It has been 20 years after Guitar Hero first launched in North America, providing players everywhere the tools to feel like a rock star. Not literally, though you'd be hard-pressed telling that someone who has nailed Free Bird’s four-minute instrumental break in front of an enthusiastic living-room audience.
Created by Harmonix, the game provided users with a plastic guitar peripheral to follow on-screen cues moving along the display synchronized to the music. Each riff mimicked particular chords, creating the feel of a genuine live show.
Harmonix previously tried its hand with rhythm games prior to teaming up with RedOctane, later purchased by Activision in 2006. Together, they laid the foundations for an unlikely billion-dollar series which made a significant impact on numerous of the artists included, introducing classic bands to millions of gaming enthusiasts.
A former executive, ex-chief operating officer from the developer, recalls the early budgetary hurdles in securing the songs – despite the fact the first two games primarily featured cover versions.
“We rerecorded all the music because the cost prohibitive,” he says. “Even with the necessary permissions alone, it was nearly impossible. We couldn’t get acts such as the Who – RedOctane had virtually no money, and our team was fairly certain the project would flop. However, when the game took off, and record sales airtime increased, everyone wanted to be in.”
He continues: “One of the amazing things was how many mothers and fathers got in touch and thanked us for introducing their children to the songs they loved. It evolved into a multigenerational phenomenon.”
Classic Rock Finds a New Audience
Northern Irish blues-rock band the Answer included their track on the 2008 game Guitar Hero World Tour. Guitarist Paul Mahon remembers how the series revived classic rock to the forefront: “The game offered a larger, new demographic. Typically this had been seen as outdated material, but then once it got featured on the title and teenagers were finding it, abruptly it was cool. That legitimised the genre, and got rid of the ‘dad rock’ label. It provided our catalog renewed popularity.”
In 2008, the Answer’s first record was still not available in the US, meaning Guitar Hero was a key medium of discovery for the band during their a North American tour opening for the rock giants. “The roadies were playing the song on the tour bus, and several recognized us thanks to the game,” he notes.
Major Band Titles and Lasting Impact
Rock’s biggest acts soon capitalised on the series’ popularity, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and others starring in dedicated game editions that focused on their music collections and associated stories, imagery and legendary status. In the case of, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, reportedly to have made the band greater revenue compared to their records. It sold more than 500,000 units upon release, while demand for Aerosmith’s music rose significantly at a time as the industry faced decline.
Guitar Hero still motivates nimble-fingered dedication within the community. Recently, an online personality completed an impressive attempt of DragonForce’s Through the Fire and Flames – a notoriously difficult anthem popularized through the game – on Clone Hero, a no-cost alternative with similar mechanics but an array of personalization features. This track is challenging enough on the hardest setting, not to mention performed at increased tempo and without missing every one of the thousands of cues. They claimed it took months of practice of practice.
“The game offers a, fantasy thing. Just as with Call of Duty, that doesn’t mean you ought to use a real gun and go to war,” notes DragonForce guitarist the artist.
DragonForce previously completed a profitable run before Through the Fire and Flames appeared in the third game, yet he explains it made them widely recognized. “I recall our distributors calling to tell me that we were selling albums like crazy,” he says. “It exploded when we next toured, and we were playing just before top acts on the Mayhem festival.”
Indeed, DragonForce’s exposure from Guitar Hero proved so vast that it has threatened to eclipsing all other accomplishments. Recently, the song featured in a trailer for Despicable Me 4. “In the past I felt otherwise, but I’ve made peace with it,” he admits. “Should you just hear a single track, it’s totally cool – each person has their own path in music and I'm pleased we played a role in fans' experiences”.
Enduring Impact from the Plastic Guitar
Top-tier marketing, be it for automobiles, apparel or games, extends beyond mere transactions – it evokes a desire. Did Guitar Hero harness this? “Precisely what our team aiming to achieve,” Dornbrook says. “The excitement of performing as a music icon in the spotlight. Since the beginning, the co-founders believed humans have a natural human desire to make music, and their goal was to leverage innovation to enable everyone to do it”.
Most installments came out in just a five-year period between 2005 and 2010, featuring spin-offs such as DJ Hero, including a turntable controller, and the band-focused game. Subsequently, corporate focus in plastic instruments waned, except for a short-lived revival several years later.
Titles such as the fan project and Fortnite Festival have kept the community alive, with set to be something from the founders on the way. Recently formed developers has entered work on its debut rhythm-based title. The initial creators are both involved as special advisers. Are gamers prepared to welcome a new entry in the spirit of Guitar Hero?
“Our team believed such titles could be similar to sports games allowing annual releases,” Dornbrook says. “With abundant new music that it could be perennially popular, thus I remain hopeful. It's entirely possible for it to persist with new generations.”
