It has been 20 years since Guitar Hero debuted across the Atlantic, giving everyday gamers the means to become a rock star. Not literally, but try convincing someone who has nailed the epic four-minute guitar solo in front of an enthusiastic living-room audience.
Developed by Harmonix, Guitar Hero gave players a plastic guitar peripheral to match on-screen cues moving along the screen synchronized to a song. Each riff mimicked specific notes, producing the sensation of an authentic live show.
The studio previously tried its hand in the music genre before partnering with the publisher, which was purchased by Activision during the mid-2000s. Collaboratively, they laid the foundations for an unlikely massively profitable franchise that had a remarkable impact on numerous musicians included, introducing decades-old groups to a new generation of younger players.
Michael Dornbrook, ex-chief operating officer of Harmonix, remembers the early financial challenges of licensing the recordings – even though the first two games mostly used rerecorded tracks.
“We rerecorded all the music because the cost was so high,” he explains. “Even with the publishing rights by themselves, it was extremely difficult. We failed to secure acts such as the Who – the publisher was operating on a shoestring budget, and we were pretty convinced the project would flop. But once the game took off, and record sales and radio play increased, everyone wanted to be in.”
He continues: “One of the amazing things was how many mothers and fathers got in touch and thanked us for exposing their children to the music they loved. It evolved into a multigenerational thing.”
Classic Rock Finds Younger Fans
Irish blues-rock band the Answer had Never Too Late on the 2008 game the popular installment. Lead musician the artist recalls the way the game revived classic rock back into vogue: “Guitar Hero offered a bigger, younger audience. Generally this had been considered music that was past it, however once it got included in the game young people discovered it, suddenly it became trendy. That legitimised it, eliminating the outdated tag. It provided our catalog renewed popularity.”
In 2008, the band's debut album remained not available in the US, meaning the game served as a primary platform of discovery for the band as they went on US tour supporting the rock giants. “The roadies were playing the song during travel, and several knew us thanks to the game,” he notes.
Rock’s Heavyweight Spin-offs and Lasting Impact
Rock’s heavyweight names soon capitalised on the series’ popularity, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen featuring in specialized game editions that focused on their music collections and related lore, imagery and rock’n’roll mythology. For example, the Aerosmith edition, it was said earned the band more money compared to their records. It sold more than half a million copies upon release, and sales of Aerosmith’s music rose of up to 40% during an era when the music business faced decline.
Guitar Hero still motivates nimble-fingered fanaticism among its fans. Earlier this year, a streamer completed an impressive attempt of DragonForce’s Through the Fire and Flames – a notoriously difficult anthem popularized through Guitar Hero – on Clone Hero, a freeware game with similar mechanics but an array of customisation options. This track is challenging even in expert mode, let alone played at double speed while hitting a single one of its near 4,000 notes. The streamer stated it took nine months to accomplish.
“The game is a fun, imaginary experience. If you play Call of Duty, that doesn’t mean you should pick up a real gun and enlist,” says DragonForce guitarist the artist.
The band had already completed a successful tour before Through the Fire and Flames was featured on Guitar Hero III, yet he explains it turned them into a household name. “I remember our distributors informing us that we were records were moving like crazy,” he shares. “Popularity surged on the subsequent tour, and we were playing right ahead of top acts on the Mayhem festival.”
Indeed, the band's visibility via the game was so immense that it has threatened to overshadow everything else accomplishments. Recently, the track featured in a trailer for a major film. “Previously I thought otherwise, but I’ve made peace with it,” Li says. “Should you just hear one DragonForce song, it’s totally cool – each person has a unique path in music and I’m glad we played a role in fans' experiences”.
Enduring Impact from the Plastic Guitar
The best promotion, whether it’s for cars, clothes or video games, extends beyond than selling something – it evokes a desire. Did Guitar Hero harness this? “That’s exactly what we were aiming to achieve,” he confirms. “The excitement of performing as a music icon in the spotlight. From day one, the creators felt that humans have a natural urge to create songs, and they wanted to use technology to allow people to participate”.
The majority installments were released in just a five-year period from 2005 to 2010, featuring derivative titles like DJ Hero, complete with a turntable controller, and the band-focused game. After that, corporate focus on peripherals waned, except for a short-lived revival several years later.
Titles such as the fan project and newer releases have maintained the community active, and there’s expectations of a new product from the original publisher in development. Recently formed developers has begun work on its debut rhythm-based title. Original co-founders are both involved as special advisers. Is the world prepared to welcome another game in the spirit of the classic?
“Our team believed those games might become like Madden allowing annual update every year,” he remarks. “With abundant fresh tracks that it could be evergreen, so I’ve always been hopeful. It's entirely possible for it to persist with new generations.”
