It has been 20 years after Guitar Hero hit the market in North America, offering players everywhere the opportunity to feel like a rock star. Figuratively speaking, though you'd be hard-pressed telling that anyone who has mastered Free Bird’s lengthy instrumental break before an enthusiastic crowd of friends.
Created by Harmonix, the game provided users with a guitar-shaped controller to match coloured notes moving along the display synchronized to a song. Each riff corresponded to particular chords, creating the feel of a genuine live show.
Harmonix had already experimented with rhythm games prior to teaming up with RedOctane, which was purchased by Activision during the mid-2000s. Together, they established the foundations for a surprising massively profitable franchise which made a remarkable influence for many musicians included, showcasing decades-old groups to a new generation of gaming enthusiasts.
Michael Dornbrook, former COO from the developer, remembers the early budgetary hurdles in securing the songs – even though initial releases primarily featured cover versions.
“We reproduced all the music since the cost was so high,” he explains. “Despite having the necessary permissions by themselves, it proved extremely difficult. We failed to secure acts such as the Who – the publisher was operating on a shoestring budget, and we were fairly certain the project would flop. But once Guitar Hero took off, album purchases and radio play increased, all artists desired to participate.”
He adds: “One of the remarkable aspects was the number of parents reached out expressing gratitude for exposing their kids to the songs they adored. It became an intergenerational thing.”
Classic Rock Gains Younger Fans
Irish blues-rock band one featured act had Never Too Late on the 2008 game Guitar Hero World Tour. Guitarist Paul Mahon recalls how the series revived older hits to the forefront: “The game offered a larger, new demographic. Typically such music was seen as outdated material, but then once it got included in the title and teenagers discovered it, suddenly it was cool. That legitimised the genre, eliminating the ‘dad rock’ label. It provided our catalog renewed popularity.”
In 2008, the Answer’s debut album was still not available in the US, so the game served as a primary platform of discovery for the group as they went on US tour supporting AC/DC. “The roadies were playing Never Too Late on the tour bus, and several recognized us thanks to the game,” he notes.
Major Band Titles Enduring Influence
Rock’s biggest acts quickly took advantage of the series’ popularity, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and others featuring in specialized game editions centered around each band’s catalogue and associated stories, visuals and legendary status. For example, the Aerosmith edition, it was said to have made the band more money compared to their studio albums. It sold well over half a million units upon release, while sales of Aerosmith’s music rose significantly during an era when the music business faced decline.
The series still motivates quick-handed fanaticism among its fans. Earlier this year, an online personality completed a remarkable feat featuring Through the Fire and Flames – an infamously tough anthem made popular by the game – on Clone Hero, a no-cost alternative with almost identical gameplay but an array of personalization features. This track is difficult even in expert mode, let alone performed at double speed and without missing every one of the thousands of cues. They claimed requiring months of practice of practice.
“Guitar Hero is a fun, imaginary experience. If you play other games, that doesn’t mean you should use actual weapons and go to war,” notes musician the artist.
DragonForce previously wrapped up a successful tour before Through the Fire and Flames was featured on Guitar Hero III, yet he explains it turned them into widely recognized. “I remember our distributors calling to tell me that our selling albums like crazy,” he shares. “Popularity surged on the subsequent tour, 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 threatened to eclipsing everything else the band has done. Recently, the song featured in promotional material for a major film. “Previously I thought differently, but I’ve made peace with it,” Li says. “Should you just listen to a single track, that's fine – everyone’s got their own musical journey and I'm pleased we played a role of people’s lives”.
Enduring Impact of a Plastic Guitar
Top-tier promotion, be it for cars, apparel or games, extends beyond mere transactions – it inspires a longing. Was the game able to harness this? “Precisely what our team trying to create,” Dornbrook says. “That thrill of being a rock star on the stage. Since the beginning, the creators felt that humans have a natural urge to create songs, and their goal was to use technology to allow people to do it”.
The majority installments were released in just a half-decade from 2005 to 2010, including spin-offs like DJ Hero, complete with a turntable controller, and the band-focused game. After that, corporate focus in plastic instruments died down, except for a short-lived revival several years later.
Titles such as the fan project and Fortnite Festival have maintained the community active, and there’s expectations of something from the founders in development. A new studio has entered work on their first rhythm-based title. The initial creators are participating in advisory roles. Are gamers prepared to welcome another game in the spirit of the classic?
“We thought such titles could be like Madden allowing annual releases,” Dornbrook says. “There’s so much new music it could remain evergreen, thus I remain optimistic. It's entirely possible why it can’t continue with new generations.”
