Marking two decades since Guitar Hero first launched in North America, offering everyday gamers the opportunity to feel like rock legends. Not literally, but try convincing someone who's nailed the epic four-minute instrumental break in front of an enthusiastic living-room audience.
Developed by Harmonix, the game provided users with a plastic guitar peripheral to follow on-screen cues moving along the display in time with a song. Every sequence mimicked particular chords, creating the sensation of a genuine live show.
The studio had already experimented in the music genre prior to teaming up with the publisher, which was acquired by the gaming giant in 2006. Collaboratively, they established the groundwork for a surprising billion-dollar series which made a significant impact for many of the artists included, showcasing classic groups to a new generation of younger players.
A former executive, former COO from the developer, remembers the early budgetary hurdles in securing the songs – even though the first two games primarily featured cover versions.
“We rerecorded every song because the dollar figure was so high,” he explains. “Despite having the publishing rights by themselves, it proved nearly impossible. We failed to secure bands like the Who – RedOctane had virtually no money, and we were fairly certain it would fail. However, when Guitar Hero became a hit, album purchases and radio play increased, everyone wanted to be in.”
He adds: “One of the remarkable aspects was the number of parents reached out expressing gratitude for introducing their kids to the songs they loved. It became a multigenerational phenomenon.”
Classic Rock Finds a New Audience
Northern Irish blues-rock band one featured act had Never Too Late in the 2008 release Guitar Hero World Tour. Guitarist the artist recalls how the series brought classic rock to the forefront: “Guitar Hero provided a bigger, new demographic. Generally this had been seen as outdated material, however when it was included in the title and teenagers discovered it, abruptly it was cool. That legitimised the genre, and got rid of the ‘dad rock’ label. It provided our catalog a new life.”
In 2008, the band's debut album was still not available stateside, so the game served as a primary platform of discovery for the band during their US tour opening for the rock giants. “The roadies had on Never Too Late on the tour bus, and some of them recognized us from Guitar Hero,” Mahon says.
Rock’s Heavyweight Spin-offs Enduring Impact
Music's heavyweight names soon took advantage of the series’ popularity, with Aerosmith, Metallica and others featuring in specialized game editions centered around each band’s catalogue and related lore, visuals and legendary status. In the case of, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, it was said to have made the band greater revenue compared to their studio albums. It moved well over 500,000 units upon release, while sales of Aerosmith’s music rose of up to 40% at a time as the industry faced decline.
Guitar Hero still motivates quick-handed fanaticism within the community. Recently, a streamer completed a remarkable feat featuring Through the Fire and Flames – a notoriously difficult power-metal song made popular by the game – on Clone Hero, a no-cost alternative with similar mechanics but an array of customisation options. This track is challenging enough on expert mode, let alone performed at double speed while hitting every one of the thousands of cues. They claimed requiring months of practice of practice.
“The game is a fun, fantasy thing. Just as with other games, that doesn’t mean you should pick up actual weapons and enlist,” notes musician the artist.
DragonForce had already wrapped up a profitable run before their hit was featured in the third game, yet he explains it made them widely recognized. “I recall the record label informing us that we were records were moving rapidly,” he shares. “Popularity surged when we next toured, and we performed right ahead of top acts at the event.”
In fact, DragonForce’s exposure via the game proved so vast that it has threatened to eclipsing everything else the band has done. Last year, the song was used in a trailer for Despicable Me 4. “Previously I thought otherwise, but I’ve made peace with it,” he admits. “If you only listen to one DragonForce song, it’s totally cool – everyone’s got their own path in music and I'm pleased we’ve been part of people’s lives”.
Enduring Legacy of a Plastic Guitar
The best marketing, whether it’s for cars, clothes or games, goes further than selling something – it inspires a longing. Was the game able to tap into that? “That’s exactly what we were trying to create,” Dornbrook says. “That thrill of performing as a rock star on the stage. From day one, the creators believed humans have a natural human desire to make music, and their goal was to use technology to allow people to do it”.
Most of Guitar Hero games came out over a mere five-year period between 2005 and 2010, including derivative titles such as DJ Hero, complete with a spinning deck, and the band-focused game. Subsequently, the publisher’s interest on peripherals waned, except for a short-lived revival in 2015.
Titles like the fan project and newer releases have kept the scene alive, and there’s expectations of a new product from the original publisher on the way. Recently formed developers has entered production on its debut rhythm-based title. Original co-founders are both involved as special advisers. Are gamers prepared to welcome another game following Guitar Hero?
“We thought such titles might become like Madden allowing annual update every year,” Dornbrook says. “There’s so much new music that it could be evergreen, thus I remain optimistic. There’s no reason why it can’t persist with new generations.”
