Marking 20 years since Guitar Hero first launched in North America, offering players everywhere the opportunity to feel like a rock star. Not in reality, but try convincing anyone who's mastered the epic four-minute instrumental break before a packed living-room audience.
Created by Harmonix, the game gave players a plastic guitar peripheral to follow coloured notes moving along the screen synchronized to the music. Each riff corresponded to particular chords, producing the sensation of an authentic performance.
The studio previously tried its hand in the music genre before partnering with the publisher, which was acquired by the gaming giant in 2006. Collaboratively, they laid the foundations for an unlikely massively profitable series which made a remarkable influence for many of the artists featured, introducing classic groups to millions of younger players.
A former executive, former COO from the developer, remembers the initial budgetary hurdles of licensing the songs – even though the first two games primarily featured cover versions.
“We rerecorded all the music because the cost was so high,” he says. “Despite having the necessary permissions by themselves, it proved extremely difficult. We couldn’t get acts such as the Who – RedOctane was operating on a shoestring budget, and we were fairly certain it would fail. But once Guitar Hero took off, and record sales airtime were going up, everyone wanted to be in.”
He adds: “One of the amazing things was the number of parents got in touch and thanked us for introducing their kids to the music they adored. It evolved into a multigenerational phenomenon.”
Classic Rock Finds Younger Fans
Northern Irish group one featured act had their track in the 2008 release Guitar Hero World Tour. Lead musician the artist remembers the way the game brought classic rock to the forefront: “The game offered a bigger, new demographic. Typically such music was considered music that was past it, but then when it was included in the title and teenagers were finding it, suddenly it became trendy. This validated it, eliminating the ‘dad rock’ label. It gave our catalog renewed popularity.”
In 2008, the Answer’s first record was still not available in the US, so Guitar Hero was a key medium for exposure for the group during their a North American tour supporting AC/DC. “The roadies had on Never Too Late during travel, and several recognized us from Guitar Hero,” he notes.
Rock’s Heavyweight Titles Enduring Impact
Rock’s heavyweight names soon capitalised on the series’ popularity, with Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen starring in dedicated game editions centered around their music collections and related lore, visuals and rock’n’roll mythology. For example, the Aerosmith edition, it was said earned the band greater revenue than any of their records. It moved more than half a million units upon release, while demand for their songs saw an increase significantly at a time as the industry was already collapsing.
The series still motivates quick-handed dedication among its fans. Earlier this year, an online personality completed an impressive attempt featuring the challenging track – an infamously tough power-metal song made popular by the game – using a fan-made version, a freeware game with almost identical gameplay and extensive customisation options. The song is challenging enough on expert mode, not to mention performed at double speed while hitting every one of its near 4,000 notes. They stated requiring months of practice to accomplish.
“Guitar Hero offers a, fantasy thing. If you play Call of Duty, that doesn’t mean you ought to pick up actual weapons and enlist,” says DragonForce guitarist Herman Li.
The band previously wrapped up a successful tour before their hit appeared on Guitar Hero III, but Li says it made them a household name. “I remember the record label calling to tell me that our selling albums rapidly,” he says. “It exploded on the subsequent tour, and we were playing right ahead of top acts on the Mayhem festival.”
Indeed, DragonForce’s exposure via the game was so immense that it risked overshadow all other the band has done. Last year, the song was used in promotional material for a major film. “Previously I felt otherwise, but now I accept it,” he admits. “If you only listen to one DragonForce song, that's fine – everyone’s got their own path in music and I'm pleased we played a role in fans' experiences”.
The Lasting Legacy of a Plastic Guitar
Top-tier promotion, whether it’s for cars, apparel or games, goes further than selling something – it evokes a longing. Did Guitar Hero harness this? “Precisely what we were aiming to achieve,” Dornbrook says. “That thrill of performing as a music icon in the spotlight. From day one, the creators believed there’s an instinctive urge to create songs, and they wanted to use technology to allow people to participate”.
Most of Guitar Hero games were released over a mere five-year period between 2005 and 2010, including derivative titles such as the DJ version, complete with a spinning deck, and Band Hero. Subsequently, corporate focus on peripherals waned, aside from a short-lived revival several years later.
Titles such as Clone Hero and Fortnite Festival have kept the scene alive, with set to be something from the founders in development. A new studio has entered production on their first rhythm-based title. Original co-founders are participating as special advisers. Is the world ready to embrace a new entry following the classic?
“We thought those games might become like Madden allowing annual releases,” he remarks. “With abundant fresh tracks that it could be perennially popular, so I’ve always been optimistic. There’s no reason why it can’t persist for future fans.”
