It has been 20 years since the legendary game debuted in North America, providing players everywhere the tools to become rock legends. Not in reality, but try convincing someone who's nailed Free Bird’s lengthy instrumental break before an enthusiastic living-room audience.
Developed by the developers, Guitar Hero provided users with a plastic guitar peripheral to follow coloured notes moving along the display synchronized to a song. Every sequence corresponded to particular chords, producing the sensation of an authentic live show.
The studio previously tried its hand in the music genre prior to teaming up with RedOctane, which was acquired by Activision during the mid-2000s. Collaboratively, they laid the groundwork for a surprising billion-dollar franchise which made a remarkable impact on numerous musicians featured, showcasing classic bands to a new generation of younger players.
A former executive, ex-chief operating officer of Harmonix, recalls the early budgetary hurdles of licensing the recordings – despite the fact initial releases mostly used rerecorded tracks.
“We reproduced all the music since the dollar figure was so high,” he says. “Even with the necessary permissions by themselves, it proved extremely difficult. We couldn’t get bands like the Who – the publisher was operating on a shoestring budget, and our team was pretty convinced it would fail. However, when Guitar Hero became a hit, and record sales and radio play increased, everyone wanted to be in.”
He continues: “One of the amazing things was how many parents got in touch and thanked us for introducing their children to the songs they adored. It became an intergenerational phenomenon.”
Classic Rock Finds Younger Fans
Irish blues-rock band one featured act included Never Too Late in the 2008 release the popular installment. Lead musician the artist recalls the way the game brought classic rock to the forefront: “The game provided a bigger, younger audience. Typically such music was considered music that was past it, but then once it got featured on the game young people were finding it, abruptly it was cool. That legitimised the genre, eliminating the ‘dad rock’ label. It gave all our music renewed popularity.”
At that time, the band's first record remained not available stateside, meaning Guitar Hero served as a primary platform for exposure for the band as they went on US tour opening for AC/DC. “The roadies had on Never Too Late on the tour bus, and some of them recognized us thanks to the game,” he notes.
Major Band Titles and Lasting Impact
Music's biggest acts quickly took advantage of the series’ popularity, with Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen starring in dedicated spin-off titles that focused on each band’s catalogue and associated lore, imagery and rock’n’roll mythology. For example, the Aerosmith edition, reportedly to have made the band more money compared to their studio albums. It moved more than 500,000 units upon release, and sales of Aerosmith’s music saw an increase of up to 40% during an era as the industry was already collapsing.
Guitar Hero continues to inspire nimble-fingered dedication within the community. Recently, a streamer completed a remarkable feat of DragonForce’s Through the Fire and Flames – an infamously tough power-metal song made popular by Guitar Hero – using a fan-made version, a no-cost alternative with almost identical gameplay but an array of customisation options. The song is difficult enough on the hardest setting, not to mention performed at increased tempo and without missing every one of its near 4,000 notes. The streamer claimed it took nine months 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 musician Herman Li.
The band previously completed a successful tour before their hit appeared in the third game, but Li says it made them widely recognized. “I recall the record label calling to tell me that our records were moving like crazy,” he says. “Popularity surged when we next toured, and we were playing just before the headliners on the Mayhem festival.”
In fact, the band's visibility via the game was so immense that it has threatened to overshadow everything else the band has done. Recently, the track was used in promotional material for a major film. “Previously I thought differently, but I’ve made peace with it,” Li says. “If you only listen to one DragonForce song, it’s totally cool – everyone’s got their own path in music and I'm pleased we played a role of people’s lives”.
Enduring Impact of a Iconic Controller
The best promotion, be it for automobiles, clothes or games, goes further mere transactions – it inspires 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 in the spotlight. Since the beginning, the creators felt that there’s an instinctive human desire to create songs, and their goal was to use technology to enable everyone to participate”.
The majority of Guitar Hero games came out in just a five-year period from 2005 to 2010, featuring spin-offs such as the DJ version, complete with a spinning deck, and the band-focused game. After that, corporate focus in plastic instruments died down, except for a brief comeback several years later.
Games like the fan project and Fortnite Festival have kept the community alive, and there’s set to be something from the founders in development. Recently formed developers has entered work on their first rhythm-based title. Original co-founders are both involved as special advisers. Are gamers ready to embrace another game following Guitar Hero?
“Our team believed such titles could be similar to sports games where you can update every year,” Dornbrook says. “With abundant fresh tracks it could remain evergreen, so I’ve always been optimistic. There’s no reason for it to persist with new generations.”
