Marking 20 years since the legendary game first launched in North America, giving players everywhere the tools to become a rock star. Not in reality, but try convincing someone who has mastered the epic four-minute guitar solo before a packed living-room audience.
Developed by Harmonix, Guitar Hero gave players a plastic guitar peripheral to match on-screen cues scrolling down the screen synchronized to a song. Each riff corresponded to specific notes, creating the feel of an authentic live show.
Harmonix had already experimented with rhythm games prior to teaming up with RedOctane, later acquired by Activision in 2006. Collaboratively, they established the groundwork for a surprising billion-dollar franchise which made a remarkable impact for many of the artists featured, introducing classic groups to millions of younger players.
Michael Dornbrook, former COO of Harmonix, recalls the initial budgetary hurdles of licensing the recordings – even though initial releases mostly used cover versions.
“We rerecorded all the music since the dollar figure was so high,” he explains. “Even with the publishing rights alone, it proved extremely difficult. We couldn’t get acts such as the Who – the publisher had virtually no money, and our team was fairly certain it would fail. However, when Guitar Hero took off, album purchases airtime were going up, everyone wanted to participate.”
He adds: “Among the amazing things was how many mothers and fathers reached out and thanked us for introducing their children to the music they adored. It became an intergenerational phenomenon.”
Classic Rock Gains Younger Fans
Irish group one featured act had Never Too Late on the 2008 game the popular installment. Lead musician Paul Mahon recalls the way the game brought classic rock back into vogue: “Guitar Hero provided a larger, new demographic. Generally such music was seen as music that was past it, but then when it was included in the game and teenagers discovered it, abruptly it was cool. This validated it, and got rid of the ‘dad rock’ label. It provided our catalog a new life.”
At that time, the Answer’s first record remained unreleased in the US, meaning the game was a key medium for exposure for the band as they went on US tour supporting AC/DC. “The roadies had on the song on the tour bus, and some of them recognized us from Guitar Hero,” Mahon says.
Rock’s Heavyweight Spin-offs Enduring Influence
Rock’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 associated stories, visuals and legendary status. In the case of, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, it was said earned the group greater revenue than any of their records. It moved well over 500,000 copies in its first week, while demand for Aerosmith’s music rose of up to 40% during an era as the industry faced decline.
Guitar Hero still motivates quick-handed fanaticism within the community. Earlier this year, a streamer 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 gameplay and extensive personalization features. This track is challenging enough on the hardest setting, let alone played at double speed while hitting every one of the thousands of cues. The streamer claimed it took months of practice of practice.
“The game is a fun, fantasy thing. If you play Call of Duty, it doesn't imply you ought to use actual weapons and enlist,” says musician Herman Li.
DragonForce previously wrapped up a profitable run before Through the Fire and Flames appeared in the third game, but Li says it made them a household name. “I remember the record label calling to tell me that we were selling albums like crazy,” he shares. “Popularity surged when we next toured, and we were playing right ahead of top acts at the event.”
In fact, DragonForce’s exposure via the game proved so vast that it has risked overshadow all other accomplishments. Last year, the track featured in promotional material for Despicable Me 4. “Previously I thought differently, but I’ve made peace with it,” Li says. “Should you just hear one DragonForce song, it’s totally cool – everyone’s got a unique path in music and I'm pleased we’ve been part in fans' experiences”.
The Lasting Impact from the Plastic Guitar
Top-tier marketing, whether it’s for automobiles, clothes or games, extends beyond mere transactions – it inspires a longing. Was the game able to tap into that? “Precisely what our team aiming to achieve,” he confirms. “The excitement of being a rock star in the spotlight. From day one, the creators believed there’s an instinctive urge to make music, and their goal was to use technology to enable everyone to do it”.
The majority of Guitar Hero games were released over a mere five-year period between 2005 and 2010, featuring spin-offs such as DJ Hero, including a turntable controller, and Band Hero. Subsequently, corporate focus in plastic instruments waned, aside from a brief comeback several years later.
Titles such as Clone Hero and newer releases have maintained the community active, with set to be something from the founders on the way. A new studio has begun work on its debut music game. Original co-founders are participating in advisory roles. Are gamers ready to embrace a new entry in the spirit of Guitar Hero?
“We thought those games might become like Madden allowing annual releases,” he remarks. “There’s so much fresh tracks that it could be evergreen, so I’ve always been hopeful. It's entirely possible why it can’t persist with new generations.”
