It has been 20 years since Guitar Hero hit the market in North America, offering everyday gamers the means to feel like a rock star. Not literally, but try telling that someone who has nailed Free Bird’s lengthy guitar solo in front of an enthusiastic crowd of friends.
Developed by the developers, the game provided users with a guitar-shaped controller to match on-screen cues moving along the display synchronized to the music. Every sequence corresponded to specific notes, producing the feel of a genuine live show.
Harmonix previously tried its hand with rhythm games prior to teaming up with the publisher, which was acquired by Activision during the mid-2000s. Collaboratively, they established the foundations for an unlikely billion-dollar franchise which made a remarkable influence for many musicians included, introducing decades-old bands to millions of gaming enthusiasts.
Michael Dornbrook, ex-chief operating officer from the developer, remembers the initial budgetary hurdles in securing the songs – despite the fact the first two games primarily featured rerecorded tracks.
“We rerecorded every song since the cost was so high,” he says. “Despite having the publishing rights alone, it was nearly impossible. We failed to secure acts such as the Who – the publisher was operating on a shoestring budget, and we were fairly certain it would fail. However, when the game took off, album purchases and radio play were going up, everyone wanted to be in.”
He continues: “One of the remarkable aspects was the number of mothers and fathers reached out expressing gratitude for exposing their children to the songs they adored. It became an intergenerational phenomenon.”
Classic Rock Finds Younger Fans
Northern Irish group one featured act had Never Too Late in the 2008 release the popular installment. Guitarist the artist recalls how the series brought classic rock back into vogue: “Guitar Hero offered a bigger, new demographic. Typically this had been seen as outdated material, however once it got featured on the title young people discovered it, abruptly it was cool. This validated it, and got rid of the outdated label. It provided our catalog a new life.”
At that time, the band's first record was still not available in the US, so the game served as a primary platform for exposure for the band during their US tour supporting the rock giants. “The roadies were playing the song during travel, and some of them recognized us thanks to the game,” Mahon says.
Rock’s Heavyweight Titles and Lasting Impact
Music's biggest acts soon took advantage of the game's success, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen featuring in specialized spin-off titles that focused on their music collections and associated stories, imagery and rock’n’roll mythology. For example, the Aerosmith edition, reportedly to have made the group greater revenue compared to their records. It moved well over 500,000 copies in its first week, and sales of Aerosmith’s music saw an increase significantly during an era as the industry faced decline.
Guitar Hero continues to inspire nimble-fingered fanaticism among its fans. Recently, an online personality completed an impressive attempt of DragonForce’s Through the Fire and Flames – an infamously tough anthem popularized through the game – using a fan-made version, a freeware game with similar gameplay but an array of personalization features. This track is challenging even in expert mode, let alone played at double speed while hitting a single one of the thousands of cues. They stated it took nine months of practice.
“The game offers a, fantasy thing. If you play other games, that doesn’t mean you ought to pick up actual weapons and go to war,” notes DragonForce guitarist Herman Li.
DragonForce had already wrapped up a successful tour before Through the Fire and Flames was featured in the third game, but Li says it made them a household name. “I remember the record label informing us that our records were moving rapidly,” he says. “It exploded on the subsequent tour, and we performed right ahead of the headliners on the Mayhem festival.”
Indeed, the band's visibility from Guitar Hero was so immense that it threatened to overshadow all other the band has done. Recently, the song was used in promotional material for Despicable Me 4. “In the past I felt otherwise, but now I accept it,” Li says. “If you only hear one DragonForce song, that's fine – everyone’s got a unique path in music and I'm pleased we’ve been part in fans' experiences”.
Enduring Impact from the Plastic Guitar
The best marketing, whether it’s for cars, clothes or games, extends beyond mere transactions – it evokes a desire. Did Guitar Hero tap into that? “Precisely what we were trying to create,” Dornbrook says. “The excitement of performing as a rock star on the stage. From day one, the co-founders believed humans have a natural urge to create songs, and their goal was to leverage innovation to allow people to participate”.
The majority installments were released in just a five-year period between 2005 and 2010, featuring derivative titles such as DJ Hero, complete with a spinning deck, and Band Hero. Subsequently, corporate focus on peripherals waned, aside from a short-lived revival in 2015.
Games like the fan project and Fortnite Festival have maintained the scene active, and there’s expectations of something from the original publisher on the way. A new studio has begun production on their first music game. Original co-founders are participating as special advisers. Is the world prepared to welcome another game in the spirit of Guitar Hero?
“Our team believed those games could be like Madden where you can releases,” he remarks. “With abundant new music that it could be perennially popular, thus I remain optimistic. There’s no reason for it to persist with new generations.”
