Marking 20 years after Guitar Hero hit the market in North America, offering everyday gamers the tools to feel like a rock star. Not in reality, but try telling that someone who's mastered Free Bird’s four-minute instrumental break in front of a packed crowd of friends.
Developed by Harmonix, Guitar Hero gave players a plastic guitar peripheral to follow coloured notes moving along the screen in time with a song. Every sequence mimicked particular chords, creating the feel of an authentic performance.
Harmonix had already experimented with rhythm games prior to teaming up with RedOctane, later purchased by the gaming giant during the mid-2000s. Collaboratively, they laid the foundations for an unlikely massively profitable franchise that had a remarkable influence on numerous of the artists featured, introducing decades-old bands to millions of younger players.
Michael Dornbrook, former COO from the developer, remembers the early budgetary hurdles in securing the recordings – despite the fact the first two games primarily featured rerecorded tracks.
“We rerecorded every song because the dollar figure was so high,” he says. “Even with the necessary permissions alone, it was extremely difficult. We couldn’t get acts such as the Who – the publisher had virtually no money, and we were pretty convinced the project would flop. But once the game took off, and record sales airtime were going up, all artists desired to be in.”
He adds: “Among the amazing things was how many parents got in touch and thanked us for introducing their kids to the songs they loved. It evolved into an intergenerational phenomenon.”
Timeless Music Finds a New Audience
Northern Irish blues-rock band one featured act included their track in the 2008 release the popular installment. Guitarist the artist recalls the way the game revived older hits to the forefront: “The game provided a bigger, younger audience. Typically this had been considered music that was past it, but then when it was featured on the game and teenagers discovered it, abruptly it was cool. That legitimised it, and got rid of the outdated label. It provided our catalog a new life.”
At that time, the band's debut album was still unreleased stateside, so the game served as a primary platform for exposure for the group during their US tour opening for the rock giants. “Their crew were playing the song on the tour bus, and some of them recognized us thanks to the game,” Mahon says.
Major Band Titles Enduring Influence
Rock’s heavyweight names soon capitalised on the series’ popularity, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and others starring in specialized spin-off titles that focused on each band’s catalogue and associated lore, imagery and legendary status. In the case of, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, it was said earned the band more money compared to their records. It moved more than half a million units in its first week, while sales of their songs saw an increase of up to 40% at a time as the industry was already collapsing.
Guitar Hero still motivates quick-handed dedication among its fans. Recently, a streamer achieved a remarkable feat of DragonForce’s Through the Fire and Flames – a notoriously difficult power-metal song made popular by Guitar Hero – using a fan-made version, a freeware game with similar gameplay and extensive customisation options. The song is challenging enough on the hardest setting, not to mention performed at increased tempo while hitting every one of the thousands of cues. They claimed requiring nine months to accomplish.
“Guitar Hero offers a, imaginary experience. Just as with Call of Duty, it doesn't imply you should use a real gun and enlist,” notes DragonForce guitarist the artist.
The band had already wrapped up a profitable run before Through the Fire and Flames appeared in the third game, but Li says it turned them into widely recognized. “I remember our distributors informing us that we were records were moving rapidly,” he says. “It exploded when we next toured, and we were playing just before the headliners on the Mayhem festival.”
Indeed, the band's visibility from Guitar Hero proved so vast that it has risked eclipsing everything else accomplishments. Last year, the song was used in promotional material for a major film. “In the past I thought otherwise, but I’ve made peace with it,” he admits. “Should you just listen to one DragonForce song, it’s totally cool – each person has their own musical journey and I'm pleased we played a role of people’s lives”.
The Lasting Impact of a Plastic Guitar
The best promotion, whether it’s for cars, clothes or video games, goes further mere transactions – it inspires a longing. Was the game able to harness this? “That’s exactly what our team trying to create,” he confirms. “The excitement of performing as a music icon in the spotlight. Since the beginning, the creators felt that there’s an instinctive human desire to create songs, and their goal was to use technology to enable everyone to do it”.
Most installments came out in just a half-decade from 2005 to 2010, featuring derivative titles such as the DJ version, including a turntable controller, and Band Hero. Subsequently, the publisher’s interest in plastic instruments died down, aside from a brief comeback several years later.
Titles like the fan project and Fortnite Festival have maintained the scene active, and there’s expectations of something from the founders in development. A new studio has entered work on their first music game. Original co-founders are both involved in advisory roles. Is the world prepared to welcome another game following Guitar Hero?
“We thought such titles might become similar to sports games where you can releases,” Dornbrook says. “There’s so much fresh tracks that it could be evergreen, thus I remain hopeful. It's entirely possible for it to persist with new generations.”
