Marking 20 years after the legendary game debuted across the Atlantic, giving everyday gamers the means to become rock legends. Not literally, but try convincing someone who's nailed Free Bird’s lengthy instrumental break before a packed crowd of friends.
Developed by Harmonix, Guitar Hero provided users with a guitar-shaped controller to follow on-screen cues moving along the screen in time with the music. Every sequence mimicked particular chords, creating the sensation of a genuine live show.
Harmonix had already tried its hand in the music genre before partnering with the publisher, later acquired by Activision in 2006. Collaboratively, they laid the foundations for an unlikely massively profitable series which made a remarkable influence on numerous of the artists included, introducing classic groups to a new generation of younger players.
Michael Dornbrook, former COO from the developer, recalls the early budgetary hurdles of licensing the songs – despite the fact the first two games mostly used rerecorded tracks.
“We reproduced every song since the cost was so high,” he says. “Despite having the publishing rights alone, it was nearly impossible. We failed to secure bands like legendary groups – RedOctane was operating on a shoestring budget, and our team was fairly certain it would fail. However, when the game became a hit, and record sales airtime were going up, everyone wanted to be in.”
He continues: “One of the remarkable aspects was the number of mothers and fathers got in touch and thanked us for introducing their children to the songs they loved. It evolved into an intergenerational thing.”
Classic Rock Gains Younger Fans
Northern Irish group the Answer included their track on the 2008 game Guitar Hero World Tour. Lead musician the artist recalls the way the game brought older hits to the forefront: “The game offered a larger, younger audience. Generally such music was considered outdated material, but then when it was featured on the game and teenagers were finding it, abruptly it was cool. This validated it, and got rid of the outdated tag.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 all our music a new life.”
In 2008, the band's debut album was still unreleased in the US, meaning Guitar Hero was a key medium for exposure for the group during their US tour opening for AC/DC. “The roadies had on Never Too Late during travel, and some of them recognized us from Guitar Hero,” Mahon says.
Rock’s Heavyweight Spin-offs and Lasting Impact
Music's biggest acts soon took advantage of the series’ popularity, 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 group more money compared to their studio albums. It sold more than half a million units in its first week, and demand for their songs saw an increase significantly at a time when the music business was already collapsing.
Guitar Hero continues to inspire quick-handed dedication within the community. Earlier this year, a streamer completed an impressive attempt featuring Through the Fire and Flames – a notoriously difficult anthem made popular by Guitar Hero – on Clone Hero, a no-cost alternative with almost identical mechanics but an array of customisation options. The song is challenging even in expert mode, not to mention performed at increased tempo and without missing every one of the thousands of cues. They claimed it took months of practice to accomplish.
“Guitar Hero offers a, imaginary experience. If you play Call of Duty, it doesn't imply you ought to use a real gun and enlist,” notes DragonForce guitarist Herman Li.
The band previously wrapped up a successful tour before Through the Fire and Flames was featured 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 shares. “It exploded on the subsequent tour, and we were playing right ahead of the headliners on the Mayhem festival.”
Indeed, the band's visibility from Guitar Hero proved so vast that it risked eclipsing all other the band has done. Recently, the song featured in a trailer for Despicable Me 4. “Previously I thought differently, but I’ve made peace with it,” he admits. “Should you just listen to one DragonForce song, it’s totally cool – everyone’s got a unique path in music and I’m glad we played a role of people’s lives”.
Enduring Impact from the Plastic Guitar
The best marketing, whether it’s for automobiles, apparel or video games, goes further than selling something – it evokes a desire. Was the game able to tap into that? “Precisely what we were aiming to achieve,” he confirms. “The excitement of being a music icon in the spotlight. From day one, the creators believed there’s an instinctive human desire to make music, and they wanted to leverage innovation to allow people to do it”.
The majority installments were released in just a five-year period between 2005 and 2010, featuring derivative titles such as DJ Hero, complete with a spinning deck, and Band Hero. After that, corporate focus on peripherals waned, aside from a brief comeback several years later.
Games such as the fan project and Fortnite Festival have maintained the community alive, and there’s expectations of something from the founders on the way. Recently formed developers has entered production on their first music game. The initial creators are both involved in advisory roles. Are gamers prepared to welcome a new entry in the spirit of Guitar Hero?
“Our team believed those games might become like Madden allowing annual releases,” he remarks. “With abundant fresh tracks it could remain evergreen, thus I remain optimistic. It's entirely possible for it to continue for future fans.”
