Marking 20 years since Guitar Hero first launched in North America, giving everyday gamers the means to feel like a rock star. Not literally, though you'd be hard-pressed convincing someone who's nailed Free Bird’s lengthy instrumental break in front of a packed living-room audience.
Created by Harmonix, the game provided users with a guitar-shaped controller to follow coloured notes moving along the screen in time with a song. Every sequence corresponded to particular chords, producing the sensation of an authentic live show.
The studio previously experimented with rhythm games before partnering with RedOctane, which was purchased by Activision in 2006. Collaboratively, they established the foundations for a surprising billion-dollar franchise that had a significant impact on numerous musicians featured, introducing decades-old groups to millions of younger players.
A former executive, ex-chief operating officer from the developer, recalls the early financial challenges of licensing the recordings – even though the first two games mostly used cover versions.
“We rerecorded all the music since the cost was so high,” he says. “Despite having the publishing rights alone, it proved extremely difficult. We failed to secure bands like the Who – the publisher was operating on a shoestring budget, and we were fairly certain the project would flop. But once Guitar Hero took off, and record sales and radio play increased, everyone wanted to participate.”
He adds: “One of the amazing things was how many parents got in touch expressing gratitude for introducing their kids to the songs they adored. It evolved into an intergenerational phenomenon.”
Timeless Music Finds a New Audience
Northern Irish group the Answer had Never Too Late in the 2008 release the popular installment. Lead musician the artist remembers the way the game brought classic rock back into vogue: “Guitar Hero offered a bigger, younger audience. Generally such music was considered outdated material, but then once it got included in the game and teenagers were finding it, suddenly it was cool. That legitimised the genre, and got rid of the ‘dad rock’ label. It gave all our music a new life.”
In 2008, the Answer’s first record was still not available stateside, so Guitar Hero was a key medium of discovery for the band as they went on a North American tour supporting the rock giants. “The roadies had on Never Too Late on the tour bus, and some of them knew us from Guitar Hero,” he notes.
Major Band Spin-offs Enduring Influence
Music's heavyweight names soon took advantage of the game's success, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen featuring in dedicated game editions that focused on their music collections and associated stories, imagery and legendary status. In the case of, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, it was said earned the band more money compared to their records. It moved more than half a million units upon release, while demand for their songs saw an increase significantly during an era when the music business faced decline.
The series continues to inspire quick-handed fanaticism among its fans. Earlier this year, a streamer achieved an impressive attempt of DragonForce’s Through the Fire and Flames – an infamously tough anthem made popular by the game – using a fan-made version, a no-cost alternative with almost identical gameplay and extensive personalization features. The song 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 requiring months of practice to accomplish.
“Guitar Hero offers a, fantasy thing. Just as with other games, that doesn’t mean you ought to pick up a real gun and go to war,” notes musician the artist.
DragonForce had already completed a successful tour when Through the Fire and Flames was featured on Guitar Hero III, but Li says it made them widely recognized. “I remember the record label informing us that our selling albums like crazy,” he says. “Popularity surged when we next toured, and we were playing just before the headliners at the event.”
Indeed, the band's visibility from Guitar Hero proved so vast that it has risked eclipsing 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 listen to a single track, it’s totally cool – each person has a unique path in music and I’m glad we’ve been part in fans' experiences”.
Enduring Legacy from the Plastic Guitar
The best promotion, whether it’s for automobiles, apparel or games, extends beyond mere transactions – it evokes a desire. Was the game able to harness this? “Precisely what we were trying to create,” Dornbrook says. “The excitement of being a music icon in the spotlight. Since the beginning, the co-founders felt that humans have a natural urge to make music, and their goal was to leverage innovation to allow people to do it”.
The majority of Guitar Hero games came out over a mere half-decade between 2005 and 2010, including spin-offs such as the DJ version, complete with a spinning deck, and the band-focused game. After that, the publisher’s interest in plastic instruments waned, except for a short-lived revival in 2015.
Games like the fan project and newer releases have maintained the community alive, and there’s set to be a new product from the founders in development. A new studio has entered production on its debut rhythm-based title. The initial creators are participating as special advisers. Are gamers prepared to welcome another game following Guitar Hero?
“We thought such titles could be like Madden where you can releases,” he remarks. “With abundant new music it could remain perennially popular, so I’ve always been hopeful. There’s no reason why it can’t persist for future fans.”
