It has been 20 years since Guitar Hero hit the market in North America, giving everyday gamers the means to become a rock star. Figuratively speaking, but try convincing anyone who's mastered Free Bird’s four-minute instrumental break before a packed living-room audience.
Created by the developers, the game provided users with a plastic guitar peripheral to follow coloured notes scrolling down the screen in time with the music. Every sequence mimicked specific notes, creating the feel of a genuine live show.
The studio had already tried its hand with rhythm games prior to teaming up with RedOctane, which was purchased by the gaming giant during the mid-2000s. Collaboratively, they laid the groundwork for a surprising massively profitable franchise that had a remarkable impact for many of the artists featured, introducing decades-old bands to millions of younger players.
A former executive, ex-chief operating officer of Harmonix, remembers the initial budgetary hurdles of licensing the recordings – even though the first two games primarily featured cover versions.
“We reproduced all the music since the dollar figure prohibitive,” he explains. “Despite having the necessary permissions by themselves, it proved extremely difficult. We failed to secure acts such as legendary groups – the publisher had virtually no money, and we were fairly certain the project would flop. But once Guitar Hero took off, album purchases and radio play increased, all artists desired to be in.”
He continues: “Among the amazing things was how many parents reached out and thanked us for introducing their children to the songs they adored. It became a multigenerational phenomenon.”
Timeless Music Finds a New Audience
Northern Irish blues-rock band one featured act had their track in the 2008 release the popular installment. Lead musician the artist remembers the way the game brought older hits back into vogue: “Guitar Hero provided a larger, new demographic. Generally this had been considered outdated material, but then when it was featured on the game and teenagers were finding it, abruptly it became trendy. This validated the genre, and got rid of the ‘dad rock’ tag. It provided all our music renewed popularity.”
At that time, the Answer’s debut album remained unreleased in the US, so Guitar Hero served as a primary platform of discovery for the group during their US tour supporting the rock giants. “The roadies had on the song on the tour bus, and several knew us thanks to the game,” Mahon says.
Major Band Titles Enduring Impact
Rock’s biggest acts soon took advantage of the game's success, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and others featuring in specialized spin-off titles that focused on each band’s catalogue and associated lore, visuals and rock’n’roll mythology. For example, the Aerosmith edition, it was said to have made the band greater revenue compared to their studio albums. It sold well over 500,000 copies upon release, while sales of Aerosmith’s music rose significantly at a time when the music business faced decline.
Guitar Hero continues to inspire nimble-fingered dedication within the community. Earlier this year, a streamer achieved an impressive attempt of DragonForce’s the challenging track – an infamously tough power-metal song made popular by Guitar Hero – using a fan-made version, a freeware game with similar mechanics and extensive customisation options. The song is challenging even in the hardest setting, not to mention performed at increased tempo while hitting every one of the thousands of cues. The streamer stated requiring months of practice of practice.
“Guitar Hero offers a, imaginary experience. If you play other games, that doesn’t mean you ought to pick up a real gun and enlist,” says DragonForce guitarist Herman Li.
The band had already wrapped up 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 calling to tell me that our selling albums like crazy,” he says. “Popularity surged on the subsequent tour, and we performed just before top acts on the Mayhem festival.”
Indeed, the band's visibility via the game was so immense that it threatened to overshadow all other the band has done. Last year, the song was used in a trailer for Despicable Me 4. “In the past I felt differently, but now I accept it,” he admits. “If you only listen to a single track, that's fine – each person has a unique path in music and I’m glad we played a role of people’s lives”.
The Lasting Impact of a Plastic Guitar
Top-tier marketing, whether it’s for automobiles, apparel or games, extends beyond mere transactions – it inspires a desire. Was the game able to tap into that? “That’s exactly what our team trying to create,” Dornbrook says. “The excitement of being a rock star in the spotlight. Since the beginning, the co-founders believed humans have a natural urge to create songs, and their goal was to leverage innovation to enable everyone to participate”.
The majority installments came out over a mere half-decade from 2005 to 2010, including spin-offs such as DJ Hero, complete with a spinning deck, and Band Hero. Subsequently, the publisher’s interest in plastic instruments died down, except for a brief comeback several years later.
Titles like the fan project and Fortnite Festival have maintained the scene active, and there’s expectations of a new product from the founders on the way. Recently formed developers has entered work on their first rhythm-based title. The initial creators are both involved in advisory roles. Are gamers ready to embrace a new entry in the spirit of the classic?
“We thought those games might become like Madden allowing annual releases,” Dornbrook says. “With abundant new music that it could be evergreen, so I’ve always been optimistic. There’s no reason why it can’t persist with new generations.”
