It has been two decades since Guitar Hero hit the market across the Atlantic, giving everyday gamers the opportunity to become a rock star. Not in reality, but try telling that someone who has nailed Free Bird’s lengthy guitar solo in front of an enthusiastic living-room audience.
Developed by the developers, Guitar Hero provided users with a guitar-shaped controller to match coloured notes moving along the display in time with a song. Each riff corresponded to particular chords, creating the feel of an authentic live show.
Harmonix previously experimented in the music genre prior to teaming up with the publisher, which was purchased by Activision in 2006. Collaboratively, they laid the groundwork for a surprising billion-dollar franchise that had a remarkable impact for many musicians featured, showcasing classic bands to a new generation of younger players.
A former executive, former COO from the developer, remembers the initial financial challenges in securing the recordings – even though initial releases primarily featured cover versions.
“We reproduced every song because the cost was so high,” he says. “Even with the necessary permissions alone, it was extremely difficult. We failed to secure bands like the Who – the publisher was operating on a shoestring budget, and we were fairly certain the project would flop. However, when Guitar Hero became a hit, and record sales and radio play were going up, everyone wanted to participate.”
He continues: “Among the remarkable aspects was how many parents reached out and thanked us for exposing their kids to the music they adored. It became an intergenerational phenomenon.”
Classic Rock Finds Younger Fans
Northern Irish group one featured act included Never Too Late on the 2008 game the popular installment. Lead musician Paul Mahon recalls the way the game brought older hits to the forefront: “The game offered a bigger, new demographic. Generally such music was considered music that was past it, but then when it was featured on the title and teenagers discovered it, suddenly it was cool. This validated the genre, and got rid of the ‘dad rock’ label. It gave our catalog a new life.”
In 2008, the band's first record was still unreleased stateside, so Guitar Hero was a key medium for exposure for the band during their US tour opening for AC/DC. “Their crew were playing Never Too Late on the tour bus, and some of them knew us thanks to the game,” Mahon says.
Major Band Titles and Lasting Influence
Music's heavyweight names soon capitalised on the series’ popularity, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen starring in specialized game editions centered around their music collections and associated lore, imagery and rock’n’roll mythology. For example, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, it was said earned the band greater revenue compared to their records. It sold well over half a million units upon release, while demand for Aerosmith’s music saw an increase significantly at a time when the music business was already collapsing.
Guitar Hero still motivates quick-handed fanaticism within the community. Earlier this year, a streamer achieved a remarkable feat of DragonForce’s the challenging track – a notoriously difficult power-metal song popularized through the game – using a fan-made version, a freeware game with almost identical mechanics but an array of personalization features. This track is challenging even in the hardest setting, not to mention performed at double speed and without missing a single one of its near 4,000 notes. The streamer claimed it took months of practice to accomplish.
“Guitar Hero is a fun, fantasy thing. Just as with Call of Duty, that doesn’t mean you should pick up actual weapons and go to war,” notes musician the artist.
The band previously completed a successful tour before Through the Fire and Flames was featured on Guitar Hero III, but Li says it turned them into widely recognized. “I remember the record label calling to tell me that our selling albums like crazy,” he says. “Popularity surged on the subsequent tour, and we were playing right ahead of top acts on the Mayhem festival.”
In fact, DragonForce’s exposure from Guitar Hero proved so vast that it has risked eclipsing all other accomplishments. Last year, the track was used in a trailer for Despicable Me 4. “Previously I thought otherwise, but I’ve made peace with it,” he admits. “Should you just hear a single track, that's fine – everyone’s got a unique path in music and I'm pleased we’ve been part of people’s lives”.
Enduring Impact of a Plastic Guitar
Top-tier promotion, be it for cars, apparel or games, extends beyond than selling something – it inspires a longing. Was the game able to tap into that? “Precisely what we were trying to create,” Dornbrook says. “The excitement of being a music icon in the spotlight. From day one, the creators felt that humans have a natural human desire to make music, and their goal was to use technology to allow people to participate”.
Most of Guitar Hero games were released over a mere five-year period between 2005 and 2010, featuring derivative titles such as DJ Hero, including a turntable controller, and the band-focused game. Subsequently, corporate focus on peripherals waned, aside from a brief comeback in 2015.
Titles like the fan project and Fortnite Festival have maintained the scene active, with set to be something from the founders on the way. Recently formed developers has begun work on its debut music game. The initial creators are participating in advisory roles. Is the world prepared to welcome a new entry in the spirit of the classic?
“Our team believed those games could be like Madden allowing annual update every year,” Dornbrook says. “There’s so much fresh tracks it could remain evergreen, thus I remain optimistic. It's entirely possible for it to persist with new generations.”
