Marking 20 years since the legendary game debuted across the Atlantic, giving everyday gamers the means to feel like rock legends. Not literally, but try convincing someone who has mastered Free Bird’s lengthy instrumental break before a packed living-room audience.
Developed by the developers, Guitar Hero gave players a plastic guitar peripheral to follow coloured notes moving along the screen in time with a song. Each riff corresponded to particular chords, producing the feel of an authentic performance.
Harmonix previously tried its hand in the music genre before partnering with RedOctane, which was acquired by Activision during the mid-2000s. Together, they laid the groundwork for a surprising massively profitable franchise that had a significant impact on numerous of the artists featured, showcasing classic groups to millions of younger players.
Michael Dornbrook, former COO of Harmonix, remembers the early financial challenges of licensing the recordings – despite the fact the first two games mostly used cover versions.
“We rerecorded all the music because the cost prohibitive,” he explains. “Despite having the necessary permissions by themselves, it was nearly impossible. We failed to secure bands like the Who – the publisher had virtually no money, and we were pretty convinced the project would flop. But once Guitar Hero took off, and record sales airtime increased, all artists desired to participate.”
He continues: “Among the remarkable aspects was how many mothers and fathers reached out and thanked us for introducing their children to the music they adored. It evolved into a multigenerational thing.”
Timeless Music Finds a New Audience
Irish blues-rock band the Answer included their track on the 2008 game the popular installment. Guitarist the artist remembers the way the game brought older hits back into vogue: “Guitar Hero provided a bigger, new demographic. Generally this had been seen as outdated material, however once it got featured on the game young people were finding it, abruptly it was cool. This validated the genre, and got rid of the ‘dad rock’ tag. It provided our catalog renewed popularity.”
In 2008, the Answer’s debut album was still unreleased stateside, so the game served as a primary platform of discovery for the group as they went on a North American tour opening for AC/DC. “The roadies had on Never Too Late during travel, and several recognized us thanks to the game,” Mahon says.
Rock’s Heavyweight Titles and Lasting Impact
Rock’s heavyweight names soon took advantage of the game's success, with Aerosmith, Metallica and others starring in dedicated game editions centered around each band’s catalogue and related lore, visuals and legendary status. For example, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, it was said to have made the group more money compared to their records. It sold well over half a million units in its first week, and sales of their songs saw an increase of up to 40% during an era when the music business faced decline.
The series still motivates quick-handed fanaticism among its fans. Recently, a streamer completed a remarkable feat featuring the challenging track – an infamously tough anthem made popular by the game – using a fan-made version, a no-cost alternative with similar gameplay and extensive customisation options. This track is challenging enough on the hardest setting, let alone performed at increased tempo and without missing a single one of the thousands of cues. The streamer claimed it took months of practice to accomplish.
“Guitar Hero offers a, imaginary experience. Just as with other games, that doesn’t mean you ought to use actual weapons and go to war,” says DragonForce guitarist the artist.
DragonForce had already completed a successful tour before their hit appeared on Guitar Hero III, yet he explains it turned them into a household name. “I recall our distributors calling to tell me that our records were moving like crazy,” he says. “Popularity surged on the subsequent tour, and we performed just before the headliners at the event.”
In fact, the band's visibility from Guitar Hero was so immense that it threatened to overshadow everything else the band has done. Last year, the song was used in a trailer for Despicable Me 4. “Previously I felt otherwise, but now I accept it,” he admits. “Should you just hear a single track, that's fine – each person has a unique musical journey and I’m glad we’ve been part in fans' experiences”.
The Lasting Impact from the Iconic Controller
Top-tier marketing, be it for automobiles, apparel or games, goes further mere transactions – it inspires a longing. Did Guitar Hero tap into that? “Precisely what our team aiming to achieve,” he confirms. “That thrill of being a rock star in the spotlight. From day one, the creators felt that there’s an instinctive human desire to create songs, and they wanted to use technology to allow people to participate”.
The majority of Guitar Hero games were released in just a five-year period between 2005 and 2010, featuring spin-offs such as DJ Hero, including a turntable controller, and the band-focused game. After that, the publisher’s interest in plastic instruments died down, aside from a brief comeback in 2015.
Games like Clone Hero and Fortnite Festival have maintained the community active, and there’s set to be a new product from the founders on the way. A new studio has entered work on their first music game. Original co-founders are participating as special advisers. Is the world prepared to welcome another game following Guitar Hero?
“We thought such titles might become like Madden where you can update every year,” he remarks. “There’s so much new music it could remain perennially popular, thus I remain hopeful. There’s no reason for it to persist with new generations.”
