Marking 20 years since the legendary game first launched across the Atlantic, providing players everywhere the means to feel like a rock star. Not in reality, though you'd be hard-pressed convincing someone who's nailed the epic four-minute instrumental break in front of an enthusiastic living-room audience.
Developed by the developers, Guitar Hero gave players a guitar-shaped controller to follow coloured notes scrolling down the screen in time with a song. Every sequence corresponded to specific notes, producing the sensation of a genuine performance.
Harmonix had already experimented with rhythm games prior to teaming up with RedOctane, later purchased by Activision in 2006. Together, they laid the groundwork for a surprising billion-dollar series that had a significant influence for many of the artists included, showcasing classic groups to millions of gaming enthusiasts.
Michael Dornbrook, ex-chief operating officer of Harmonix, remembers the early financial challenges of licensing the songs – even though initial releases mostly used rerecorded tracks.
“We rerecorded all the music since the dollar figure was so high,” he explains. “Despite having the publishing rights by themselves, it was extremely difficult. We failed to secure acts such as legendary groups – RedOctane was operating on a shoestring budget, and we were fairly certain the project would flop. However, when Guitar Hero took off, and record sales and radio play increased, everyone wanted to participate.”
He adds: “Among the remarkable aspects was how many parents reached out and thanked us for exposing their kids to the songs they adored. It became a multigenerational thing.”
Classic Rock Gains Younger Fans
Irish group one featured act included Never Too Late in the 2008 release the popular installment. Guitarist the artist remembers how the series revived classic rock back into vogue: “The game provided a bigger, new demographic. Generally this had been seen as outdated material, however when it was included in the title and teenagers were finding it, abruptly it was cool. This validated the genre, and got rid of the outdated label. It provided all our music a new life.”
In 2008, the Answer’s first record remained not available stateside, meaning Guitar Hero served as a primary platform of discovery for the group during their a North American tour opening for AC/DC. “The roadies were playing Never Too Late on the tour bus, and some of them recognized us thanks to the game,” he notes.
Rock’s Heavyweight Titles Enduring Influence
Music's heavyweight names soon capitalised on the series’ popularity, with Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen featuring in specialized spin-off titles that focused on each band’s catalogue and associated lore, imagery and legendary status. For example, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, reportedly to have made the band more money than any of their records. It moved well over 500,000 units in its first week, and sales of their songs rose significantly at a time as the industry was already collapsing.
Guitar Hero continues to inspire quick-handed fanaticism among its fans. Earlier this year, an online personality completed a remarkable feat of DragonForce’s Through the Fire and Flames – a notoriously difficult power-metal song made popular by Guitar Hero – using a fan-made version, a no-cost alternative with similar mechanics and extensive customisation options. The song is difficult enough on the hardest setting, let alone performed at double speed and without missing a single one of its near 4,000 notes. They claimed it took months of practice to accomplish.
“The game offers a, imaginary experience. If you play Call of Duty, it doesn't imply you ought to use a real gun and enlist,” says DragonForce guitarist the artist.
The band previously wrapped up a successful tour before their hit appeared on Guitar Hero III, but Li says it made them widely recognized. “I recall our distributors informing us that we were records were moving rapidly,” he says. “It exploded on the subsequent tour, and we were playing right ahead of the headliners on the Mayhem festival.”
Indeed, the band's visibility via the game was so immense that it has threatened to eclipsing everything else the band has done. Last year, the song was used in promotional material for Despicable Me 4. “Previously I thought differently, but now I accept it,” he admits. “Should you just listen to one DragonForce song, that's fine – everyone’s got their own musical journey and I’m glad we played a role in fans' experiences”.
The Lasting Impact of a Plastic Guitar
Top-tier marketing, be it for cars, apparel or games, goes further than selling something – it inspires a longing. Did Guitar Hero harness this? “Precisely what we were aiming to achieve,” Dornbrook says. “That thrill of being a music icon on the stage. Since the beginning, the co-founders felt that there’s an instinctive human desire to make music, and they wanted to leverage innovation to allow people to participate”.
Most of Guitar Hero games were released in just a five-year period from 2005 to 2010, featuring derivative titles such as the DJ version, complete with a turntable controller, and the band-focused game. Subsequently, corporate focus in plastic instruments waned, aside from a brief comeback several years later.
Games like Clone Hero and Fortnite Festival have kept the scene active, with expectations of a new product from the original publisher in development. A new studio has entered work on its debut rhythm-based title. The initial creators are both involved in advisory roles. Are gamers ready to embrace another game following Guitar Hero?
“We thought such titles might become like Madden where you can update every year,” Dornbrook says. “With abundant new music it could remain evergreen, so I’ve always been hopeful. There’s no reason for it to persist with new generations.”
