It has been two decades after Guitar Hero debuted across the Atlantic, giving players everywhere the tools to become rock legends. Not literally, but try convincing someone who has mastered Free Bird’s lengthy instrumental break before a packed crowd of friends.
Created by the developers, the game provided users with a plastic guitar peripheral to match on-screen cues moving along the display in time with the music. Every sequence mimicked particular chords, creating the feel of an authentic performance.
Harmonix previously tried its hand in the music genre before partnering with RedOctane, which was purchased by Activision in 2006. Together, they established the foundations for an unlikely massively profitable series that had a significant impact on numerous of the artists featured, introducing classic bands to a new generation of gaming enthusiasts.
Michael Dornbrook, ex-chief operating officer from the developer, remembers the initial financial challenges of licensing the songs – despite the fact initial releases primarily featured cover versions.
“We rerecorded every song since the dollar figure prohibitive,” he explains. “Despite having the publishing rights alone, it was extremely difficult. We couldn’t get acts such as legendary groups – RedOctane was operating on a shoestring budget, and we were pretty convinced it would fail. However, when Guitar Hero became a hit, album purchases airtime increased, all artists desired to participate.”
He continues: “Among the remarkable aspects was the number of parents got in touch expressing gratitude for introducing their kids to the music they adored. It became a multigenerational thing.”
Timeless Music Finds a New Audience
Irish blues-rock band one featured act included their track on the 2008 game the popular installment. Lead musician the artist recalls how the series revived older hits to the forefront: “Guitar Hero provided a bigger, younger audience. Generally this had been considered music that was past it, but then once it got featured on the title young people were finding it, suddenly it became trendy. That legitimised it, eliminating the outdated tag. It gave our catalog renewed popularity.”
At that time, the Answer’s debut album was still not available in the US, so Guitar Hero was a key medium for exposure for the group as they went on US tour supporting the rock giants. “The roadies were playing Never Too Late during travel, and some of them recognized us from Guitar Hero,” Mahon says.
Major Band Spin-offs and Lasting Impact
Music's heavyweight names soon capitalised on the game's success, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen featuring in specialized spin-off titles centered around each band’s catalogue and related lore, visuals and rock’n’roll mythology. For example, the Aerosmith edition, it was said earned the band more money than any of their records. It moved well over half a million units upon release, while sales of their songs saw an increase of up to 40% during an era when the music business faced decline.
Guitar Hero continues to inspire nimble-fingered fanaticism within the community. Earlier this year, an online personality achieved an impressive attempt of DragonForce’s Through the Fire and Flames – an infamously tough power-metal song popularized through Guitar Hero – using a fan-made version, a freeware game with almost identical gameplay but an array of personalization features. The song is difficult enough on expert mode, not to mention played at double speed and without missing every one of its near 4,000 notes. They stated it took months of practice of practice.
“Guitar Hero is a fun, fantasy thing. Just as with other games, that doesn’t mean you should use a real gun and enlist,” says musician the artist.
DragonForce previously completed a profitable run before Through the Fire and Flames appeared on Guitar Hero III, but Li says it made them a household name. “I recall our distributors calling to tell me that we were selling albums like crazy,” he shares. “It exploded on the subsequent tour, and we performed just before the headliners on the Mayhem festival.”
In fact, DragonForce’s exposure via the game proved so vast that it risked overshadow everything else accomplishments. Recently, the track was used in promotional material for a major film. “Previously I thought differently, but I’ve made peace with it,” he admits. “Should you just listen to one DragonForce song, it’s totally cool – everyone’s got a unique path in music and I’m glad we’ve been part of people’s lives”.
Enduring Legacy from the Plastic Guitar
Top-tier marketing, whether it’s for cars, clothes or games, goes further mere transactions – it evokes a longing. Did Guitar Hero harness this? “Precisely what our team aiming to achieve,” Dornbrook says. “That thrill of being a music icon on the stage. From day one, the creators felt that humans have a natural human desire to make music, and their goal was to use technology to enable everyone to participate”.
The majority of Guitar Hero games were released in just a five-year period from 2005 to 2010, featuring derivative titles like the DJ version, including a spinning deck, and Band Hero. Subsequently, corporate focus in plastic instruments waned, aside from a short-lived revival several years later.
Titles such as Clone Hero and newer releases have kept the community alive, and there’s set to be something from the original publisher in development. Recently formed developers has begun work on their first music game. Original co-founders are both involved in advisory roles. Are gamers prepared to welcome another game in the spirit of Guitar Hero?
“We thought such titles might become like Madden where you can releases,” he remarks. “With abundant new music it could remain perennially popular, so I’ve always been optimistic. It's entirely possible why it can’t persist with new generations.”
