Marking 20 years after the legendary game hit the market in North America, giving everyday gamers the means to feel like rock legends. Not in reality, but try convincing someone who has mastered the epic four-minute guitar solo in front of a packed crowd of friends.
Developed by Harmonix, Guitar Hero provided users with a plastic guitar peripheral to match coloured notes scrolling down the display synchronized to the music. Every sequence mimicked specific notes, creating the feel of an authentic live show.
Harmonix had already experimented in the music genre before partnering with RedOctane, which was purchased by the gaming giant in 2006. Together, they laid the foundations for a surprising billion-dollar franchise which made a significant influence on numerous musicians included, showcasing classic bands to a new generation of gaming enthusiasts.
A former executive, former COO of Harmonix, remembers the early financial challenges of licensing the recordings – even though the first two games mostly used cover versions.
“We rerecorded every song since the dollar figure prohibitive,” he says. “Despite having the necessary permissions alone, it was extremely difficult. We failed to secure acts such as the Who – the publisher had virtually no money, and our team was fairly certain it would fail. However, when the game took off, album purchases and radio play were going up, all artists desired to participate.”
He continues: “Among the amazing things was the number of mothers and fathers reached out expressing gratitude for exposing their children to the music they loved. It evolved into an intergenerational phenomenon.”
Classic Rock Gains Younger Fans
Irish group one featured act had Never Too Late in the 2008 release the popular installment. Guitarist the artist recalls how the series brought classic rock to the forefront: “Guitar Hero offered a larger, new demographic. Generally this had been considered outdated material, however when it was included in the game and teenagers discovered it, suddenly it became trendy. This validated it, and got rid of the outdated tag. It provided our catalog renewed popularity.”
At that time, the Answer’s first record remained unreleased in the US, so Guitar Hero served as a primary platform for exposure for the band as they went on US tour opening for the rock giants. “Their crew were playing the song during travel, and some of them recognized us thanks to the game,” he notes.
Major Band Titles and Lasting Impact
Rock’s heavyweight names quickly capitalised on the game's success, with Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen starring in dedicated game editions centered around their music collections and associated stories, visuals and rock’n’roll mythology. In the case of, the Aerosmith edition, it was said to have made the band greater revenue than any of their records. It moved well over half a million copies in its first week, and demand for Aerosmith’s music rose of up to 40% at a time as the industry was already collapsing.
The series continues to inspire nimble-fingered fanaticism among its fans. Earlier this year, a streamer completed an impressive attempt of DragonForce’s Through the Fire and Flames – a notoriously difficult anthem popularized through the game – using a fan-made version, a no-cost alternative with almost identical mechanics and extensive personalization features. This track is difficult even in expert mode, let alone played at double speed and without missing every one of its near 4,000 notes. The streamer stated it took months of practice of practice.
“Guitar Hero offers a, imaginary experience. If you play Call of Duty, it doesn't imply you should use a real gun and go to war,” notes musician Herman Li.
The band had already wrapped up a successful tour before Through the Fire and Flames was featured on Guitar Hero III, but Li says it made them widely recognized. “I recall our distributors informing us that our records were moving like crazy,” he shares. “It exploded on the subsequent tour, and we were playing just before top acts at the event.”
Indeed, DragonForce’s exposure from Guitar Hero proved so vast that it has risked overshadow all other the band has done. Last year, the song was used in promotional material for Despicable Me 4. “Previously I thought differently, but now I accept it,” Li says. “If you only listen to a single track, it’s totally cool – everyone’s got their own musical journey and I'm pleased we’ve been part in fans' experiences”.
The Lasting Impact of a Plastic Guitar
The best promotion, whether it’s for automobiles, clothes or video games, goes further than selling something – it inspires a desire. Did Guitar Hero tap into that? “Precisely what we were aiming to achieve,” Dornbrook says. “That thrill of performing as a music icon in the spotlight. From day one, the creators believed there’s an instinctive human desire to create songs, and they wanted to use technology to allow people to do it”.
Most of Guitar Hero games came out over a mere half-decade from 2005 to 2010, including derivative titles like the DJ version, including a spinning deck, and Band Hero. Subsequently, the publisher’s interest on peripherals waned, except for a short-lived revival several years later.
Titles such as Clone Hero and newer releases have kept the community active, with expectations of a new product from the founders in development. Recently formed developers has entered production on its debut music game. Original co-founders are participating as special advisers. Is the world prepared to welcome a new entry in the spirit of Guitar Hero?
“Our team believed those games could be similar to sports games where you can releases,” Dornbrook says. “With abundant new music it could remain evergreen, thus I remain optimistic. There’s no reason why it can’t continue for future fans.”
