Marking 20 years after Guitar Hero debuted in North America, providing everyday gamers the means to feel like a rock star. Not literally, though you'd be hard-pressed convincing anyone who's mastered Free Bird’s four-minute guitar solo before a packed crowd of friends.
Created by the developers, the game gave players a guitar-shaped controller to follow on-screen cues moving along the screen in time with a song. Each riff mimicked particular chords, creating the sensation of an authentic performance.
The studio previously tried its hand with rhythm games before partnering with the publisher, which was purchased by Activision in 2006. Collaboratively, they established the groundwork for an unlikely massively profitable series that had a significant influence on numerous of the artists featured, showcasing classic groups to a new generation of gaming enthusiasts.
A former executive, ex-chief operating officer of Harmonix, remembers the early financial challenges of licensing the recordings – even though the first two games mostly used cover versions.
“We rerecorded every song because the cost was so high,” he explains. “Despite having the necessary permissions alone, it was nearly impossible. We couldn’t get bands like the Who – the publisher had virtually no money, and our team was fairly certain the project would flop. But once the game took off, album purchases airtime were going up, all artists desired to participate.”
He continues: “One of the remarkable aspects was how many parents reached out and thanked us for exposing their kids to the music they loved. It evolved into a multigenerational phenomenon.”
Classic Rock Gains Younger Fans
Irish blues-rock band the Answer had Never Too Late on the 2008 game the popular installment. Lead musician the artist remembers how the series brought classic rock back into vogue: “The game offered a bigger, younger audience. Generally such music was considered outdated material, but then when it was featured on the title and teenagers discovered it, abruptly it was cool. That legitimised the genre, eliminating the outdated label. It gave our catalog a new life.”
At that time, the Answer’s first record was still not available in the US, meaning Guitar Hero served as a primary platform of discovery for the group during their a North American tour opening for the rock giants. “Their crew were playing the song during travel, and several recognized us thanks to the game,” Mahon says.
Rock’s Heavyweight Spin-offs Enduring Influence
Music's biggest acts soon took advantage of the game's success, with Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen featuring in dedicated game editions centered around each band’s catalogue and related stories, imagery and legendary status. For example, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, reportedly earned the group greater revenue than any of their studio albums. It sold well over half a million units in its first week, and sales of their songs saw an increase significantly at a time when the music business was already collapsing.
The series still motivates quick-handed dedication within the community. Earlier this year, an online personality completed an impressive attempt featuring Through the Fire and Flames – an infamously tough power-metal song popularized through Guitar Hero – on Clone Hero, a no-cost alternative with almost identical mechanics and extensive customisation options. This track is challenging enough on expert mode, not to mention played at increased tempo and without missing every one of its near 4,000 notes. They claimed requiring nine months to accomplish.
“The game offers a, imaginary experience. If you play other games, that doesn’t mean you should pick up actual weapons and enlist,” notes DragonForce guitarist the artist.
DragonForce previously completed a profitable run when their hit appeared in the third game, but Li says it turned them into a household name. “I recall our distributors informing us that we were records were moving like crazy,” he shares. “It exploded on the subsequent tour, and we performed just before top acts on the Mayhem festival.”
In fact, the band's visibility from Guitar Hero proved so vast that it has risked overshadow all other the band has done. Recently, the track was used in a trailer for a major film. “In the past I thought otherwise, but I’ve made peace with it,” he admits. “If you only listen to one DragonForce song, that's fine – everyone’s got a unique musical journey and I'm pleased we played a role in fans' experiences”.
The Lasting Impact from the Plastic Guitar
The best marketing, be it for cars, clothes or video games, goes further than selling something – it evokes a longing. Did Guitar Hero tap into that? “That’s exactly what we were 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 they wanted to use technology to allow people to do it”.
The majority installments came out over a mere five-year period from 2005 to 2010, featuring derivative titles such as the DJ version, complete with a turntable controller, and Band Hero. After that, corporate focus in plastic instruments waned, except for a short-lived revival in 2015.
Games such as Clone Hero and Fortnite Festival have maintained the scene active, and there’s set to be a new product from the founders on the way. A new studio has entered work on their first music game. The initial creators are participating in advisory roles. Are gamers ready to embrace another game in the spirit of the classic?
“We thought those games might become similar to sports games allowing annual update every year,” Dornbrook says. “There’s so much fresh tracks it could remain perennially popular, so I’ve always been optimistic. There’s no reason why it can’t persist with new generations.”
