Marking two decades after Guitar Hero first launched in North America, offering players everywhere the opportunity to become a rock star. Figuratively speaking, though you'd be hard-pressed convincing anyone who's nailed the epic four-minute instrumental break in front of a packed living-room audience.
Created by Harmonix, the game gave players a plastic guitar peripheral to follow on-screen cues moving along the display synchronized to the music. Each riff corresponded to specific notes, producing the sensation of an authentic performance.
Harmonix had already experimented in the music genre before partnering with RedOctane, which was purchased by the gaming giant in 2006. Collaboratively, they laid the foundations for a surprising billion-dollar series that had a remarkable impact on numerous musicians included, showcasing decades-old groups to a new generation of younger players.
Michael Dornbrook, ex-chief operating officer from the developer, remembers the early budgetary hurdles in securing the recordings – even though the first two games primarily featured rerecorded tracks.
“We rerecorded every song because the dollar figure was so high,” he says. “Even with the necessary permissions alone, it was nearly impossible. We couldn’t get bands like the Who – the publisher 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 and radio play increased, all artists desired to participate.”
He adds: “One of the remarkable aspects was the number of mothers and fathers got in touch expressing gratitude for exposing their kids to the songs they loved. It became an intergenerational thing.”
Timeless Music Finds Younger Fans
Irish blues-rock band one featured act had Never Too Late on the 2008 game Guitar Hero World Tour. Lead musician the artist remembers how the series brought older hits back into vogue: “The game offered a bigger, new demographic. Typically such music was seen as outdated material, however once it got included in the game and teenagers were finding it, abruptly it was cool. This validated the genre, eliminating the ‘dad rock’ label. It gave our catalog a new life.”
At that time, the Answer’s debut album remained not available in the US, so the game served as a primary platform for exposure for the band as they went on US tour supporting AC/DC. “The roadies had on the song during travel, and some of them recognized us thanks to the game,” he notes.
Major Band Titles and Lasting Impact
Music's heavyweight names soon capitalised on the series’ popularity, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and others starring in specialized game editions that focused on their music collections and related lore, imagery and rock’n’roll mythology. For example, the Aerosmith edition, reportedly to have made the band more money than any of their records. It sold more than 500,000 units in its first week, while sales of Aerosmith’s music rose significantly at a time when the music business was already collapsing.
Guitar Hero still motivates nimble-fingered fanaticism within the community. Recently, a streamer completed an impressive attempt of DragonForce’s Through the Fire and Flames – a notoriously difficult anthem popularized through Guitar Hero – using a fan-made version, a freeware game with similar mechanics but an array of customisation options. This track is difficult enough on expert mode, let alone performed at increased tempo while hitting every one of the thousands of cues. They claimed requiring months of practice to accomplish.
“Guitar Hero is a fun, imaginary experience. Just as with Call of Duty, it doesn't imply you should use actual weapons and enlist,” notes DragonForce guitarist Herman Li.
The band previously wrapped up a profitable run before their hit was featured in the third game, but Li says it turned them into a household name. “I recall our distributors calling to tell me that we were selling albums like crazy,” he shares. “Popularity surged on the subsequent tour, and we performed right ahead of top acts on the Mayhem festival.”
Indeed, DragonForce’s exposure from Guitar Hero was so immense that it risked eclipsing everything else the band has done. Recently, the song was used in promotional material for a major film. “Previously I felt otherwise, but now I accept it,” he admits. “If you only hear a single track, it’s totally cool – each person has a unique musical journey and I'm pleased we played a role in fans' experiences”.
Enduring Impact from the Plastic Guitar
Top-tier marketing, be it for automobiles, clothes or games, goes further than selling something – it inspires a desire. Did Guitar Hero harness this? “Precisely what our team trying to create,” he confirms. “The excitement of performing as a music icon 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 enable everyone to participate”.
The majority installments were released over a mere half-decade between 2005 and 2010, including derivative titles such as the DJ version, including a turntable controller, and the band-focused game. After that, the publisher’s interest on peripherals waned, aside from a brief comeback in 2015.
Games such as the fan project and Fortnite Festival have kept the scene active, with set to be something from the founders on the way. A new studio has entered production on their first music game. The initial creators are both involved in advisory roles. Are gamers ready to embrace another game in the spirit of the classic?
“Our team believed those games could be similar to sports games allowing annual update every year,” he remarks. “With abundant fresh tracks that it could be perennially popular, so I’ve always been optimistic. There’s no reason why it can’t persist with new generations.”
