Marking 20 years after Guitar Hero debuted in North America, providing players everywhere the means to become rock legends. Figuratively speaking, though you'd be hard-pressed convincing someone who has mastered the epic lengthy guitar solo in front of a packed crowd of friends.
Created by the developers, the game gave players a plastic guitar peripheral to follow on-screen cues moving along the display synchronized to a song. Every sequence mimicked specific notes, creating the sensation of an authentic live show.
Harmonix had already tried its hand with rhythm games before partnering with the publisher, which was purchased by the gaming giant in 2006. Together, they laid the groundwork for a surprising massively profitable series that had a significant influence for many of the artists featured, showcasing classic bands to a new generation of gaming enthusiasts.
Michael Dornbrook, former COO of Harmonix, recalls the early budgetary hurdles in securing the recordings – despite the fact the first two games mostly used rerecorded tracks.
“We rerecorded all the music because the cost was so high,” he says. “Even with the publishing rights by themselves, it was extremely difficult. We couldn’t get acts such as legendary groups – RedOctane was operating on a shoestring budget, and our team was fairly certain it would fail. But once the game took off, and record sales airtime increased, everyone wanted to be in.”
He adds: “Among the remarkable aspects was how many parents reached out expressing gratitude for exposing their kids to the music they loved. It became an intergenerational thing.”
Timeless Music Finds Younger Fans
Northern Irish group one featured act included Never Too Late on the 2008 game the popular installment. Guitarist Paul Mahon recalls the way the game revived older hits to the forefront: “The game provided a larger, younger audience. Typically this had been seen as music that was past it, but then once it got featured on the title young people discovered it, suddenly it was cool. This validated the genre, and got rid of the ‘dad rock’ label. It provided our catalog renewed popularity.”
In 2008, the band's debut album was still not available in the US, meaning Guitar Hero served as a primary platform for exposure for the group during their a North American tour supporting AC/DC. “Their crew had on the song on the tour bus, and some of them knew us thanks to the game,” he notes.
Major Band Titles Enduring Impact
Music's biggest acts soon took advantage of the game's success, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and others starring in dedicated spin-off titles centered around their music collections and associated lore, imagery and legendary status. For example, the Aerosmith edition, it was said earned the band greater revenue compared to their studio albums. It moved more than 500,000 units in its first week, while sales of their songs saw an increase of up to 40% during an era when the music business was already collapsing.
Guitar Hero continues to inspire nimble-fingered dedication within the community. Earlier this year, a streamer completed a remarkable feat of DragonForce’s the challenging track – an infamously tough anthem made popular by Guitar Hero – using a fan-made version, a freeware game with almost identical gameplay and extensive personalization features. This track is challenging enough on expert mode, not to mention played at double speed and without missing every one of the thousands of cues. They stated it took months of practice of practice.
“Guitar Hero is a fun, imaginary experience. Just as with other games, it doesn't imply you should pick up actual weapons and enlist,” notes DragonForce guitarist the artist.
The band previously wrapped up a profitable run when Through the Fire and Flames appeared in the third game, yet he explains it turned them into widely recognized. “I remember our distributors informing us that we were records were moving rapidly,” he shares. “It exploded when we next toured, and we were playing just before top acts on the Mayhem festival.”
Indeed, DragonForce’s exposure from Guitar Hero was so immense that it threatened to overshadow everything else the band has done. Last year, the song was used in promotional material for Despicable Me 4. “Previously I felt otherwise, but I’ve made peace with it,” Li says. “Should you just hear a single track, it’s totally cool – everyone’s got their own path in music and I'm pleased we’ve been part of people’s lives”.
Enduring Impact from the Plastic Guitar
The best marketing, be it for cars, clothes or video games, extends beyond than selling something – it evokes a longing. Was the game able to tap into that? “Precisely what our team aiming to achieve,” Dornbrook says. “That thrill of being a music icon on the stage. From day one, the creators felt that humans have a natural human desire to make music, and they wanted to use technology to allow people to do it”.
Most of Guitar Hero games were released in just a five-year period from 2005 to 2010, including derivative titles like DJ Hero, including a spinning deck, and Band Hero. Subsequently, the publisher’s interest on peripherals waned, aside from a brief comeback in 2015.
Titles like Clone Hero and Fortnite Festival have kept the scene alive, with expectations of something from the founders on the way. A new studio has begun work on its debut rhythm-based title. Original co-founders are both involved as special advisers. Is the world prepared to welcome a new entry following Guitar Hero?
“We thought those games might become like Madden where you can update every year,” Dornbrook says. “With abundant new music that it could be perennially popular, thus I remain hopeful. It's entirely possible for it to continue with new generations.”
