It has been 20 years after Guitar Hero hit the market in North America, giving players everywhere the tools to become rock legends. Not in reality, though you'd be hard-pressed convincing anyone who's mastered the epic four-minute guitar solo in front of an enthusiastic crowd of friends.
Created by Harmonix, the game gave players a plastic guitar peripheral to follow coloured notes moving along the screen in time with a song. Each riff mimicked specific notes, producing the feel of an authentic live show.
The studio previously tried its hand with rhythm games before partnering with the publisher, which was purchased by the gaming giant during the mid-2000s. Together, they laid the foundations for an unlikely massively profitable franchise which made a significant impact for many of the artists included, showcasing classic bands to a new generation of gaming enthusiasts.
Michael Dornbrook, ex-chief operating officer of Harmonix, remembers the early financial challenges of licensing the recordings – even though initial releases primarily featured rerecorded tracks.
“We rerecorded every song since the cost prohibitive,” he explains. “Even with the publishing rights alone, it proved nearly impossible. We couldn’t get acts such as legendary groups – RedOctane had virtually no money, and we were pretty convinced it would fail. However, when Guitar Hero took off, and record sales airtime were going up, everyone wanted to be in.”
He adds: “Among the amazing things was how many parents reached out and thanked us for introducing their kids to the music they loved. It evolved into a multigenerational thing.”
Timeless Music Gains Younger Fans
Irish group the Answer included Never Too Late on the 2008 game Guitar Hero World Tour. Lead musician Paul Mahon remembers the way the game brought classic rock back into vogue: “The game offered a larger, younger audience. Generally this had been seen as outdated material, however once it got featured on the game and teenagers discovered it, abruptly it became trendy. This validated the genre, eliminating the outdated label. It gave all our music renewed popularity.”
In 2008, the band's first record remained not available stateside, so Guitar Hero was a key medium of discovery for the band as they went on a North American tour supporting AC/DC. “Their crew had on the song on the tour bus, and several knew us from Guitar Hero,” Mahon says.
Rock’s Heavyweight Spin-offs and Lasting Influence
Music's biggest acts quickly took advantage of the series’ popularity, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and others starring in specialized spin-off titles centered around each band’s catalogue and associated stories, visuals and legendary status. In the case of, the Aerosmith edition, it was said earned the band more money than any of their studio albums. It sold more than 500,000 units upon release, and sales of Aerosmith’s music rose significantly during an era when the music business faced decline.
The series continues to inspire nimble-fingered dedication among its fans. Earlier this year, a streamer achieved an impressive attempt featuring the challenging track – a notoriously difficult power-metal song made popular by the game – using a fan-made version, a no-cost alternative with similar mechanics and extensive personalization features. The song is difficult even in the hardest setting, let alone played at increased tempo while hitting every one of its near 4,000 notes. They claimed requiring nine months to accomplish.
“Guitar Hero is a fun, fantasy thing. If you play other games, it doesn't imply you ought to use a real gun and enlist,” notes musician Herman Li.
DragonForce had already completed a successful tour when Through the Fire and Flames was featured on Guitar Hero III, but Li says it turned them into widely recognized. “I recall our distributors calling to tell me that we were records were moving rapidly,” he shares. “Popularity surged when we next toured, and we were playing just before the headliners on the Mayhem festival.”
Indeed, the band's visibility via the game was so immense that it threatened to overshadow all other the band has done. Recently, the track featured in promotional material for a major film. “Previously I thought otherwise, but I’ve made peace with it,” Li says. “Should you just listen to a single track, it’s totally cool – each person has a unique musical journey and I'm pleased we played a role of people’s lives”.
Enduring Legacy of a Plastic Guitar
Top-tier promotion, whether it’s for cars, clothes or games, extends beyond mere transactions – it inspires a longing. Was the game able to tap into that? “Precisely what we were trying to create,” Dornbrook says. “That thrill of being a music icon on the stage. Since the beginning, the co-founders felt that humans have a natural urge to make music, and their goal was to use technology to enable everyone to participate”.
Most of Guitar Hero games came out over a mere five-year period between 2005 and 2010, featuring derivative titles like DJ Hero, complete with a turntable controller, and the band-focused game. Subsequently, corporate focus on peripherals waned, except for a brief comeback in 2015.
Games like the fan project and newer releases have kept the community active, and there’s expectations of something from the original publisher on the way. Recently formed developers has begun production on its debut music game. The initial creators are participating in advisory roles. Are gamers ready to embrace another game in the spirit of Guitar Hero?
“Our team believed such titles could be like Madden where you can update every year,” Dornbrook says. “There’s so much fresh tracks it could remain perennially popular, so I’ve always been optimistic. It's entirely possible why it can’t continue with new generations.”
