Marking 20 years after Guitar Hero first launched in North America, giving everyday gamers the tools to become rock legends. Figuratively speaking, but try telling that someone who has nailed Free Bird’s lengthy instrumental break before an enthusiastic crowd of friends.
Created by Harmonix, Guitar Hero provided users with a plastic guitar peripheral to match on-screen cues moving along the display in time with a song. Every sequence mimicked particular chords, producing the sensation of an authentic performance.
The studio previously experimented with rhythm games prior to teaming up with the publisher, which was purchased by the gaming giant in 2006. Collaboratively, they established the groundwork for an unlikely billion-dollar series that had a significant impact for many of the artists featured, showcasing decades-old bands to a new generation of younger players.
Michael Dornbrook, former COO from the developer, recalls the early financial challenges in securing the recordings – even though the first two games primarily featured cover versions.
“We rerecorded all the music because the dollar figure prohibitive,” he explains. “Even with the publishing rights alone, it proved extremely difficult. We failed to secure acts such as the Who – RedOctane was operating on a shoestring budget, and our team was pretty convinced it would fail. But once Guitar Hero took off, and record sales and radio play were going up, everyone wanted to participate.”
He continues: “One of the amazing things was how many parents got in touch and thanked us for introducing their children to the music they adored. It became an intergenerational phenomenon.”
Classic Rock Finds a New Audience
Irish group the Answer had their track on the 2008 game Guitar Hero World Tour. Guitarist the artist recalls how the series brought classic rock to the forefront: “The game provided a bigger, new demographic. Typically such music was considered music that was past it, however once it got included in the title young people discovered it, abruptly it became trendy. This validated it, and got rid of the ‘dad rock’ label. It gave our catalog a new life.”
In 2008, the Answer’s debut album remained unreleased stateside, meaning Guitar Hero served as a primary platform for exposure for the band during their a North American tour supporting the rock giants. “The roadies had on the song during travel, and several knew us from Guitar Hero,” Mahon says.
Rock’s Heavyweight Titles Enduring Impact
Music's heavyweight names quickly capitalised on the series’ popularity, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen starring in dedicated spin-off titles that focused on each band’s catalogue and related lore, visuals and legendary status. In the case of, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, it was said to have made the band more money than any of their records. It moved more than 500,000 units upon release, while sales of their songs rose significantly at a time when the music business was already collapsing.
The series continues to inspire quick-handed dedication among its fans. Earlier this year, an online personality completed a remarkable feat of DragonForce’s Through the Fire and Flames – an infamously tough power-metal song made popular by the game – on Clone Hero, a no-cost alternative with almost identical mechanics but an array of customisation options. The song is difficult even in expert mode, let alone performed at increased tempo and without missing a single one of its near 4,000 notes. They stated it took months of practice of practice.
“Guitar Hero is a fun, imaginary experience. If you play Call of Duty, it doesn't imply you ought to use a real gun and enlist,” notes musician Herman Li.
The band previously wrapped up a successful tour before their hit appeared in the third game, yet he explains it made them widely recognized. “I remember our distributors calling to tell me that we were selling albums rapidly,” he shares. “It exploded on the subsequent tour, and we performed right ahead of the headliners on the Mayhem festival.”
Indeed, DragonForce’s exposure from Guitar Hero was so immense that it threatened to eclipsing everything else the band has done. Last year, the song featured in promotional material for a major film. “In the past I felt differently, but now I accept it,” Li says. “If you only hear one DragonForce song, that's fine – each person has their own path in music and I’m glad we’ve been part in fans' experiences”.
Enduring Impact from the Iconic Controller
The best marketing, be it for automobiles, clothes or games, extends beyond mere transactions – it inspires a longing. Was the game able to harness this? “Precisely what our team trying to create,” he confirms. “That thrill of being a music icon in the spotlight. From day one, the creators felt that there’s an instinctive human desire to make music, and they wanted to use technology to enable everyone to participate”.
The majority of Guitar Hero games came out in just a five-year period between 2005 and 2010, featuring spin-offs like the DJ version, complete with a turntable controller, and Band Hero. Subsequently, corporate focus in plastic instruments waned, aside from a brief comeback several years later.
Titles such as the fan project and newer releases have maintained the scene alive, and there’s expectations of something from the original publisher in development. A new studio has begun production on its debut music game. Original co-founders are participating in advisory roles. Is the world prepared to welcome a new entry in the spirit of Guitar Hero?
“Our team believed those games might become like Madden where you can releases,” he remarks. “With abundant new music that it could be evergreen, so I’ve always been hopeful. It's entirely possible for it to continue with new generations.”
