It has been 20 years after the legendary game debuted across the Atlantic, offering players everywhere the opportunity to become a rock star. Not literally, though you'd be hard-pressed convincing anyone who has mastered Free Bird’s lengthy guitar solo before an enthusiastic crowd of friends.
Created by Harmonix, the game gave players a plastic guitar peripheral to follow on-screen cues moving along the display in time with the music. Each riff corresponded to specific notes, creating the feel of a genuine live show.
Harmonix previously experimented in the music genre prior to teaming up with RedOctane, which was purchased by Activision during the mid-2000s. Together, they laid the groundwork for an unlikely billion-dollar series which made a remarkable impact on numerous musicians included, showcasing classic bands to millions of younger players.
Michael Dornbrook, former COO of Harmonix, remembers the early financial challenges in securing the recordings – even though initial releases mostly used rerecorded tracks.
“We rerecorded all the music since the cost was so high,” he explains. “Even with the necessary permissions by themselves, it proved extremely difficult. We couldn’t get acts such as the Who – the publisher had virtually no money, and we were fairly certain it would fail. However, when Guitar Hero became a hit, and record sales and radio play were going up, all artists desired to be in.”
He continues: “Among the remarkable aspects was how many parents reached out expressing gratitude for exposing their kids to the music they adored. It evolved into an intergenerational thing.”
Classic Rock Finds Younger Fans
Irish group the Answer had Never Too Late in the 2008 release the popular installment. Lead musician Paul Mahon recalls the way the game brought older hits to the forefront: “Guitar Hero offered a bigger, new demographic. Generally this had been considered outdated material, however once it got included in the game and teenagers discovered it, suddenly it was cool. This validated it, eliminating the ‘dad rock’ label. It provided all our music renewed popularity.”
At that time, the Answer’s debut album was still unreleased in the US, so Guitar Hero was a key medium for exposure for the group during their US tour supporting the rock giants. “Their crew had on Never Too Late on the tour bus, and some of them knew us from Guitar Hero,” he notes.
Rock’s Heavyweight Spin-offs Enduring Influence
Rock’s biggest acts quickly took advantage of the series’ popularity, with Aerosmith, Metallica and others featuring in specialized spin-off titles that focused on each band’s catalogue and related stories, imagery and legendary status. In the case of, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, it was said earned the group greater revenue compared to their studio albums. It sold more than 500,000 copies in its first week, while demand for their songs rose significantly at a time when the music business was already collapsing.
The series still motivates nimble-fingered dedication among its fans. Earlier this year, an online personality achieved a remarkable feat featuring the challenging track – an infamously tough power-metal song popularized through Guitar Hero – on Clone Hero, a no-cost alternative with almost identical mechanics and extensive customisation options. This track is difficult enough on the hardest setting, not to mention played at double speed while hitting every one of its near 4,000 notes. The streamer stated it took nine months to accomplish.
“The game offers a, fantasy thing. If you play Call of Duty, that doesn’t mean you ought to pick up a real gun and enlist,” says DragonForce guitarist Herman Li.
DragonForce previously wrapped up a successful tour when Through the Fire and Flames appeared in the third game, but Li says it turned them into a household name. “I remember the record label informing us that our records were moving like crazy,” he shares. “It exploded on the subsequent tour, and we were playing just before the headliners on the Mayhem festival.”
In fact, the band's visibility from Guitar Hero was so immense that it risked overshadow everything else the band has done. Recently, the song was used in a trailer for Despicable Me 4. “Previously I thought differently, but I’ve made peace with it,” he admits. “Should you just listen to a single track, that's fine – each person has a unique path in music and I’m glad we played a role of people’s lives”.
Enduring Impact from the Plastic Guitar
Top-tier marketing, be it for automobiles, clothes or video games, extends beyond than selling something – it evokes a longing. Did Guitar Hero tap into that? “Precisely what we were trying to create,” he confirms. “The excitement of performing as a music icon on the stage. From day one, the co-founders felt that humans have a natural urge to make music, and they wanted to leverage innovation to enable everyone to participate”.
The majority installments came out over a mere five-year period between 2005 and 2010, featuring derivative titles like DJ Hero, complete with a turntable controller, and Band Hero. Subsequently, the publisher’s interest on peripherals died down, aside from a brief comeback several years later.
Games like the fan project and Fortnite Festival have maintained the scene alive, and there’s set to be something from the original publisher in development. A new studio has begun production on its debut music game. Original co-founders are participating in advisory roles. Are gamers ready to embrace a new entry in the spirit of the classic?
“We thought such titles might become like Madden allowing annual update every year,” he remarks. “There’s so much new music it could remain evergreen, so I’ve always been optimistic. It's entirely possible why it can’t continue for future fans.”
