It has been 20 years after Guitar Hero first launched in North America, offering everyday gamers the tools to become a rock star. Not in reality, but try convincing someone who has mastered Free Bird’s lengthy instrumental break before an enthusiastic crowd of friends.
Developed by Harmonix, Guitar Hero provided users with a guitar-shaped controller to follow on-screen cues moving along the screen synchronized to the music. Every sequence mimicked specific notes, creating the feel of a genuine live show.
Harmonix previously experimented with rhythm games prior to teaming up with RedOctane, later purchased by the gaming giant during the mid-2000s. Together, they established the groundwork for a surprising billion-dollar franchise that had a significant influence on numerous of the artists featured, showcasing classic bands to millions of gaming enthusiasts.
Michael Dornbrook, former COO of Harmonix, remembers the early budgetary hurdles of licensing the songs – even though initial releases primarily featured rerecorded tracks.
“We rerecorded every song because the dollar figure prohibitive,” he explains. “Even with the publishing rights alone, it was nearly impossible. We couldn’t get bands like legendary groups – RedOctane was operating on a shoestring budget, and our team was fairly certain the project would flop. However, when Guitar Hero took off, and record sales airtime were going up, everyone wanted to be in.”
He continues: “Among the remarkable aspects was how many parents reached out expressing gratitude for introducing their children to the music they loved. It evolved into an intergenerational thing.”
Classic Rock Finds a New Audience
Northern Irish group the Answer had their track in the 2008 release the popular installment. Guitarist the artist remembers how the series revived classic rock to the forefront: “The game provided a bigger, younger audience. Generally such music was seen as music that was past it, but then once it got featured on the game and teenagers discovered it, abruptly it became trendy. This validated it, and got rid of the ‘dad rock’ label. It provided all our music renewed popularity.”
At that time, the Answer’s first record remained not available stateside, meaning the game served as a primary platform for exposure for the band as they went on US tour supporting the rock giants. “Their crew were playing the song on the tour bus, and several knew us from Guitar Hero,” Mahon says.
Rock’s Heavyweight Spin-offs and Lasting Influence
Rock’s heavyweight names soon took advantage of the game's success, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and others featuring in specialized game editions centered around their music collections and associated stories, visuals and rock’n’roll mythology. For example, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, reportedly to have made the group more money than any of their records. It moved well over half a million units upon release, while demand for Aerosmith’s music saw an increase of up to 40% at a time as the industry faced decline.
Guitar Hero continues to inspire nimble-fingered dedication within the community. Earlier this year, a streamer achieved a remarkable feat featuring the challenging track – a notoriously difficult anthem popularized through Guitar Hero – using a fan-made version, a freeware game with similar gameplay and extensive customisation options. This track is challenging even in the hardest setting, not to mention played at increased tempo and without missing every one of the thousands of cues. The streamer stated requiring months of practice to accomplish.
“The game is a fun, imaginary experience. If you play other games, it doesn't imply you ought to pick up a real gun and go to war,” says musician the artist.
The band had already completed a successful tour before their hit appeared on Guitar Hero III, but Li says it turned them into widely recognized. “I recall our distributors calling to tell me that our selling albums like crazy,” he shares. “Popularity surged when we next toured, and we were playing right ahead of top acts on the Mayhem festival.”
Indeed, DragonForce’s exposure from Guitar Hero proved so vast that it has risked overshadow all other the band has done. 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 one DragonForce song, it’s totally cool – each person has a unique path in music and I’m glad we played a role of people’s lives”.
The Lasting Impact from the Plastic Guitar
Top-tier marketing, be it for automobiles, clothes or games, goes further than selling something – it evokes a longing. Was the game able to tap into that? “Precisely what we were trying to create,” he confirms. “The excitement of being a rock star on the stage. From day one, the co-founders felt that there’s an instinctive human desire to make music, and their goal was to use technology to allow people to do it”.
Most installments were released over a mere five-year period from 2005 to 2010, including derivative titles like the DJ version, including a spinning deck, and Band Hero. After that, corporate focus on peripherals waned, aside from a short-lived revival several years later.
Titles like the fan project and newer releases have kept the community active, and there’s set to be a new product from the founders in development. Recently formed developers has begun production on their first rhythm-based title. Original co-founders are participating in advisory roles. Are gamers ready to embrace another game in the spirit of the classic?
“We thought such titles might become like Madden where you can update every year,” Dornbrook says. “There’s so much fresh tracks that it could be perennially popular, thus I remain hopeful. There’s no reason for it to persist with new generations.”
