It has been 20 years after the legendary game first launched in North America, offering players everywhere the tools to become a rock star. Not literally, but try convincing anyone 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 follow coloured notes scrolling down the display in time with the music. Every sequence corresponded to particular chords, producing the feel of an authentic live show.
Harmonix previously experimented with rhythm games before partnering with RedOctane, later acquired by Activision in 2006. Collaboratively, they laid the groundwork for an unlikely billion-dollar franchise which made a significant impact on numerous of the artists included, showcasing classic bands to a new generation of younger players.
Michael Dornbrook, ex-chief operating officer of Harmonix, remembers the early financial challenges in securing the recordings – even though the first two games primarily featured cover versions.
“We rerecorded every song since the cost prohibitive,” he says. “Even with the necessary permissions alone, it was extremely difficult. We failed to secure bands like the Who – RedOctane was operating on a shoestring budget, and we were fairly certain it would fail. But once the game took off, album purchases airtime were going up, all artists desired to participate.”
He continues: “One of the amazing things was the number of parents reached out expressing gratitude for exposing their kids to the music they adored. It became a multigenerational phenomenon.”
Classic Rock Gains a New Audience
Irish blues-rock band the Answer had their track on the 2008 game Guitar Hero World Tour. Lead musician the artist recalls the way the game revived older hits to the forefront: “The game provided a larger, new demographic. Generally this had been seen as music that was past it, but then once it got included in the game young people were finding it, suddenly it was cool. That legitimised the genre, eliminating the outdated tag. It provided all our music renewed popularity.”
In 2008, the Answer’s debut album was still not available in the US, meaning Guitar Hero served as a primary platform for exposure for the band as they went on a North American tour opening for AC/DC. “Their crew had on the song during travel, and some of them recognized us thanks to the game,” Mahon says.
Major Band Titles Enduring Impact
Music's biggest acts quickly took advantage of the series’ popularity, with Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen featuring in specialized spin-off titles that focused on their music collections and associated lore, imagery and legendary status. In the case of, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, it was said to have made the band more money compared to their studio albums. It moved more than half a million units upon release, and sales of their songs rose significantly at a time when the music business was already collapsing.
Guitar Hero continues to inspire quick-handed fanaticism among its fans. Earlier this year, a streamer completed a remarkable feat of DragonForce’s the challenging track – an infamously tough power-metal song popularized through the game – on Clone Hero, a freeware game with almost identical gameplay and extensive personalization features. This track is challenging enough on the hardest setting, let alone performed at double speed while hitting a single one of the thousands of cues. The streamer stated it took months of practice to accomplish.
“Guitar Hero is a fun, imaginary experience. If you play Call of Duty, that doesn’t mean you ought to pick up actual weapons and enlist,” notes DragonForce guitarist the artist.
The band had already wrapped up a successful tour before Through the Fire and Flames appeared in the third game, but Li says it turned them into a household name. “I remember the record label informing us that our records were moving rapidly,” he shares. “It exploded on the subsequent tour, and we performed right ahead of top acts at the event.”
Indeed, the band's visibility from Guitar Hero was so immense that it threatened to overshadow everything else accomplishments. Last year, the track featured in a trailer for Despicable Me 4. “Previously I felt differently, but I’ve made peace with it,” he admits. “Should you just listen to a single track, it’s totally cool – everyone’s got their own musical journey and I’m glad we’ve been part of people’s lives”.
The Lasting Legacy from the Plastic Guitar
Top-tier marketing, be it for cars, apparel or video games, goes further mere transactions – it inspires a longing. Did Guitar Hero harness this? “That’s exactly what we were trying to create,” Dornbrook says. “The excitement of being a rock star on the stage. From day one, the creators believed there’s an instinctive urge to create songs, and their goal was to use technology to enable everyone to do it”.
Most of Guitar Hero games were released over a mere five-year period from 2005 to 2010, featuring spin-offs such as DJ Hero, complete with a spinning deck, and Band Hero. After that, the publisher’s interest in plastic instruments waned, aside from a brief comeback several years later.
Games like Clone Hero and Fortnite Festival have kept the community alive, with set to be a new product from the founders in development. Recently formed developers has entered work on its debut music game. The initial creators are both involved as special advisers. Is the world ready to embrace another game in the spirit of Guitar Hero?
“We thought those games could be like Madden allowing annual update every year,” he remarks. “With abundant fresh tracks that it could be evergreen, thus I remain hopeful. It's entirely possible why it can’t persist with new generations.”