It has been 20 years after Guitar Hero first launched across the Atlantic, offering everyday gamers the tools to become a rock star. Not literally, but try telling that someone who's nailed the epic four-minute instrumental break in front of a packed crowd of friends.
Created by Harmonix, the game provided users with a plastic guitar peripheral to match on-screen cues scrolling down the screen synchronized to the music. Each riff corresponded to specific notes, creating the feel of a genuine performance.
The studio had already experimented with rhythm games prior to teaming up with RedOctane, which was acquired by Activision in 2006. Together, they laid the foundations for an unlikely massively profitable franchise which made a significant impact for many musicians featured, introducing classic groups to millions of younger players.
Michael Dornbrook, former COO from the developer, recalls the initial budgetary hurdles in securing the songs – despite the fact initial releases primarily featured rerecorded tracks.
“We rerecorded every song since the cost prohibitive,” he explains. “Despite having the necessary permissions alone, it was extremely difficult. We couldn’t get acts such as legendary groups – the publisher had virtually no money, and we were fairly certain it would fail. But once Guitar Hero took off, and record sales and radio play increased, all artists desired to participate.”
He adds: “Among the amazing things was how many mothers and fathers reached out expressing gratitude for exposing their children to the music they adored. It became a multigenerational phenomenon.”
Timeless Music Finds Younger Fans
Irish blues-rock band one featured act had their track on the 2008 game Guitar Hero World Tour. Guitarist Paul Mahon recalls how the series revived classic rock to the forefront: “Guitar Hero offered a larger, new demographic. Typically such music was seen as outdated material, but then when it was included in the title young people discovered it, abruptly it was cool. This validated the genre, eliminating the ‘dad rock’ label. It gave all our music renewed popularity.”
In 2008, the Answer’s first record remained not available stateside, so the game served as a primary platform for exposure for the band as they went on US tour supporting the rock giants. “Their crew had on Never Too Late on the tour bus, and several recognized us thanks to the game,” Mahon says.
Rock’s Heavyweight Titles Enduring Impact
Rock’s heavyweight names soon took advantage of the game's success, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen featuring in specialized game editions centered around their music collections and related lore, imagery and legendary status. In the case of, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, it was said to have made the band greater revenue compared to their records. It moved well over 500,000 copies upon release, while sales of their songs rose significantly at a time when the music business faced decline.
The series still motivates 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 anthem made popular by the game – on Clone Hero, a freeware game with similar gameplay and extensive customisation options. This track is difficult even in expert mode, let alone performed at increased tempo and without missing every one of the thousands of cues. The streamer stated requiring months of practice of practice.
“The game offers a, fantasy thing. If you play other games, it doesn't imply you should use a real gun and go to war,” notes DragonForce guitarist the artist.
The band had already wrapped up a profitable run when their hit was featured in the third game, yet he explains it made them a household name. “I remember our distributors calling to tell me that we were records were moving rapidly,” he says. “Popularity surged when we next toured, and we performed just before the headliners on the Mayhem festival.”
Indeed, DragonForce’s exposure from Guitar Hero proved so vast that it has risked eclipsing all other accomplishments. Recently, the track featured in a trailer for Despicable Me 4. “Previously I thought differently, but I’ve made peace with it,” he admits. “Should you just hear a single track, that's fine – each person has a unique musical journey and I’m glad we played a role in fans' experiences”.
The Lasting Impact of a Plastic Guitar
The best marketing, be it for cars, apparel or video games, goes further than selling something – it inspires a desire. Did Guitar Hero harness this? “Precisely what we were trying to create,” Dornbrook says. “That thrill of performing as a music icon on the stage. From day one, the co-founders believed humans have a natural human desire to create songs, and they wanted to use technology to allow people to participate”.
Most installments were released in just a half-decade from 2005 to 2010, including derivative titles such as DJ Hero, including a turntable controller, and the band-focused game. After that, corporate focus in plastic instruments waned, aside from a brief comeback several years later.
Games such as the fan project and Fortnite Festival have kept the scene alive, and there’s set to be something from the founders in development. Recently formed developers has begun work on their first rhythm-based title. The initial creators are participating in advisory roles. Are gamers prepared to welcome a new entry following Guitar Hero?
“We thought such titles might become like Madden allowing annual update every year,” he remarks. “There’s so much fresh tracks it could remain evergreen, thus I remain optimistic. It's entirely possible for it to persist for future fans.”
