Marking 20 years since Guitar Hero hit the market across the Atlantic, giving everyday gamers the opportunity to feel like a rock star. Not in reality, though you'd be hard-pressed convincing someone who has nailed Free Bird’s lengthy guitar solo before an enthusiastic living-room audience.
Created by Harmonix, the game provided users with a guitar-shaped controller to follow coloured notes scrolling down the screen in time with a song. Each riff corresponded to particular chords, producing the feel of an authentic live show.
Harmonix previously experimented with rhythm games prior to teaming up with the publisher, later acquired by the gaming giant in 2006. Together, they established the groundwork for a surprising massively profitable franchise that had a remarkable impact for many musicians included, introducing classic bands to a new generation of gaming enthusiasts.
A former executive, ex-chief operating officer of Harmonix, remembers the early financial challenges in securing the songs – even though initial releases primarily featured cover versions.
“We reproduced all the music since the dollar figure prohibitive,” he says. “Even with the publishing rights by themselves, it was extremely difficult. We failed to secure bands like the Who – RedOctane had virtually no money, and our team was pretty convinced it would fail. But once Guitar Hero took off, and record sales and radio play increased, everyone wanted to participate.”
He continues: “Among the amazing things was how many parents got in touch expressing gratitude for introducing their kids to the music they loved. It became an intergenerational phenomenon.”
Timeless Music Gains Younger Fans
Irish blues-rock band the Answer included their track on the 2008 game the popular installment. Lead musician Paul Mahon recalls how the series brought classic rock to the forefront: “The game provided a larger, younger audience. Generally this had been seen as outdated material, but then when it was included in the game young people discovered it, abruptly it was cool. That legitimised the genre, and got rid of the ‘dad rock’ tag. It provided all our music renewed popularity.”
In 2008, the band's debut album remained unreleased stateside, meaning the game served as a primary platform for exposure for the band during their US tour opening for the rock giants. “The roadies had on Never Too Late on the tour bus, and several recognized us thanks to the game,” Mahon says.
Major Band Spin-offs Enduring Impact
Rock’s heavyweight names quickly took advantage of the game's success, with Aerosmith, Metallica and others starring in specialized spin-off titles that focused on each band’s catalogue and related stories, visuals and legendary status. For example, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, it was said earned the group more money than any of their records. It sold well over 500,000 units in its first week, and demand for their songs saw an increase significantly during an era when the music business was already collapsing.
The series still motivates nimble-fingered dedication within the community. Earlier this year, a streamer achieved an impressive attempt of DragonForce’s Through the Fire and Flames – an infamously tough power-metal song popularized through the game – using a fan-made version, a no-cost alternative with almost identical gameplay but an array of customisation options. This track is difficult enough on expert mode, let alone played at increased tempo and without missing every one of the thousands of cues. They claimed it took months of practice to accomplish.
“Guitar Hero offers a, imaginary experience. If you play Call of Duty, that doesn’t mean you should pick up a real gun and go to war,” says musician Herman Li.
The band previously completed a successful tour when Through the Fire and Flames was featured on Guitar Hero III, but Li says it made them a household name. “I remember our distributors informing us that we were records were moving like crazy,” he says. “Popularity surged on the subsequent tour, and we performed just before the headliners at the event.”
Indeed, DragonForce’s exposure via the game proved so vast that it threatened to overshadow everything else the band has done. Last year, the track was used in promotional material for a major film. “In the past I thought differently, but I’ve made peace with it,” he admits. “Should you just hear a single track, that's fine – everyone’s got a unique path in music and I'm pleased we’ve been part of people’s lives”.
The Lasting Legacy from the Plastic Guitar
Top-tier marketing, be it for cars, apparel or games, extends beyond than selling something – it evokes a longing. Was the game able to tap into that? “Precisely what our team aiming to achieve,” Dornbrook says. “That thrill of being a music icon on the stage. Since the beginning, the creators believed there’s an instinctive urge to make music, and their goal was to use technology to allow people to participate”.
Most of Guitar Hero games were released in just a five-year period between 2005 and 2010, including derivative titles like the DJ version, including a spinning deck, and Band Hero. After that, the publisher’s interest in plastic instruments waned, except for a brief comeback in 2015.
Games such as Clone Hero and Fortnite Festival have maintained the scene alive, with set to be a new product from the founders on the way. A new studio has begun work on its debut rhythm-based title. Original co-founders are both involved in advisory roles. Is the world ready to embrace a new entry in the spirit of Guitar Hero?
“Our team believed those games could be like Madden allowing annual update every year,” he remarks. “There’s so much new music that it could be perennially popular, so I’ve always been hopeful. There’s no reason for it to persist with new generations.”
