It has been 20 years since the legendary game first launched in North America, offering everyday gamers the tools to feel like a rock star. Not literally, though you'd be hard-pressed telling that someone who's mastered Free Bird’s four-minute instrumental break in front of an enthusiastic crowd of friends.
Developed by the developers, Guitar Hero gave players a plastic guitar peripheral to follow on-screen cues scrolling down the screen in time with the music. Every sequence corresponded to specific notes, producing the feel of a genuine live show.
Harmonix had already experimented in the music genre prior to teaming up with RedOctane, which was purchased by the gaming giant in 2006. Together, they established the groundwork for an unlikely massively profitable franchise which made a remarkable influence on numerous musicians included, introducing classic bands to millions of gaming enthusiasts.
A former executive, ex-chief operating officer of Harmonix, remembers the initial budgetary hurdles in securing the recordings – despite the fact the first two games primarily featured cover versions.
“We rerecorded every song since the cost was so high,” he explains. “Even with the publishing rights by themselves, it proved extremely difficult. We couldn’t get bands like the Who – the publisher had virtually no money, and our team was pretty convinced it would fail. But once the game became a hit, and record sales airtime increased, all artists desired to participate.”
He adds: “One of the remarkable aspects was how many mothers and fathers got in touch and thanked us for exposing their children to the songs they loved. It evolved into a multigenerational thing.”
Timeless Music Finds a New Audience
Northern Irish blues-rock band one featured act had their track in the 2008 release Guitar Hero World Tour. Guitarist Paul Mahon recalls how the series revived classic rock back into vogue: “The game offered a larger, younger audience. Typically this had been considered outdated material, but then when it was included in the title young people discovered it, abruptly it was cool. This validated it, eliminating the ‘dad rock’ label. It gave our catalog renewed popularity.”
In 2008, the band's first record was still not available in the US, so the game was a key medium for exposure for the group during their US tour opening for the rock giants. “The roadies had on the song on the tour bus, and some of them knew us from Guitar Hero,” Mahon says.
Major Band Spin-offs Enduring Influence
Music's heavyweight names quickly took advantage of the series’ popularity, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen featuring in specialized spin-off titles that focused on their music collections and associated stories, imagery and rock’n’roll mythology. For example, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, reportedly to have made the group greater revenue than any of their studio albums. It moved well over 500,000 units in its first week, while demand for Aerosmith’s music saw an increase of up to 40% at a time when the music business faced decline.
Guitar Hero still motivates quick-handed dedication among its fans. Earlier this year, a streamer achieved an impressive attempt featuring the challenging track – an infamously tough power-metal song popularized through Guitar Hero – using a fan-made version, a freeware game with almost identical gameplay but an array of customisation options. The song is challenging even in expert mode, not to mention performed at increased tempo and without missing every one of the thousands of cues. The streamer stated requiring nine months to accomplish.
“The game offers a, imaginary experience. If you play Call of Duty, that doesn’t mean you should pick up actual weapons and enlist,” says DragonForce guitarist the artist.
DragonForce had already wrapped up a successful tour before their hit appeared on Guitar Hero III, 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 says. “Popularity surged when we next toured, and we were playing just before top acts on the Mayhem festival.”
In fact, the band's visibility from Guitar Hero was so immense that it has risked overshadow everything else accomplishments. Last year, the song was used in a trailer for a major film. “In the past I thought differently, but now I accept it,” Li says. “Should you just hear a single track, that's fine – each person has a unique path in music and I’m glad we played a role of people’s lives”.
The Lasting Legacy of a Plastic Guitar
The best promotion, whether it’s for cars, clothes or video games, extends beyond mere transactions – it inspires a longing. Was the game able to harness this? “That’s exactly what we were aiming to achieve,” Dornbrook says. “That thrill of being a rock star on the stage. From day one, the co-founders believed there’s an instinctive urge to create songs, and their goal was to use technology to allow people to do it”.
The majority of Guitar Hero games were released in just a five-year period from 2005 to 2010, including derivative titles like DJ Hero, including a spinning deck, and the band-focused game. After that, the publisher’s interest on peripherals died down, aside from a brief comeback several years later.
Titles like Clone Hero and newer releases have maintained the scene active, and there’s set to be a new product from the original publisher on the way. Recently formed developers has begun work on its debut music game. Original co-founders are participating in advisory roles. Is the world ready to embrace a new entry following the classic?
“We thought those games might become like Madden allowing annual releases,” Dornbrook says. “There’s so much fresh tracks it could remain evergreen, so I’ve always been hopeful. It's entirely possible why it can’t persist for future fans.”
