Marking 20 years since the legendary game first launched in North America, providing players everywhere the tools to become rock legends. Not literally, but try convincing anyone who's nailed the epic lengthy instrumental break in front of an enthusiastic crowd of friends.
Developed by Harmonix, Guitar Hero gave players a plastic guitar peripheral to match on-screen cues moving along the screen synchronized to a song. Each riff corresponded to particular chords, creating the feel of an authentic live show.
Harmonix previously experimented with rhythm games prior to teaming up with the publisher, later acquired by Activision during the mid-2000s. Together, they laid the foundations for an unlikely billion-dollar franchise which made a remarkable influence on numerous musicians featured, showcasing decades-old bands to a new generation of gaming enthusiasts.
Michael Dornbrook, former COO from the developer, recalls the early financial challenges in securing the recordings – even though initial releases primarily featured cover versions.
“We rerecorded every song because the cost was so high,” he says. “Despite having the necessary permissions alone, it proved nearly impossible. We failed to secure acts such as the Who – RedOctane had virtually no money, and we were fairly certain the project would flop. However, when the game took off, and record sales and radio play were going up, all artists desired to participate.”
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 adored. It became a multigenerational thing.”
Timeless Music Finds Younger Fans
Northern Irish blues-rock band the Answer included Never Too Late in the 2008 release the popular installment. Guitarist Paul Mahon remembers the way the game brought classic rock back into vogue: “Guitar Hero provided a larger, younger audience. Generally such music was considered music that was past it, however once it got included in the game and teenagers discovered it, abruptly it became trendy. This validated the genre, eliminating the ‘dad rock’ tag. It provided our catalog renewed popularity.”
In 2008, the band's first record remained unreleased in the US, meaning Guitar Hero served as a primary platform of discovery for the band during their US tour supporting AC/DC. “Their crew had on the song on the tour bus, and some of them knew us from Guitar Hero,” Mahon says.
Rock’s Heavyweight Spin-offs and Lasting Influence
Rock’s biggest acts quickly capitalised on the series’ popularity, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and others starring in specialized game editions that focused on their music collections and associated lore, visuals and legendary status. For example, the Aerosmith edition, it was said earned the band more money compared to their studio albums. It moved well over 500,000 copies upon release, and demand for their songs saw an increase significantly during an era when the music business was already collapsing.
The series still motivates quick-handed dedication among its fans. Recently, an online personality completed an impressive attempt featuring Through the Fire and Flames – an infamously tough power-metal song made popular by the game – using a fan-made version, a no-cost alternative with almost identical gameplay and extensive customisation options. This track is difficult enough on expert mode, not to mention played at increased tempo while hitting every one of the thousands of cues. They claimed it took months of practice to accomplish.
“The game is a fun, fantasy thing. Just as with other games, it doesn't imply you ought to use actual weapons and enlist,” says DragonForce guitarist Herman Li.
DragonForce had already completed a successful tour before their hit appeared in the third game, yet he explains it made them widely recognized. “I remember the record label calling to tell me that we were records were moving rapidly,” he shares. “It exploded on the subsequent tour, and we were playing right ahead of top acts at the event.”
Indeed, DragonForce’s exposure from Guitar Hero proved so vast that it has threatened to overshadow all other the band has done. Recently, the track was used in promotional material for Despicable Me 4. “In the past I felt otherwise, but now I accept it,” he admits. “If you only hear one DragonForce song, that's fine – each person has their own musical journey and I’m glad we played a role in fans' experiences”.
The Lasting Impact of a Plastic Guitar
The best promotion, be it for cars, apparel or video games, extends beyond than selling something – it evokes a longing. Did Guitar Hero tap into that? “That’s exactly what we were trying to create,” Dornbrook says. “That thrill of performing as a rock star in the spotlight. From day one, the creators believed humans have a natural human desire to create songs, and they wanted to use technology to enable everyone to do it”.
Most of Guitar Hero games were released in just a five-year period between 2005 and 2010, featuring derivative titles such as the DJ version, complete with a turntable controller, and Band Hero. After that, the publisher’s interest on peripherals died down, aside from a short-lived revival several years later.
Titles such as Clone Hero and Fortnite Festival have kept the scene alive, and there’s set to be a new product from the founders on the way. A new studio has begun production on its debut rhythm-based title. Original co-founders are both involved as special advisers. Is the world ready to embrace a new entry following the classic?
“Our team believed those games could be like Madden where you can releases,” Dornbrook says. “There’s so much new music it could remain perennially popular, thus I remain hopeful. There’s no reason why it can’t persist for future fans.”
