It has been 20 years after Guitar Hero hit the market across the Atlantic, offering players everywhere the tools to become rock legends. Not literally, though you'd be hard-pressed telling that someone who's nailed Free Bird’s four-minute guitar solo in front of an enthusiastic crowd of friends.
Created by the developers, the game gave players a plastic guitar peripheral to match on-screen cues moving along the display in time with a song. Each riff corresponded to particular chords, producing the sensation of an authentic performance.
Harmonix previously tried its hand in the music genre prior to teaming up with the publisher, later purchased by Activision during the mid-2000s. Together, they established the foundations for an unlikely massively profitable franchise which made a remarkable influence on numerous musicians included, introducing decades-old bands to millions of gaming enthusiasts.
A former executive, ex-chief operating officer of Harmonix, remembers the initial financial challenges of licensing the songs – despite the fact the first two games primarily featured rerecorded tracks.
“We reproduced all the music since the cost was so high,” he explains. “Despite having the necessary permissions by themselves, it was extremely difficult. We failed to secure bands like the Who – RedOctane had virtually no money, and we were pretty convinced it would fail. However, when the game became a hit, and record sales airtime were going up, everyone wanted to be in.”
He adds: “Among the amazing things was the number of parents got in touch expressing gratitude for introducing their children to the songs they loved. It evolved into a multigenerational phenomenon.”
Classic Rock Finds Younger Fans
Northern Irish group the Answer had Never Too Late on the 2008 game the popular installment. Guitarist the artist remembers the way the game revived older hits to the forefront: “Guitar Hero offered a larger, younger audience. Generally this had been considered outdated material, but then once it got featured on the title young people were finding it, abruptly it was cool. This validated the genre, eliminating the ‘dad rock’ label. It gave all our music renewed popularity.”
At that time, the band's first record was still unreleased in the US, so the game was a key medium of discovery for the band during their US tour supporting the rock giants. “Their crew had on Never Too Late on the tour bus, and several recognized us thanks to the game,” he notes.
Major Band Spin-offs and Lasting Influence
Rock’s biggest acts quickly took advantage of the game's success, with Aerosmith, Metallica and others starring in dedicated spin-off titles centered around their music collections and related lore, visuals and legendary status. In the case of, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, it was said earned the group more money compared to their studio albums. It sold well over half a million units upon release, and demand for Aerosmith’s music rose of up to 40% at a time as the industry was already collapsing.
Guitar Hero still motivates quick-handed fanaticism within the community. Recently, a streamer completed a remarkable feat featuring Through the Fire and Flames – an infamously tough anthem made popular by the game – on Clone Hero, a freeware game with almost identical gameplay and extensive customisation options. This track is challenging enough on the hardest setting, not to mention played at double speed while hitting every one of its near 4,000 notes. The streamer stated requiring nine months to accomplish.
“Guitar Hero offers a, imaginary experience. Just as with other games, that doesn’t mean you ought to pick up actual weapons and go to war,” says DragonForce guitarist Herman Li.
The band previously wrapped up a successful tour before Through the Fire and Flames 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 just before top acts at the event.”
Indeed, the band's visibility from Guitar Hero proved so vast that it has threatened to eclipsing all other the band has done. Recently, the track featured in promotional material for Despicable Me 4. “Previously I thought otherwise, 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 pleased we played a role of people’s lives”.
Enduring Impact from the Plastic Guitar
The best promotion, be it for automobiles, clothes or video games, extends beyond mere transactions – it evokes a longing. Did Guitar Hero tap into that? “That’s exactly what our team aiming to achieve,” he confirms. “That thrill of performing as a rock star in the spotlight. From day one, the creators felt that humans have a natural human desire to make music, and their goal was to leverage innovation to enable everyone to do it”.
The majority installments came out over a mere half-decade from 2005 to 2010, featuring spin-offs such as the DJ version, including a turntable controller, and Band Hero. Subsequently, the publisher’s interest on peripherals died down, except for a brief comeback in 2015.
Games such as Clone Hero and Fortnite Festival have kept the scene alive, with expectations of a new product from the founders on the way. Recently formed developers has begun work on its debut music game. Original co-founders are both involved in advisory roles. Is the world prepared to welcome another game in the spirit of the classic?
“Our team believed those games might become similar to sports games where you can update every year,” Dornbrook says. “With abundant new music it could remain evergreen, thus I remain hopeful. It's entirely possible why it can’t persist with new generations.”
