Marking two decades since Guitar Hero first launched in North America, providing players everywhere the opportunity to feel like rock legends. Not literally, but try telling that someone who's nailed Free Bird’s lengthy guitar solo in front of an enthusiastic living-room audience.
Created by Harmonix, Guitar Hero provided users with a plastic guitar peripheral to match coloured notes scrolling down the screen in time with the music. Every sequence corresponded to particular chords, producing the sensation of an authentic live show.
The studio previously tried its hand in the music genre before partnering with the publisher, later acquired by the gaming giant in 2006. Together, they laid the foundations for a surprising massively profitable series which made a remarkable 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 budgetary hurdles in securing the recordings – despite the fact initial releases primarily featured rerecorded tracks.
“We rerecorded every song since the dollar figure was so high,” he explains. “Despite having the publishing rights alone, it was nearly impossible. We failed to secure bands like the Who – the publisher was operating on a shoestring budget, and our team was pretty convinced it would fail. However, when Guitar Hero became a hit, and record sales and radio play increased, all artists desired to be in.”
He adds: “One of the amazing things was the number of mothers and fathers got in touch expressing gratitude for exposing their kids to the music they adored. It became a multigenerational phenomenon.”
Classic Rock Finds a New Audience
Irish blues-rock band one featured act had their track in the 2008 release the popular installment. Guitarist Paul Mahon recalls the way the game brought classic rock back into vogue: “The game provided a larger, new demographic. Typically this had been considered outdated material, however once it got featured on the title young people were finding it, abruptly it was cool. This validated the genre, and got rid of the ‘dad rock’ label. It provided our catalog a new life.”
At that time, the Answer’s debut album was still not available stateside, meaning Guitar Hero served as a primary platform of discovery for the band as they went on US tour opening for AC/DC. “Their crew were playing Never Too Late on the tour bus, and several knew us thanks to the game,” he notes.
Rock’s Heavyweight Titles and Lasting Impact
Rock’s biggest acts quickly capitalised on the game's success, with Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen featuring in specialized spin-off titles centered around their music collections and related stories, imagery and legendary status. For example, the Aerosmith edition, reportedly earned the group more money than any of their records. It moved well over half a million copies upon release, and sales of their songs rose of up to 40% during an era when the music business was already collapsing.
Guitar Hero still motivates nimble-fingered fanaticism within the community. Earlier this year, a streamer achieved an impressive attempt featuring the challenging track – a notoriously difficult power-metal song popularized through Guitar Hero – using a fan-made version, a no-cost alternative with similar mechanics but an array of customisation options. This track is challenging enough on expert mode, let alone played at increased tempo while hitting every one of the thousands of cues. The streamer stated it took nine months to accomplish.
“The game offers a, fantasy thing. If you play Call of Duty, it doesn't imply you ought to use actual weapons and go to war,” notes musician Herman Li.
DragonForce previously wrapped up a profitable run when their hit was featured in the third game, yet he explains it turned them into a household name. “I recall our distributors calling to tell me that our records were moving like crazy,” he shares. “It exploded on the subsequent tour, and we performed right ahead of the headliners at the event.”
In fact, DragonForce’s exposure from Guitar Hero proved so vast that it risked overshadow all other the band has done. Recently, the track featured in a trailer for Despicable Me 4. “In the past I thought differently, but I’ve made peace with it,” he admits. “If you only hear one DragonForce song, that's fine – each person has their own path in music and I’m glad we played a role of people’s lives”.
Enduring Impact from the Plastic Guitar
Top-tier promotion, whether it’s for cars, clothes or games, goes further mere transactions – it inspires a longing. Did Guitar Hero harness this? “Precisely what we were aiming to achieve,” Dornbrook says. “The excitement of being a rock star on the stage. From day one, the creators felt that there’s an instinctive urge to create songs, and they wanted to leverage innovation to enable everyone to participate”.
The majority installments came out over a mere half-decade between 2005 and 2010, including spin-offs such as the DJ version, complete with a turntable controller, and the band-focused game. Subsequently, the publisher’s interest on peripherals died down, except for a short-lived revival several years later.
Titles like the fan project and newer releases have kept the scene active, with expectations of a new product from the founders on the way. A new studio has begun production on their first rhythm-based title. The initial creators are both involved in advisory roles. Is the world ready to embrace a new entry in the spirit of the classic?
“We thought those games might become similar to sports games allowing annual releases,” Dornbrook says. “With abundant fresh tracks that it could be perennially popular, so I’ve always been hopeful. It's entirely possible for it to persist with new generations.”
