It has been two decades after Guitar Hero hit the market across the Atlantic, giving 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 Harmonix, the game provided users with a plastic guitar peripheral to match coloured notes scrolling down the screen synchronized to a song. Every sequence mimicked particular chords, producing the sensation of an authentic performance.
Harmonix had already tried its hand with rhythm games before partnering with the publisher, which was acquired by Activision in 2006. Collaboratively, they established the foundations for an unlikely massively profitable franchise that had a remarkable influence for many of the artists featured, showcasing classic bands to a new generation of gaming enthusiasts.
Michael Dornbrook, former COO of Harmonix, remembers the early budgetary hurdles of licensing the recordings – even though initial releases primarily featured cover versions.
“We rerecorded all the music since the cost was so high,” he explains. “Even with the necessary permissions alone, it was extremely difficult. We couldn’t get bands like the Who – RedOctane was operating on a shoestring budget, and we were pretty convinced the project would flop. However, when the game became a hit, and record sales airtime were going up, everyone wanted to participate.”
He adds: “One of the amazing things was the number of mothers and fathers got in touch expressing gratitude for introducing their kids to the music they loved. It became an intergenerational phenomenon.”
Classic Rock Gains Younger Fans
Irish group the Answer had their track in the 2008 release the popular installment. Lead musician Paul Mahon remembers the way the game brought classic rock to the forefront: “Guitar Hero provided a larger, younger audience. Typically such music was seen as outdated material, however once it got included in the game young people discovered it, abruptly it was cool. That legitimised it, and got rid of the outdated label. It provided all our music renewed popularity.”
In 2008, the Answer’s debut album remained unreleased in the US, so Guitar Hero was a key medium for exposure for the band as they went on a North American tour opening for AC/DC. “The roadies had on Never Too Late during travel, and several knew us from Guitar Hero,” he notes.
Rock’s Heavyweight Titles Enduring Impact
Music's heavyweight names quickly capitalised on the series’ popularity, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and others featuring in dedicated game editions centered around their music collections and related lore, imagery and rock’n’roll mythology. In the case of, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, it was said earned the group greater revenue compared to their studio albums. It moved more than half a million units in its first week, and sales of Aerosmith’s music rose of up to 40% during an era as the industry faced decline.
Guitar Hero continues to inspire nimble-fingered fanaticism within the community. Recently, a streamer completed a remarkable feat of DragonForce’s the challenging track – a notoriously difficult anthem made popular by Guitar Hero – on Clone Hero, a freeware game with almost identical gameplay but an array of customisation options. This track is difficult enough on the hardest setting, not to mention played at increased tempo and without missing a single one of the thousands of cues. The streamer stated it took nine months of practice.
“Guitar Hero offers a, imaginary experience. If you play Call of Duty, it doesn't imply you should pick up actual weapons and go to war,” notes musician Herman Li.
The band had already wrapped up a successful tour when Through the Fire and Flames was featured on Guitar Hero III, but Li says it turned them into widely recognized. “I remember our distributors calling to tell me that we were selling albums like crazy,” he says. “It exploded on the subsequent tour, and we performed right ahead of the headliners at the event.”
In fact, the band's visibility from Guitar Hero was so immense that it risked eclipsing everything else the band has done. Last year, the song featured in promotional material for Despicable Me 4. “In the past I thought otherwise, but now I accept it,” Li says. “If you only listen to a single track, it’s totally cool – each person has their own musical journey and I'm pleased we’ve been part in fans' experiences”.
The Lasting Legacy from the Plastic Guitar
Top-tier promotion, whether it’s for cars, clothes or games, goes further than selling something – it evokes a desire. Did Guitar Hero harness this? “Precisely what our team trying to create,” he confirms. “The excitement of being a music icon in the spotlight. From day one, the creators believed there’s an instinctive urge to create songs, and they wanted to use technology to enable everyone to do it”.
The majority of Guitar Hero games were released over a mere five-year period between 2005 and 2010, featuring derivative titles like DJ Hero, complete with a turntable controller, and Band Hero. After that, corporate focus in plastic instruments died down, except for a brief comeback several years later.
Games such as the fan project and newer releases have maintained the scene alive, with set to be something from the founders on the way. A new studio has entered work on their first rhythm-based title. The initial creators are both involved as special advisers. Is the world prepared to welcome a new entry following Guitar Hero?
“Our team believed those games could be like Madden where you can update every year,” he remarks. “There’s so much fresh tracks that it could be evergreen, so I’ve always been hopeful. There’s no reason for it to continue with new generations.”
