the mid-2000s. Together, they established the foundations for a surprising massively profitable franchise which made a remarkable influence for many of the artists included, showcasing classic groups to a new generation of younger players.
Michael Dornbrook, former COO from the developer, remembers the initial budgetary hurdles in securing the songs – despite the fact the first two games primarily featured cover versions.
“We reproduced every song because the dollar figure was so high,” he explains. “Even with the publishing rights alone, it was extremely difficult. We couldn’t get acts such as the Who – RedOctane was operating on a shoestring budget, and our team was fairly certain the project would flop. But once the game became a hit, and record sales and radio play increased, all artists desired to be in.”
He adds: “Among the amazing things was the number of parents reached out expressing gratitude for introducing their children to the music they loved. It became a multigenerational phenomenon.”
Classic Rock Gains Younger Fans
Northern Irish blues-rock band one featured act had Never Too Late on the 2008 game Guitar Hero World Tour. Guitarist Paul Mahon remembers the way the game revived older hits to the forefront: “The game offered a larger, new demographic. Generally such music was considered music that was past it, but then once it got featured on the title and teenagers discovered it, suddenly it became trendy. That legitimised it, eliminating the ‘dad rock’ tag. It provided our catalog a new life.”
At that time, the band's debut album was still not available in the US, meaning Guitar Hero was a key medium for exposure for the group during their a North American tour opening for the rock giants. “The roadies had on Never Too Late on the tour bus, and several knew us from Guitar Hero,” he notes.
Rock’s Heavyweight Titles Enduring Influence
Music's biggest acts quickly took advantage of the game's success, with Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen featuring in dedicated game editions centered around their music collections and associated lore, visuals and legendary status. In the case of, the Aerosmith edition, reportedly earned the group more money compared to their records. It moved more than half a million copies in its first week, while demand for Aerosmith’s music saw an increase significantly during an era when the music business faced decline.
The series still motivates nimble-fingered fanaticism within the community. Earlier this year, a streamer achieved a remarkable feat of DragonForce’s the challenging track – an infamously tough anthem popularized through the game – on Clone Hero, a freeware game with almost identical mechanics and extensive personalization features. The song is difficult even in the hardest setting, let alone performed at increased tempo and without missing every one of its near 4,000 notes. The streamer stated it took months of practice of practice.
“Guitar Hero offers a, imaginary experience. If you play other games, it doesn't imply you ought to pick up actual weapons and enlist,” says DragonForce guitarist the artist.
DragonForce previously wrapped up a successful tour when Through the Fire and Flames was featured on Guitar Hero III, yet he explains it made them a household name. “I recall the record label informing us that our records were moving rapidly,” he says. “Popularity surged when we next toured, and we performed just before top acts at the event.”
Indeed, DragonForce’s exposure from Guitar Hero proved so vast that it risked eclipsing everything else the band has done. Last year, the song was used in promotional material for Despicable Me 4. “Previously I felt otherwise, but now I accept it,” Li says. “Should you just hear a single track, it’s totally cool – everyone’s got their own musical journey and I'm pleased we’ve been part in fans' experiences”.
The Lasting Legacy of a Plastic Guitar
Top-tier promotion, whether it’s for automobiles, apparel or video games, extends beyond mere transactions – it inspires a longing. Was the game able to tap into that? “Precisely what we were aiming to achieve,” Dornbrook says. “That thrill of performing as a rock star in the spotlight. Since the beginning, the co-founders believed humans have a natural urge to make music, and their goal was to leverage innovation to enable everyone to participate”.
Most of Guitar Hero games came out over a mere five-year period between 2005 and 2010, featuring derivative titles such as the DJ version, including a turntable controller, and the band-focused game. After that, the publisher’s interest in plastic instruments waned, aside from a brief comeback several years later.
Titles such as Clone Hero and newer releases have kept the scene active, and there’s set to be something from the original publisher in development. A new studio has begun work on their first rhythm-based title. Original co-founders are participating as special advisers. Is the world ready to embrace a new entry in the spirit of the classic?
“We thought those games might become similar to sports games where you can releases,” he remarks. “There’s so much fresh tracks it could remain evergreen, so I’ve always been optimistic. There’s no reason why it can’t persist with new generations.”
