It has been two decades since Guitar Hero hit the market across the Atlantic, offering players everywhere the tools to become rock legends. Not literally, though you'd be hard-pressed convincing anyone who's nailed the epic lengthy guitar solo in front of a packed living-room audience.
Created by Harmonix, the game gave players a plastic guitar peripheral to match coloured notes scrolling down the screen synchronized to the music. Every sequence corresponded to specific notes, producing the feel of a genuine live show.
Harmonix previously experimented in the music genre before partnering with RedOctane, later purchased by Activision during the mid-2000s. Together, they laid the groundwork for a surprising billion-dollar franchise that had a remarkable influence on numerous of the artists included, showcasing classic groups to millions of gaming enthusiasts.
A former executive, former COO of Harmonix, recalls the early budgetary hurdles in securing the songs – even though the first two games primarily featured cover versions.
“We reproduced all the music since the dollar figure was so high,” he says. “Despite having the publishing rights alone, it proved nearly impossible. We couldn’t get bands like legendary groups – the publisher had virtually no money, and our team was pretty convinced it would fail. However, when Guitar Hero took off, and record sales and radio play were going up, all artists desired to be in.”
He continues: “Among the amazing things was the number of mothers and fathers reached out expressing gratitude for exposing their children to the music they adored. It became an intergenerational thing.”
Timeless Music Gains Younger Fans
Northern Irish group the Answer had Never Too Late in the 2008 release Guitar Hero World Tour. Lead musician the artist remembers the way the game brought classic rock back into vogue: “Guitar Hero offered a larger, younger audience. Generally such music was seen as music that was past it, but then once it got featured on the game young people were finding it, suddenly it became trendy. This validated the genre, eliminating the outdated tag. It provided our catalog renewed popularity.”
At that time, the band's first record was still unreleased in the US, so the game served as a primary platform for exposure for the band as they went on US tour opening for AC/DC. “Their crew were playing Never Too Late during travel, and several recognized us thanks to the game,” he notes.
Major Band Spin-offs Enduring Influence
Rock’s biggest acts soon capitalised on the series’ popularity, with Aerosmith, Metallica and others starring in specialized game editions centered around each band’s catalogue and associated stories, visuals and rock’n’roll mythology. In the case of, the Aerosmith edition, reportedly earned the group greater revenue compared to their studio albums. It moved well over half a million units upon release, while demand for Aerosmith’s music saw an increase of up to 40% during an era when the music business faced decline.
Guitar Hero still motivates nimble-fingered fanaticism among its fans. Earlier this year, a streamer completed an impressive attempt of DragonForce’s the challenging track – an infamously tough power-metal song popularized through the game – using a fan-made version, a no-cost alternative with almost identical gameplay and extensive personalization features. The song is challenging even in the hardest setting, not to mention performed at increased tempo and without missing a single one of its near 4,000 notes. The streamer stated requiring nine months of practice.
“Guitar Hero offers a, fantasy thing. Just as with other games, it doesn't imply you ought to pick up actual weapons and go to war,” says musician the artist.
The band had already completed a profitable run before Through the Fire and Flames appeared in the third game, yet he explains it made them widely recognized. “I recall the record label calling to tell me that we were selling albums rapidly,” he shares. “Popularity surged on the subsequent tour, and we were playing just before the headliners on the Mayhem festival.”
In fact, DragonForce’s exposure from Guitar Hero proved so vast that it has risked overshadow all other the band has done. Recently, the song featured in a trailer for a major film. “In the past I thought otherwise, but now I accept it,” he admits. “If you only listen to one DragonForce song, it’s totally cool – everyone’s got a unique musical journey and I’m glad we played a role in fans' experiences”.
Enduring Legacy of a Plastic Guitar
Top-tier promotion, be it for automobiles, clothes or video games, extends beyond mere transactions – it inspires a desire. Did Guitar Hero harness this? “That’s exactly what we were trying to create,” Dornbrook says. “That thrill of performing as a rock star in the spotlight. Since the beginning, the creators believed there’s an instinctive human desire to create songs, and their goal was to use technology to allow people to do it”.
The majority installments came out in just a five-year period from 2005 to 2010, including spin-offs like DJ Hero, including a turntable controller, and the band-focused game. After that, corporate focus on peripherals waned, aside from a brief comeback in 2015.
Titles like Clone Hero and Fortnite Festival have maintained the community alive, and there’s expectations of a new product from the founders on the way. A new studio has entered production on its debut rhythm-based title. The initial creators are both involved in advisory roles. Is the world ready to embrace a new entry in the spirit of Guitar Hero?
“Our team believed those games might become like Madden allowing annual releases,” he remarks. “With abundant fresh tracks that it could be perennially popular, thus I remain optimistic. There’s no reason for it to continue with new generations.”
