Marking two decades since Guitar Hero hit the market in North America, offering players everywhere the tools to feel like rock legends. Not in reality, though you'd be hard-pressed convincing anyone who's nailed Free Bird’s four-minute guitar solo before a packed crowd of friends.
Developed by the developers, Guitar Hero gave players a guitar-shaped controller to follow on-screen cues moving along the display in time with a song. Each riff mimicked specific notes, producing the sensation of an authentic live show.
Harmonix previously tried its hand in the music genre before partnering with RedOctane, later acquired by the gaming giant during the mid-2000s. Collaboratively, they established the foundations for an unlikely massively profitable series that had a significant influence on numerous of the artists featured, showcasing decades-old groups to a new generation of younger players.
Michael Dornbrook, former COO of Harmonix, remembers the early budgetary hurdles in securing the recordings – even though the first two games mostly used cover versions.
“We rerecorded every song because the cost prohibitive,” he explains. “Even with the necessary permissions alone, it proved extremely difficult. We couldn’t get acts such as legendary groups – the publisher had virtually no money, and our team was fairly certain the project would flop. But once the game took off, and record sales airtime increased, everyone wanted to participate.”
He continues: “One of the amazing things was how many mothers and fathers got in touch and thanked us for exposing their children to the songs they adored. It evolved into an intergenerational thing.”
Classic Rock Gains Younger Fans
Irish blues-rock band the Answer included Never Too Late on the 2008 game Guitar Hero World Tour. Guitarist the artist recalls the way the game revived classic rock to the forefront: “Guitar Hero offered a bigger, younger audience. Generally such music was seen as music that was past it, but then when it was featured on the game and teenagers were finding it, abruptly it was cool. This validated it, and got rid of the outdated tag. It gave our catalog a new life.”
In 2008, the Answer’s debut album was still not available stateside, meaning Guitar Hero served as a primary platform for exposure for the group during their a North American tour opening for AC/DC. “The roadies had on the song during travel, and some of them knew us thanks to the game,” he notes.
Rock’s Heavyweight Spin-offs and Lasting Impact
Rock’s heavyweight names quickly took advantage of the game's success, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and others starring in specialized game editions centered around their music collections and related stories, imagery and legendary status. In the case of, the Aerosmith edition, it was said to have made the band more money compared to their records. It sold more than 500,000 units upon release, and sales of Aerosmith’s music saw an increase significantly at a time as the industry faced decline.
Guitar Hero continues to inspire quick-handed fanaticism among its fans. Earlier this year, a streamer achieved an impressive attempt of DragonForce’s the challenging track – a notoriously difficult power-metal song popularized through the game – using a fan-made version, a no-cost alternative with similar gameplay and extensive customisation options. This track is challenging enough on expert mode, let alone performed at increased tempo while hitting every one of the thousands of cues. They stated it took months of practice to accomplish.
“The game offers a, fantasy thing. If you play Call of Duty, it doesn't imply you ought to pick up a real gun and enlist,” notes musician Herman Li.
The band previously wrapped up a profitable run before Through the Fire and Flames was featured on Guitar Hero III, but Li says it turned them into widely recognized. “I recall our distributors informing us that we were selling albums rapidly,” he shares. “It exploded when we next toured, and we performed just before the headliners on the Mayhem festival.”
In fact, the band's visibility via the game was so immense that it risked eclipsing all other accomplishments. Recently, the song was used in promotional material for Despicable Me 4. “Previously I felt otherwise, but now I accept it,” he admits. “Should you just hear a single track, it’s totally cool – everyone’s got their own musical journey and I'm pleased we played a role in fans' experiences”.
The Lasting Legacy from the Plastic Guitar
The best promotion, be it for automobiles, clothes or games, goes further mere transactions – it inspires 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. From day one, the co-founders felt that humans have a natural urge to create songs, and they wanted to leverage innovation to enable everyone to do it”.
Most installments came out in just a half-decade between 2005 and 2010, featuring derivative titles like the DJ version, including a turntable controller, and the band-focused game. Subsequently, corporate focus in plastic instruments died down, aside from a brief comeback in 2015.
Games such as the fan project and Fortnite Festival have maintained the community alive, with expectations of a new product from the original publisher in development. A new studio has begun production on its debut rhythm-based title. The initial creators are both involved in advisory roles. Are gamers ready to embrace a new entry following the classic?
“We thought those games might become like Madden allowing annual releases,” he remarks. “There’s so much fresh tracks it could remain evergreen, so I’ve always been hopeful. There’s no reason for it to continue with new generations.”
