It has been two decades since Guitar Hero first launched across the Atlantic, providing players everywhere the tools to feel like a rock star. Not literally, but try convincing someone who's mastered Free Bird’s four-minute guitar solo before a packed crowd of friends.
Created by the developers, Guitar Hero gave players a plastic guitar peripheral to follow coloured notes moving along the screen in time with a song. Every sequence corresponded to specific notes, producing the feel of a genuine performance.
Harmonix had already experimented with rhythm games before partnering with the publisher, later purchased by the gaming giant during the mid-2000s. Together, they laid the groundwork for a surprising massively profitable franchise which made a significant influence for many of the artists included, introducing decades-old bands to a new generation of gaming enthusiasts.
A former executive, former COO from the developer, recalls the early budgetary hurdles in securing the recordings – even though the first two games primarily featured cover versions.
“We rerecorded every song since the cost prohibitive,” he says. “Despite having the necessary permissions alone, it was extremely difficult. We couldn’t get acts such as the Who – RedOctane was operating on a shoestring budget, and we were pretty convinced it would fail. But once the game took off, and record sales airtime were going up, everyone wanted to participate.”
He adds: “One of the remarkable aspects was the number of mothers and fathers reached out expressing gratitude for introducing their kids to the songs they loved. It evolved into an intergenerational thing.”
Classic Rock Finds Younger Fans
Irish blues-rock band the Answer included Never Too Late on the 2008 game the popular installment. Guitarist Paul Mahon recalls how the series brought older hits to the forefront: “Guitar Hero offered a bigger, new demographic. Generally this had been considered music that was past it, however when it was included in the game young people discovered it, abruptly it became trendy. This validated the genre, eliminating the ‘dad rock’ tag. It gave our catalog a new life.”
At that time, the band's first record remained not available stateside, so Guitar Hero served as a primary platform for exposure for the band as they went on a North American tour opening for AC/DC. “The roadies had on the song on the tour bus, and several recognized us from Guitar Hero,” Mahon says.
Major Band Titles and Lasting Impact
Rock’s heavyweight names quickly took advantage of the game's success, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and others starring in specialized game editions centered around each band’s catalogue and associated stories, visuals and legendary status. For example, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, it was said earned the group more money compared to their records. It moved more than half a million units upon release, while demand for their songs rose of up to 40% at a time when the music business faced decline.
The series still motivates quick-handed dedication among its fans. Recently, a streamer achieved an impressive attempt of DragonForce’s Through the Fire and Flames – a notoriously difficult power-metal song popularized through Guitar Hero – using a fan-made version, a freeware game with almost identical mechanics but an array of personalization features. The song is challenging even in expert mode, let alone performed at double speed and without missing every one of its near 4,000 notes. They stated requiring nine months to accomplish.
“The game is a fun, fantasy thing. If you play other games, it doesn't imply you should use actual weapons and go to war,” says DragonForce guitarist the artist.
DragonForce previously completed a profitable run when their hit was featured in the third game, yet he explains it turned them into widely recognized. “I recall our distributors informing us that we were selling albums like crazy,” he says. “It exploded when we next toured, and we performed just before the headliners on the Mayhem festival.”
Indeed, DragonForce’s exposure from Guitar Hero proved so vast that it threatened to eclipsing everything else the band has done. Recently, the song featured in promotional material for a major film. “In the past I felt otherwise, but I’ve made peace with it,” Li says. “Should you just hear a single track, it’s totally cool – each person has a unique path in music and I’m glad we’ve been part of people’s lives”.
The Lasting Impact of a Plastic Guitar
The best marketing, whether it’s for automobiles, apparel or games, goes further mere transactions – it evokes a desire. Did Guitar Hero harness this? “That’s exactly what we were aiming to achieve,” Dornbrook says. “That thrill of performing as a music icon on the stage. Since the beginning, the co-founders believed there’s an instinctive human desire to make music, and their goal was to leverage innovation to enable everyone to participate”.
Most of Guitar Hero games came out in just a half-decade between 2005 and 2010, including spin-offs such as the DJ version, including a spinning deck, and the band-focused game. Subsequently, the publisher’s interest in plastic instruments waned, except for a short-lived revival several years later.
Titles such as the fan project and Fortnite Festival have maintained the scene active, and there’s expectations of a new product from the original publisher in development. A new studio has entered work on their first rhythm-based title. The initial creators are participating as special advisers. Are gamers prepared to welcome a new entry following the classic?
“We thought such titles could be like Madden where you can releases,” Dornbrook says. “With abundant new music it could remain perennially popular, so I’ve always been hopeful. It's entirely possible for it to persist with new generations.”
