It has been two decades since the legendary game first launched across the Atlantic, offering players everywhere the opportunity to become a rock star. Not in reality, though you'd be hard-pressed telling that anyone who's nailed the epic lengthy guitar solo before an enthusiastic living-room audience.
Created by Harmonix, Guitar Hero gave players a plastic guitar peripheral to follow on-screen cues moving along the display in time with the music. Every sequence corresponded to particular chords, creating the feel of an authentic performance.
Harmonix previously experimented with rhythm games before partnering with RedOctane, later purchased by Activision in 2006. Together, they established the foundations for an unlikely billion-dollar franchise which made a remarkable impact for many musicians featured, introducing decades-old groups to millions of gaming enthusiasts.
A former executive, former COO from the developer, remembers the initial financial challenges in securing the songs – despite the fact the first two games mostly used rerecorded tracks.
“We reproduced all the music since the cost prohibitive,” he says. “Even with the necessary permissions alone, it proved extremely difficult. We failed to secure bands like legendary groups – RedOctane had virtually no money, and we were fairly certain the project would flop. However, when the game took off, and record sales and radio play increased, all artists desired to be in.”
He continues: “Among the amazing things was how many mothers and fathers got in touch expressing gratitude for introducing their kids to the music they adored. It evolved into an intergenerational thing.”
Timeless Music Finds Younger Fans
Irish group the Answer included Never Too Late on the 2008 game Guitar Hero World Tour. Guitarist the artist recalls how the series brought classic rock back into vogue: “Guitar Hero provided a larger, younger audience. Generally such music was seen as outdated material, however once it got featured on the title and teenagers were finding it, suddenly it was cool. This validated it, and got rid of the ‘dad rock’ tag. It gave all our music renewed popularity.”
At that time, the Answer’s first record was still not available in the US, meaning the game served as a primary platform for exposure for the group during their a North American tour opening for the rock giants. “The roadies had on the song on the tour bus, and some of them knew us from Guitar Hero,” he notes.
Major Band Titles and Lasting Impact
Music's heavyweight names quickly took advantage of the series’ popularity, with Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen starring in dedicated game editions that focused on each band’s catalogue and associated lore, visuals and legendary status. For example, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, it was said to have made the group more money compared to their studio albums. It sold well over 500,000 units in its first week, while 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 dedication among its fans. Earlier this year, an online personality completed an impressive attempt of DragonForce’s Through the Fire and Flames – a notoriously difficult power-metal song made popular by Guitar Hero – using a fan-made version, a no-cost alternative with similar mechanics but an array of personalization features. This track is challenging even in expert mode, not to mention performed at increased tempo and without missing a single one of the thousands of cues. They stated requiring months of practice of practice.
“The game offers a, fantasy thing. If you play other games, it doesn't imply you ought to pick up a real gun and enlist,” notes musician Herman Li.
DragonForce previously completed a profitable run before their hit was featured in the third game, but Li says it turned them into widely recognized. “I recall our distributors calling to tell me that we were records were moving rapidly,” he says. “Popularity surged on the subsequent tour, 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 has threatened to overshadow everything else accomplishments. Last year, the track was used in promotional material for Despicable Me 4. “Previously I thought otherwise, but now I accept it,” Li says. “If you only hear one DragonForce song, that's fine – everyone’s got a unique path in music and I’m glad we’ve been part of people’s lives”.
The Lasting Legacy from the Plastic Guitar
The best promotion, be it for cars, clothes or games, goes further than selling something – it inspires a desire. Did Guitar Hero harness this? “Precisely what our team trying to create,” he confirms. “The excitement of performing as a music icon on the stage. From day one, the creators believed humans have a natural urge to create songs, and they wanted to use technology to enable everyone to participate”.
The majority installments came out over a mere half-decade between 2005 and 2010, featuring derivative titles such as the DJ version, including a spinning deck, and Band Hero. Subsequently, corporate focus on peripherals waned, except for a short-lived revival several years later.
Titles such as the fan project and Fortnite Festival have maintained the community alive, with set to be a new product from the original publisher in development. Recently formed developers has begun production on its debut rhythm-based title. Original co-founders are participating as special advisers. Is the world prepared to welcome another game following Guitar Hero?
“We thought such titles might become like Madden allowing annual update every year,” Dornbrook says. “With abundant new music that it could be perennially popular, thus I remain optimistic. There’s no reason for it to persist with new generations.”
