It has been 20 years since Guitar Hero first launched across the Atlantic, offering players everywhere the tools to feel like a rock star. Not literally, but try telling that someone who's nailed the epic lengthy instrumental break in front of an enthusiastic living-room audience.
Created by the developers, Guitar Hero provided users with a plastic guitar peripheral to match coloured notes moving along the display synchronized to the music. Every sequence corresponded to particular chords, creating the feel of an authentic performance.
Harmonix had already experimented in the music genre prior to teaming up with RedOctane, which was purchased by the gaming giant during the mid-2000s. Together, they established the foundations for an unlikely massively profitable series which made a significant impact on numerous musicians featured, showcasing decades-old groups to a new generation of gaming enthusiasts.
Michael Dornbrook, former COO of Harmonix, remembers the initial budgetary hurdles of licensing the recordings – despite the fact initial releases primarily featured cover versions.
“We rerecorded every song because the cost prohibitive,” he says. “Even with the publishing rights by themselves, it proved nearly impossible. We failed to secure bands like legendary groups – RedOctane had virtually no money, and we were fairly certain the project would flop. But once the game took off, and record sales airtime were going up, all artists desired to participate.”
He adds: “Among the amazing things was the number of mothers and fathers reached out expressing gratitude for exposing their children to the songs they loved. It became an intergenerational phenomenon.”
Classic Rock Gains Younger Fans
Irish group the Answer included Never Too Late on the 2008 game the popular installment. Lead musician the artist remembers how the series brought classic rock back into vogue: “The game offered a bigger, younger audience. Generally such music was seen as outdated material, but then once it got featured on the title and teenagers discovered it, suddenly it was cool. That legitimised it, eliminating the outdated tag. It gave all our music renewed popularity.”
At that time, the band's debut album remained not available in the US, so the game served as a primary platform of discovery for the band during their a North American tour opening for AC/DC. “The roadies were playing Never Too Late on the tour bus, and some of them recognized us thanks to the game,” he notes.
Major Band Spin-offs and Lasting Influence
Rock’s biggest acts quickly took advantage of the series’ popularity, with Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen featuring in dedicated game editions centered around each band’s catalogue and related stories, visuals and rock’n’roll mythology. For example, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, reportedly to have made the group greater revenue than any of their studio albums. It sold more than half a million units upon release, while demand for Aerosmith’s music saw an increase of up to 40% at a time when the music business was already collapsing.
The series still motivates nimble-fingered dedication within the community. Earlier this year, a streamer completed a remarkable feat featuring the challenging track – a notoriously difficult power-metal song made popular by the game – using a fan-made version, a freeware game with almost identical gameplay and extensive customisation options. This track is difficult enough on the hardest setting, let alone played at double speed while hitting every one of the thousands of cues. The streamer stated it took nine months to accomplish.
“The game offers a, imaginary experience. If you play Call of Duty, that doesn’t mean you should pick up a real gun and enlist,” notes DragonForce guitarist Herman Li.
The band previously wrapped up a successful tour when Through the Fire and Flames was featured in the third game, but Li says it made them widely recognized. “I recall the record label informing us that we were selling albums like crazy,” he says. “It exploded when we next toured, and we were playing just before the headliners on the Mayhem festival.”
In fact, the band's visibility via the game was so immense that it risked overshadow all other accomplishments. Last year, the track was used in a trailer for Despicable Me 4. “Previously I felt differently, but now I accept it,” he admits. “If you only hear one DragonForce song, it’s totally cool – each person has their own path in music and I'm pleased we’ve been part in fans' experiences”.
The Lasting Impact of a Plastic Guitar
The best marketing, be it for automobiles, apparel or video games, goes further than selling something – it inspires a longing. Was the game able to tap into that? “Precisely what we were aiming to achieve,” Dornbrook says. “The excitement of performing as a rock star in the spotlight. From day one, the co-founders felt that there’s an instinctive urge to make music, and they wanted to use technology to enable everyone to participate”.
The majority of Guitar Hero games were released in just a half-decade between 2005 and 2010, featuring spin-offs such as the DJ version, including a turntable controller, and the band-focused game. Subsequently, corporate focus on peripherals waned, aside from a short-lived revival in 2015.
Titles like the fan project and Fortnite Festival have maintained the scene alive, and there’s expectations of a new product from the founders on the way. A new studio has entered work on their first music game. Original co-founders are both involved as special advisers. Is the world prepared to welcome a new entry in the spirit of Guitar Hero?
“Our team believed such titles might become similar to sports games allowing annual update every year,” Dornbrook says. “With abundant fresh tracks it could remain perennially popular, so I’ve always been optimistic. It's entirely possible for it to persist with new generations.”
