Marking 20 years after Guitar Hero hit the market across the Atlantic, giving players everywhere the tools to become a rock star. Not in reality, though you'd be hard-pressed convincing someone who's mastered Free Bird’s four-minute instrumental break before an enthusiastic living-room audience.
Developed by Harmonix, Guitar Hero gave players a guitar-shaped controller to match on-screen cues scrolling down the display in time with a song. Every sequence mimicked specific notes, producing the sensation of a genuine performance.
Harmonix previously tried its hand with rhythm games before partnering with RedOctane, which was purchased by the gaming giant in 2006. Collaboratively, they laid the foundations for an unlikely billion-dollar franchise that had a remarkable impact for many of the artists featured, introducing decades-old groups to a new generation of younger players.
Michael Dornbrook, former COO of Harmonix, recalls the initial budgetary hurdles in securing the recordings – despite the fact the first two games primarily featured rerecorded tracks.
“We reproduced every song since the dollar figure prohibitive,” he explains. “Even with the publishing rights by themselves, it proved nearly impossible. We couldn’t get acts such as legendary groups – RedOctane was operating on a shoestring budget, and we were pretty convinced it would fail. But once the game took off, and record sales and radio play increased, all artists desired to be in.”
He adds: “Among the amazing things was how many parents got in touch expressing gratitude for exposing their kids to the songs they loved. It evolved into an intergenerational phenomenon.”
Timeless Music Finds a New Audience
Irish blues-rock band the Answer had their track on the 2008 game the popular installment. Guitarist Paul Mahon remembers the way the game revived older hits back into vogue: “Guitar Hero offered a bigger, younger audience. Typically this had been seen as outdated material, but then when it was featured on the game young people were finding it, suddenly it became trendy. This validated the genre, and got rid of the outdated tag. It gave all our music renewed popularity.”
In 2008, the Answer’s debut album remained not available stateside, so the game served as a primary platform of discovery for the group as they went on US tour opening for AC/DC. “The roadies had on the song during travel, and several recognized us thanks to the game,” he notes.
Rock’s Heavyweight Spin-offs and Lasting Impact
Rock’s heavyweight names soon capitalised on the game's success, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and others starring in specialized game editions that focused on their music collections and related lore, imagery and rock’n’roll mythology. In the case of, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, reportedly to have made the band more money than any of their studio albums. It sold well over 500,000 copies in its first week, while demand for Aerosmith’s music saw an increase significantly at a time as the industry was already collapsing.
The series still motivates quick-handed fanaticism within the community. Recently, a streamer completed a remarkable feat of DragonForce’s the challenging track – an infamously tough power-metal song made popular by the game – using a fan-made version, a no-cost alternative with almost identical mechanics but an array of customisation options. This track is challenging enough on expert mode, not to mention 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, fantasy thing. Just as with Call of Duty, it doesn't imply you ought to use actual weapons and go to war,” notes musician Herman Li.
The band had already wrapped up a successful tour before Through the Fire and Flames was featured on Guitar Hero III, yet he explains it made them widely recognized. “I recall the record label informing us that we were selling albums rapidly,” he shares. “It exploded 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 threatened to overshadow everything else accomplishments. Last year, the track featured in a trailer for Despicable Me 4. “In the past I thought otherwise, but I’ve made peace with it,” Li says. “If you only listen to a single track, that's fine – each person has a unique musical journey and I'm pleased we’ve been part in fans' experiences”.
The Lasting Impact of a Plastic Guitar
The best marketing, whether it’s for automobiles, clothes or video games, extends beyond than selling something – it evokes a longing. Did Guitar Hero tap into that? “That’s exactly what our team trying to create,” Dornbrook says. “That thrill of being a rock star on the stage. From day one, the creators felt that there’s an instinctive urge to create songs, and their goal was to use technology to enable everyone to do it”.
Most installments were released in just a half-decade from 2005 to 2010, featuring derivative titles like DJ Hero, complete with a turntable controller, and the band-focused game. Subsequently, corporate focus on peripherals waned, except for a short-lived revival several years later.
Titles like the fan project and Fortnite Festival have maintained the community alive, and there’s expectations of something from the founders on the way. A new studio has begun work on its debut music game. Original co-founders are both involved in advisory roles. Are gamers prepared to welcome a new entry following the classic?
“Our team believed such titles could be similar to sports games where you can releases,” Dornbrook says. “With abundant new music that it could be evergreen, so I’ve always been hopeful. It's entirely possible why it can’t persist with new generations.”
