It has been two decades since Guitar Hero first launched across the Atlantic, offering 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 instrumental break in front of an enthusiastic living-room audience.
Developed by Harmonix, Guitar Hero gave players a plastic guitar peripheral to follow on-screen cues moving along the screen synchronized to a song. Every sequence mimicked specific notes, creating the sensation of a genuine live show.
Harmonix previously experimented in the music genre before partnering with the publisher, which was purchased by Activision during the mid-2000s. Together, they laid the foundations for an unlikely massively profitable series which made a remarkable influence for many of the artists included, showcasing decades-old groups to a new generation of gaming enthusiasts.
Michael Dornbrook, former COO from the developer, recalls the initial budgetary hurdles in securing the songs – even though initial releases mostly used cover versions.
“We reproduced every song because the cost prohibitive,” he says. “Even with the necessary permissions by themselves, it was nearly impossible. We failed to secure acts such as the Who – RedOctane had virtually no money, and we were pretty convinced it would fail. However, when the game became a hit, and record sales airtime were going up, all artists desired to participate.”
He continues: “One of the amazing things was the number of mothers and fathers got in touch expressing gratitude for exposing their children to the songs they adored. It evolved into a multigenerational thing.”
Timeless Music Finds a New Audience
Irish blues-rock band one featured act included their track on the 2008 game the popular installment. Guitarist the artist remembers how the series brought classic rock back into vogue: “The game provided a bigger, younger audience. Generally such music was considered outdated material, however once it got featured on the title young people discovered it, suddenly it became trendy. This validated it, eliminating the ‘dad rock’ tag. It provided our catalog a new life.”
In 2008, the Answer’s debut album was still not available stateside, meaning Guitar Hero was a key medium for exposure for the band during their US tour supporting the rock giants. “Their crew had on Never Too Late on the tour bus, and several recognized us thanks to the game,” he notes.
Rock’s Heavyweight Titles Enduring Influence
Music's heavyweight names soon took advantage of the series’ popularity, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and others featuring in dedicated game editions centered around each band’s catalogue and related stories, visuals and legendary status. For example, the Aerosmith edition, reportedly to have made the group greater revenue than any of their studio albums. It sold more than half a million units in its first week, while sales of their songs rose of up to 40% at a time when the music business was already collapsing.
The series continues to inspire nimble-fingered dedication within the community. Earlier this year, an online personality achieved an impressive attempt featuring Through the Fire and Flames – a notoriously difficult anthem popularized through Guitar Hero – using a fan-made version, a no-cost alternative with almost identical mechanics but an array of personalization features. The song is challenging even in the hardest setting, not to mention played at double speed while hitting every one of the thousands of cues. They stated requiring nine months of practice.
“The game is a fun, imaginary experience. If you play Call of Duty, it doesn't imply you ought to pick up actual weapons and go to war,” says DragonForce guitarist Herman Li.
The band previously completed a successful tour before Through the Fire and Flames was featured on Guitar Hero III, yet he explains it turned them into a household name. “I recall our distributors calling to tell me that our selling albums rapidly,” he shares. “Popularity surged on the subsequent tour, and we were playing right ahead of top acts on the Mayhem festival.”
Indeed, DragonForce’s exposure via the game was so immense that it has threatened to overshadow all other the band has done. Last year, the track was used in a trailer for Despicable Me 4. “Previously I felt differently, but now I accept it,” Li says. “Should you just listen to one DragonForce song, it’s totally cool – everyone’s got a unique path in music and I’m glad we’ve been part of people’s lives”.
Enduring Legacy of a Plastic Guitar
Top-tier promotion, be it for cars, clothes or games, goes further mere transactions – it inspires a longing. Did Guitar Hero tap into that? “Precisely what our team trying to create,” he confirms. “The excitement of performing as a rock star on the stage. Since the beginning, the co-founders felt that humans have a natural urge to make music, and their goal was to leverage innovation to allow people to participate”.
The majority installments were released in just a half-decade from 2005 to 2010, including derivative titles like the DJ version, complete with a spinning deck, and the band-focused game. After that, corporate focus in plastic instruments waned, except for a short-lived revival several years later.
Titles like the fan project and newer releases have maintained the scene active, and there’s set to be a new product from the original publisher on the way. A new studio has entered work on their first music game. The initial creators are both involved in advisory roles. Is the world prepared to welcome a new entry following Guitar Hero?
“Our team believed those games could be similar to sports games allowing annual update every year,” Dornbrook says. “With abundant new music it could remain evergreen, so I’ve always been optimistic. There’s no reason why it can’t continue with new generations.”
