It has been two decades since Guitar Hero debuted across the Atlantic, giving players everywhere the tools to become rock legends. Figuratively speaking, though you'd be hard-pressed convincing someone who has mastered Free Bird’s lengthy guitar solo before an enthusiastic living-room audience.
Created by Harmonix, Guitar Hero provided users with a guitar-shaped controller to match on-screen cues scrolling down the display synchronized to the music. Each riff corresponded to specific notes, creating the sensation of a genuine performance.
The studio had already experimented in the music genre prior to teaming up with the publisher, later acquired by Activision in 2006. Collaboratively, they laid the foundations for an unlikely billion-dollar series that had a remarkable impact for many of the artists featured, showcasing decades-old groups to millions of gaming enthusiasts.
Michael Dornbrook, former COO from the developer, remembers the early financial challenges of licensing the songs – even though initial releases primarily featured cover versions.
“We reproduced every song because the cost was so high,” he explains. “Even with the necessary permissions alone, it was extremely difficult. We failed to secure bands like the Who – the publisher had virtually no money, and our team was pretty convinced the project would flop. But once the game became a hit, and record sales and radio play were going up, all artists desired to be in.”
He continues: “Among the remarkable aspects was the number of mothers and fathers got in touch expressing gratitude for introducing their children to the songs they loved. It evolved into an intergenerational thing.”
Classic Rock Gains a New Audience
Irish group the Answer included Never Too Late in the 2008 release Guitar Hero World Tour. Lead musician the artist remembers the way the game revived classic rock to the forefront: “The game offered a larger, younger audience. Generally this had been considered outdated material, but then when it was featured on the game young people discovered it, suddenly it became trendy. That legitimised the genre, eliminating the outdated label. It provided all our music a new life.”
At that time, the band's first record was still not available stateside, so Guitar Hero was a key medium for exposure for the group as they went on US tour opening for the rock giants. “The roadies had on Never Too Late on the tour bus, and some of them recognized us thanks to the game,” he notes.
Major Band Spin-offs and Lasting Impact
Music's heavyweight names soon took advantage of the series’ popularity, with Aerosmith, Metallica and others featuring in dedicated game editions that focused on each band’s catalogue and associated stories, imagery and rock’n’roll mythology. In the case of, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, reportedly earned the group greater revenue than any of their studio albums. It moved well over half a million units in its first week, and sales of Aerosmith’s music saw an increase significantly during an era as the industry faced decline.
The series still motivates nimble-fingered dedication within the community. Recently, an online personality completed an impressive attempt featuring the challenging track – an infamously tough anthem made popular by the game – using a fan-made version, a no-cost alternative with almost identical gameplay and extensive customisation options. The song is difficult even in the hardest setting, let alone played at double speed while hitting a single one of its near 4,000 notes. They claimed requiring nine months to accomplish.
“Guitar Hero offers a, imaginary experience. Just as with other games, that doesn’t mean you ought to use actual weapons and go to war,” says DragonForce guitarist the artist.
The band previously wrapped up a profitable run before Through the Fire and Flames appeared in the third game, yet he explains it turned them into widely recognized. “I remember our distributors informing us that our selling albums rapidly,” he says. “Popularity surged on the subsequent tour, and we performed right ahead of top acts at the event.”
In fact, DragonForce’s exposure via the game was so immense that it has threatened to eclipsing everything else the band has done. Last year, the track featured in a trailer for a major film. “In the past I felt differently, but I’ve made peace with it,” Li says. “If you only listen to a single track, that's fine – everyone’s got their own musical journey and I’m glad we’ve been part in fans' experiences”.
Enduring Impact of a Plastic Guitar
The best promotion, be it for cars, clothes or video games, extends beyond than selling something – it evokes a longing. Was the game able to harness this? “That’s exactly what we were aiming to achieve,” he confirms. “That thrill of being a music icon in the spotlight. Since the beginning, the creators believed there’s an instinctive human desire to create songs, and their goal was to use technology to enable everyone to participate”.
Most of Guitar Hero games came out over a mere five-year period from 2005 to 2010, featuring derivative titles such as DJ Hero, complete with a turntable controller, and Band Hero. Subsequently, the publisher’s interest on peripherals waned, aside from a short-lived revival several years later.
Games such as Clone Hero and newer releases have maintained the scene active, and there’s set to be a new product from the founders on the way. Recently formed developers has begun production on its debut rhythm-based title. Original co-founders are participating in advisory roles. Are gamers prepared to welcome another game following Guitar Hero?
“Our team believed such titles could be like Madden allowing annual releases,” Dornbrook says. “With abundant new music that it could be perennially popular, so I’ve always been optimistic. There’s no reason for it to persist with new generations.”
