It has been 20 years since the legendary game hit the market across the Atlantic, giving everyday gamers the tools to feel like a rock star. Not literally, but try convincing someone who's nailed Free Bird’s four-minute guitar solo before a packed living-room audience.
Developed by the developers, Guitar Hero gave players a plastic guitar peripheral to match on-screen cues scrolling down the display synchronized to a song. Every sequence mimicked particular chords, creating the feel of an authentic live show.
Harmonix had already experimented in the music genre before partnering with RedOctane, which was acquired by Activision in 2006. Collaboratively, they laid the foundations for a surprising billion-dollar franchise which made a significant influence for many musicians featured, introducing decades-old bands to a new generation of younger players.
Michael Dornbrook, ex-chief operating officer of Harmonix, recalls the early financial challenges in securing the recordings – despite the fact the first two games mostly used rerecorded tracks.
“We reproduced every song because the cost prohibitive,” he says. “Despite having the necessary permissions by themselves, it was extremely difficult. We couldn’t get acts such as legendary groups – RedOctane had virtually no money, and we were fairly certain it would fail. However, when the game became a hit, album purchases airtime were going up, all artists desired to participate.”
He continues: “One of the amazing things was the number of mothers and fathers reached out and thanked us for exposing their kids to the songs they adored. It became a multigenerational thing.”
Classic Rock Gains a New Audience
Irish group one featured act had their track on the 2008 game Guitar Hero World Tour. Guitarist the artist recalls the way the game brought classic rock back into vogue: “Guitar Hero provided a bigger, new demographic. Typically this had been seen as music that was past it, but then once it got included in the title and teenagers discovered it, abruptly it was cool. That legitimised it, eliminating the outdated tag. It provided our catalog renewed popularity.”
At that time, the Answer’s first record remained unreleased stateside, so the game was a key medium for exposure for the band as they went on a North American tour supporting the rock giants. “Their crew were playing the song on the tour bus, and several recognized us thanks to the game,” he notes.
Major Band Titles and Lasting Impact
Music's heavyweight names quickly capitalised on the game's success, with Aerosmith, Metallica and others starring in specialized spin-off titles that focused on their music collections and related stories, imagery and legendary status. In the case of, the Aerosmith edition, it was said to have made the group more money than any of their studio albums. It sold 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.
The series still motivates quick-handed fanaticism among its fans. Recently, an online personality completed an impressive attempt of DragonForce’s the challenging track – a notoriously difficult anthem popularized through the game – using a fan-made version, a freeware game with similar mechanics and extensive customisation options. This track is challenging even in expert mode, not to mention played at increased tempo while hitting every one of its near 4,000 notes. They stated it took nine months of practice.
“Guitar Hero is a fun, imaginary experience. Just as with other games, it doesn't imply you should pick up actual weapons and enlist,” notes musician the artist.
The band previously completed a profitable run before Through the Fire and Flames was featured on Guitar Hero III, yet he explains it turned them into a household name. “I recall the record label informing us that we were selling albums rapidly,” he says. “It exploded on the subsequent tour, and we were playing just before the headliners on the Mayhem festival.”
Indeed, DragonForce’s exposure from Guitar Hero proved so vast that it threatened to overshadow everything else accomplishments. Recently, the track was used in promotional material for a major film. “In the past I thought differently, but I’ve made peace with it,” Li says. “Should you just listen to one DragonForce song, it’s totally cool – each person has their own path in music and I’m glad we played a role of people’s lives”.
Enduring Impact from the Plastic Guitar
The best promotion, be it for cars, clothes or video games, goes further mere transactions – it inspires a longing. Did Guitar Hero harness this? “Precisely what our team aiming to achieve,” Dornbrook says. “The excitement of performing as a music icon on the stage. From day one, the creators believed there’s an instinctive human desire to create songs, and their goal was to leverage innovation to enable everyone to do it”.
The majority of Guitar Hero games came out over a mere five-year period between 2005 and 2010, including derivative titles like the DJ version, complete with a spinning deck, and Band Hero. Subsequently, the publisher’s interest in plastic instruments waned, aside from a brief comeback in 2015.
Titles like Clone Hero and Fortnite Festival have kept the community alive, with set to be a new product from the founders on the way. Recently formed developers has begun work on its debut rhythm-based title. Original co-founders are participating as special advisers. Is the world prepared to welcome another game following the classic?
“We thought those games could be like Madden where you can releases,” Dornbrook says. “There’s so much new music that it could be perennially popular, so I’ve always been optimistic. There’s no reason why it can’t persist with new generations.”
