It has been 20 years since the legendary game first launched in North America, providing everyday gamers the tools to become rock legends. Figuratively speaking, but try convincing someone who's nailed Free Bird’s lengthy instrumental break in front of a packed living-room audience.
Created by the developers, Guitar Hero provided users with a plastic guitar peripheral to match coloured notes moving along the screen in time with a song. Every sequence mimicked specific notes, producing the feel of an authentic performance.
The studio had already experimented in the music genre before partnering with RedOctane, later purchased by Activision during the mid-2000s. Together, they laid the foundations for an unlikely massively profitable franchise which made a significant impact on numerous musicians included, introducing classic bands to a new generation of younger players.
A former executive, ex-chief operating officer of Harmonix, recalls the early budgetary hurdles in securing the songs – even though initial releases primarily featured rerecorded tracks.
“We rerecorded every song because the dollar figure was so high,” he explains. “Even with the necessary permissions by themselves, it proved extremely difficult. We couldn’t get acts such as legendary groups – RedOctane was operating on a shoestring budget, and we were pretty convinced it would fail. However, when Guitar Hero became a hit, album purchases airtime increased, everyone wanted to be in.”
He adds: “Among the amazing things was how many mothers and fathers reached out expressing gratitude for introducing their children to the music they adored. It became a multigenerational thing.”
Timeless Music Finds a New Audience
Irish blues-rock band one featured act had Never Too Late on the 2008 game the popular installment. Guitarist Paul Mahon recalls the way the game revived older hits back into vogue: “Guitar Hero offered a bigger, new demographic. Typically this had been seen as music that was past it, but then when it was included in the game young people were finding it, suddenly it became trendy. That legitimised it, and got rid of the ‘dad rock’ label. It provided our catalog renewed popularity.”
At that time, the band's debut album was still not available stateside, so the game was a key medium of discovery for the group during their US tour supporting AC/DC. “The roadies were playing the song on the tour bus, and some of them knew us thanks to the game,” he notes.
Rock’s Heavyweight Titles and Lasting Influence
Rock’s biggest acts quickly took advantage of the game's success, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and others starring in specialized spin-off titles centered around each band’s catalogue and associated stories, visuals and legendary status. For example, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, reportedly earned the band greater revenue compared to their records. It sold well over half a million units in its first week, and sales of Aerosmith’s music saw an increase of up to 40% at a time when the music business was already collapsing.
The series still motivates quick-handed dedication within the community. Earlier this year, a streamer achieved a remarkable feat featuring Through the Fire and Flames – a notoriously difficult anthem made popular by the game – on Clone Hero, a no-cost alternative with similar gameplay and extensive customisation options. The song is challenging even in the hardest setting, not to mention played at double speed and without missing every one of the thousands of cues. The streamer stated it took months of practice to accomplish.
“Guitar Hero is a fun, fantasy thing. Just as with Call of Duty, that doesn’t mean you should use actual weapons and enlist,” says DragonForce guitarist Herman Li.
DragonForce previously completed a successful tour when their hit appeared on Guitar Hero III, but Li says it made them a household name. “I recall our distributors informing us that we were records were moving like crazy,” he says. “Popularity surged on the subsequent tour, and we were playing just before the headliners at the event.”
In fact, the band's visibility from Guitar Hero was so immense that it threatened to eclipsing all other accomplishments. Recently, the song was used in a trailer for Despicable Me 4. “In the past I thought otherwise, but I’ve made peace with it,” he admits. “Should you just listen to one DragonForce song, it’s totally cool – everyone’s got their own path in music and I’m glad we’ve been part in fans' experiences”.
Enduring Legacy from the Plastic Guitar
Top-tier promotion, whether it’s for automobiles, apparel or games, extends beyond than selling something – it inspires a desire. Did Guitar Hero tap into that? “That’s exactly what our team aiming to achieve,” Dornbrook says. “The excitement of performing as a music icon on the stage. From day one, the co-founders felt that humans have a natural human desire to create songs, and they wanted to use technology to enable everyone to do it”.
The majority of Guitar Hero games came out in just a five-year period between 2005 and 2010, featuring derivative titles such as DJ Hero, including a turntable controller, and Band Hero. After that, the publisher’s interest in plastic instruments waned, aside from a brief comeback in 2015.
Titles such as Clone Hero and Fortnite Festival have maintained the scene alive, with set to be a new product from the original publisher on the way. Recently formed developers has begun work on their first music game. Original co-founders are participating as special advisers. Are gamers ready to embrace another game following the classic?
“Our team believed those games could be similar to sports games allowing annual releases,” he remarks. “With abundant fresh tracks that it could be perennially popular, so I’ve always been optimistic. There’s no reason for it to continue with new generations.”
