It has been 20 years since Guitar Hero first launched in North America, offering everyday gamers the tools to feel like rock legends. Figuratively speaking, though you'd be hard-pressed convincing anyone who has nailed the epic lengthy instrumental break in front of an enthusiastic crowd of friends.
Developed by the developers, the game gave players a plastic guitar peripheral to follow on-screen cues moving along the screen in time with the music. Each riff corresponded to particular chords, producing the sensation of a genuine live show.
The studio previously tried its hand in the music genre before partnering with the publisher, later purchased by the gaming giant during the mid-2000s. Together, they established the foundations for an unlikely billion-dollar series that had a remarkable influence on numerous of the artists featured, showcasing classic bands to a new generation of gaming enthusiasts.
Michael Dornbrook, former COO of Harmonix, recalls the early budgetary hurdles of licensing the songs – despite the fact initial releases primarily featured rerecorded tracks.
“We rerecorded every song because the cost was so high,” he explains. “Despite having the publishing rights by themselves, it was extremely difficult. We couldn’t get bands like the Who – the publisher had virtually no money, and we were fairly certain the project would flop. However, when the game became a hit, and record sales and radio play were going up, everyone wanted to be in.”
He adds: “One of the amazing things was how many mothers and fathers got in touch expressing gratitude for introducing their kids to the songs they adored. It evolved into a multigenerational thing.”
Classic Rock Gains Younger Fans
Northern Irish blues-rock band one featured act had Never Too Late on the 2008 game Guitar Hero World Tour. Guitarist the artist recalls the way the game brought older hits to the forefront: “Guitar Hero offered a larger, new demographic. Generally such music was considered outdated material, however when it was featured on the game and teenagers were finding it, abruptly it was cool. This validated the genre, eliminating the outdated tag. It provided all our music a new life.”
In 2008, the Answer’s first record was still unreleased in the US, meaning Guitar Hero served as a primary platform of discovery for the group as they went on US tour opening for AC/DC. “The roadies had on Never Too Late on the tour bus, and some of them knew us thanks to the game,” Mahon says.
Rock’s Heavyweight Spin-offs and Lasting Influence
Rock’s biggest acts quickly capitalised on the series’ popularity, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and others featuring in dedicated game editions centered around each band’s catalogue and related lore, imagery and legendary status. For example, the Aerosmith edition, it was said earned the group greater revenue than any of their records. It moved well over half a million units upon release, and sales of their songs saw an increase of up to 40% at a time as the industry was already collapsing.
The series continues to inspire nimble-fingered fanaticism within the community. Recently, an online personality completed a remarkable feat of DragonForce’s Through the Fire and Flames – a notoriously difficult power-metal song popularized through Guitar Hero – using a fan-made version, a no-cost alternative with almost identical gameplay but an array of personalization features. This track is challenging even in the hardest setting, let alone performed at increased tempo while hitting every one of its near 4,000 notes. They stated requiring nine months to accomplish.
“The game offers a, fantasy thing. If you play other games, that doesn’t mean you should pick up actual weapons and go to war,” notes musician the artist.
DragonForce had already completed a successful tour when their hit appeared on Guitar Hero III, but Li says it made them widely recognized. “I remember the record label informing us that our records were moving like crazy,” he shares. “It exploded when we next toured, and we performed right ahead of the headliners on the Mayhem festival.”
Indeed, DragonForce’s exposure from Guitar Hero proved so vast that it risked eclipsing all other the band has done. Last year, the track featured in a trailer for Despicable Me 4. “In the past I felt differently, but I’ve made peace with it,” he admits. “If you only hear one DragonForce song, it’s totally cool – everyone’s got a unique musical journey and I’m glad we’ve been part of people’s lives”.
The Lasting Legacy of a Plastic Guitar
The best marketing, be it for automobiles, clothes or video games, goes further mere transactions – it inspires a desire. Was the game able to tap into that? “Precisely what we were aiming to achieve,” Dornbrook says. “The excitement of being a music icon on the stage. Since the beginning, the co-founders felt that humans have a natural urge to make music, and their goal was to use technology to enable everyone to participate”.
Most installments were released over a mere half-decade between 2005 and 2010, including derivative titles like DJ Hero, including a turntable controller, and the band-focused game. Subsequently, corporate focus in plastic instruments died down, except for a brief comeback several years later.
Games like Clone Hero and newer releases have kept the community active, with expectations of a new product from the original publisher on the way. Recently formed developers has entered work on its debut music game. Original co-founders are participating as special advisers. Are gamers ready to embrace another game following Guitar Hero?
“Our team believed such titles might become like Madden where you can releases,” Dornbrook says. “With abundant new music that it could be evergreen, so I’ve always been optimistic. There’s no reason for it to continue with new generations.”
