It has been 20 years since Guitar Hero hit the market across the Atlantic, giving everyday gamers the opportunity to become rock legends. Figuratively speaking, but try convincing anyone who's nailed Free Bird’s lengthy instrumental break in front of an enthusiastic crowd of friends.
Developed by Harmonix, the game gave players a guitar-shaped controller to follow on-screen cues moving along the display in time with the music. Every sequence mimicked specific notes, producing the sensation of an authentic live show.
Harmonix previously tried its hand with rhythm games before partnering with the publisher, which was purchased by Activision during the mid-2000s. Together, they established the foundations for a surprising massively profitable franchise which made a significant impact on numerous musicians featured, showcasing decades-old groups to millions of gaming enthusiasts.
A former executive, ex-chief operating officer of Harmonix, recalls the initial budgetary hurdles in securing the songs – even though the first two games primarily featured cover versions.
“We rerecorded every song since the dollar figure was so high,” he explains. “Even with the necessary permissions by themselves, it proved extremely difficult. We couldn’t get acts such as the Who – RedOctane was operating on a shoestring budget, and our team was pretty convinced the project would flop. But once Guitar Hero became a hit, album purchases airtime increased, everyone wanted to be in.”
He continues: “Among the remarkable aspects was the number of mothers and fathers got in touch and thanked us for introducing their kids to the music they adored. It evolved into an intergenerational thing.”
Classic Rock Gains Younger Fans
Irish blues-rock band the Answer included their track in the 2008 release Guitar Hero World Tour. Lead musician the artist remembers how the series brought classic rock back into vogue: “Guitar Hero offered a bigger, new demographic. Generally this had been seen as music that was past it, however when it was featured on the game and teenagers discovered it, abruptly it became trendy. That legitimised the genre, and got rid of the outdated tag. It provided our catalog a new life.”
At that time, the band's first record was still unreleased stateside, so Guitar Hero was a key medium of discovery for the group as they went on a North American tour supporting the rock giants. “The roadies were playing Never Too Late during travel, and some of them recognized us from Guitar Hero,” Mahon says.
Major Band Titles Enduring Influence
Music's heavyweight names quickly capitalised on the game's success, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and others starring in dedicated game editions that focused on their music collections and associated stories, visuals and rock’n’roll mythology. For example, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, reportedly to have made the group more money than any of their records. It moved more than half a million units in its first week, while demand for Aerosmith’s music saw an increase significantly during an era when the music business faced decline.
Guitar Hero still motivates quick-handed fanaticism among its fans. Recently, a streamer completed an impressive attempt featuring the challenging track – a notoriously difficult power-metal song popularized through the game – using a fan-made version, a freeware game with similar gameplay but an array of customisation options. The song is difficult even in expert mode, not to mention played at increased tempo and without missing every one of its near 4,000 notes. The streamer claimed requiring months of practice to accomplish.
“Guitar Hero offers a, imaginary experience. Just as with other games, it doesn't imply you should use actual weapons and enlist,” says musician the artist.
The band previously wrapped up a profitable run when Through the Fire and Flames appeared on Guitar Hero III, yet he explains it turned them into widely recognized. “I remember our distributors informing us that we were records were moving like crazy,” he shares. “It exploded when we next toured, and we were playing right ahead of the headliners on the Mayhem festival.”
In fact, DragonForce’s exposure from Guitar Hero was so immense that it risked eclipsing everything else the band has done. Recently, the track featured in a trailer for Despicable Me 4. “Previously I thought otherwise, but now I accept it,” Li says. “Should you just hear a single track, that's fine – everyone’s got their own musical journey and I’m glad we played a role of people’s lives”.
Enduring Legacy of a Plastic Guitar
Top-tier marketing, be it for cars, clothes or games, goes further than selling something – it evokes a desire. Was the game able to tap into that? “Precisely what we were trying to create,” Dornbrook says. “That thrill of being a rock star in the spotlight. From day one, the creators believed there’s an instinctive human desire to create songs, and they wanted to use technology to allow people to participate”.
Most of Guitar Hero games came out over a mere five-year period from 2005 to 2010, featuring spin-offs like DJ Hero, complete with a turntable controller, and the band-focused game. After that, the publisher’s interest on peripherals waned, except for a brief comeback in 2015.
Games such as the fan project and Fortnite Festival have kept the scene active, and there’s expectations of a new product from the original publisher in development. A new studio has begun work on its debut music game. Original co-founders are both involved in advisory roles. Are gamers prepared to welcome another game in the spirit of Guitar Hero?
“Our team believed those games might become similar to sports games allowing annual update every year,” Dornbrook says. “There’s so much fresh tracks that it could be evergreen, so I’ve always been optimistic. There’s no reason for it to continue with new generations.”
