It has been two decades after the legendary game debuted in North America, providing players everywhere the tools to feel like a rock star. Not literally, but try convincing anyone who's mastered the epic lengthy guitar solo in front of a packed crowd of friends.
Developed by Harmonix, Guitar Hero gave players a plastic guitar peripheral to match coloured notes moving along the display synchronized to the music. Every sequence mimicked particular chords, creating the sensation of a genuine performance.
The studio had already tried its hand in the music genre before partnering with RedOctane, which was purchased by the gaming giant in 2006. Collaboratively, they established the foundations for an unlikely billion-dollar franchise which made a remarkable influence for many musicians featured, showcasing decades-old bands to millions of younger players.
A former executive, former COO of Harmonix, recalls the initial financial challenges of licensing the songs – despite the fact initial releases primarily featured cover versions.
“We rerecorded every song because the cost prohibitive,” he says. “Despite having the necessary permissions alone, it proved nearly impossible. We failed to secure bands like the Who – the publisher had virtually no money, and we were pretty convinced it would fail. However, when Guitar Hero became a hit, album purchases and radio play increased, all artists desired to be in.”
He continues: “Among the amazing things was the number of parents got in touch and thanked us for exposing their kids to the songs they adored. It became a multigenerational phenomenon.”
Classic Rock Finds Younger Fans
Northern Irish blues-rock band one featured act included their track in the 2008 release the popular installment. Lead musician Paul Mahon remembers the way the game brought classic rock back into vogue: “Guitar Hero provided a bigger, new demographic. Generally this had been considered music that was past it, however once it got featured on the title young people discovered it, abruptly it became trendy. This validated it, eliminating the outdated tag. It provided all our music renewed popularity.”
At that time, the band's first record was still not available in the US, meaning Guitar Hero was a key medium of discovery for the group during their US tour opening for the rock giants. “The roadies were playing the song during travel, and several recognized us from Guitar Hero,” Mahon says.
Major Band Titles Enduring Influence
Rock’s heavyweight names soon capitalised on the series’ popularity, with Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen featuring in specialized game editions that focused on each band’s catalogue and related lore, visuals and legendary status. In the case of, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, it was said earned the group more money compared to their records. It moved more than half a million units in its first week, while sales of their songs saw an increase of up to 40% during an era when the music business was already collapsing.
Guitar Hero continues to inspire nimble-fingered fanaticism within the community. Recently, a streamer achieved a remarkable feat featuring Through the Fire and Flames – an infamously tough anthem popularized through Guitar Hero – using a fan-made version, a freeware game with almost identical gameplay but an array of personalization features. This track is challenging even in expert mode, let alone performed at double speed and without missing every one of the thousands of cues. The streamer claimed requiring months of practice of practice.
“The game offers a, fantasy thing. If you play other games, it doesn't imply you should use a real gun and go to war,” says musician the artist.
DragonForce previously completed a successful tour before their hit was featured in the third game, but Li says it turned them into a household name. “I remember the record label informing us that our selling albums rapidly,” he shares. “It exploded when we next toured, and we performed just before the headliners on the Mayhem festival.”
Indeed, DragonForce’s exposure from Guitar Hero was so immense that it risked overshadow everything else the band has done. Last year, the track featured in a trailer for Despicable Me 4. “Previously I felt differently, but now I accept it,” Li says. “If you only hear one DragonForce song, it’s totally cool – everyone’s got their own musical journey and I'm pleased we’ve been part of people’s lives”.
Enduring Legacy from the Plastic Guitar
Top-tier promotion, be it for cars, apparel or video games, goes further mere transactions – it evokes a longing. Did Guitar Hero tap into that? “Precisely what our team trying to create,” Dornbrook says. “The excitement of being a rock star in the spotlight. Since the beginning, the co-founders felt that humans have a natural urge to make music, and they wanted to leverage innovation to allow people to participate”.
The majority installments came out over a mere half-decade between 2005 and 2010, including derivative titles like DJ Hero, complete with a spinning deck, and the band-focused game. Subsequently, corporate focus on peripherals died down, aside from a short-lived revival several years later.
Titles like Clone Hero and Fortnite Festival have maintained the community alive, and there’s set to be a new product from the original publisher in development. Recently formed developers has entered work on its debut rhythm-based title. Original co-founders are both involved as special advisers. Is the world prepared to welcome a new entry in the spirit of the classic?
“Our team believed such titles could be similar to sports games allowing annual releases,” Dornbrook says. “There’s so much new music that it could be evergreen, thus I remain optimistic. It's entirely possible for it to persist for future fans.”
