Marking two decades after Guitar Hero debuted across the Atlantic, giving players everywhere the opportunity to become a rock star. Not literally, but try telling that anyone who's mastered the epic lengthy instrumental break before a packed living-room audience.
Developed by Harmonix, the game provided users with a plastic guitar peripheral to follow on-screen cues scrolling down the screen synchronized to the music. Every sequence mimicked specific notes, producing the feel of a genuine performance.
Harmonix had already tried its hand with rhythm games before partnering with the publisher, later purchased by the gaming giant during the mid-2000s. Together, they laid the foundations for a surprising billion-dollar series which made a significant influence for many of the artists included, introducing classic groups to millions of gaming enthusiasts.
Michael Dornbrook, former COO of Harmonix, recalls the early budgetary hurdles in securing the songs – despite the fact initial releases primarily featured rerecorded tracks.
“We rerecorded every song because the cost was so high,” he explains. “Even with the necessary permissions by themselves, it was extremely difficult. We failed to secure bands like legendary groups – RedOctane had virtually no money, and we were pretty convinced the project would flop. However, when the game took off, and record sales airtime increased, all artists desired to be in.”
He continues: “Among the remarkable aspects was the number of mothers and fathers reached out and thanked us for introducing their children to the music they loved. It evolved into a multigenerational thing.”
Timeless Music Gains Younger Fans
Irish group the Answer included their track in the 2008 release the popular installment. Lead musician the artist remembers the way the game brought older hits to the forefront: “Guitar Hero provided a larger, new demographic. Typically this had been considered outdated material, however once it got included in the game young people discovered it, suddenly it was cool. That legitimised the genre, and got rid of the ‘dad rock’ tag. It gave our catalog a new life.”
At that time, the band's debut album was still unreleased in the US, meaning Guitar Hero was a key medium for exposure for the band as they went on a North American tour opening for AC/DC. “The roadies had on the song during travel, and some of them recognized us thanks to the game,” Mahon says.
Major Band Titles and Lasting Influence
Music's heavyweight names quickly took advantage of the game's success, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen featuring in dedicated spin-off titles that focused on each band’s catalogue and associated stories, imagery and legendary status. For example, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, reportedly earned the group more money than any of their records. It sold well over half a million units upon release, and demand for their songs saw an increase of up to 40% during an era as the industry was already collapsing.
Guitar Hero still motivates quick-handed fanaticism within the community. Recently, a streamer achieved an impressive attempt of DragonForce’s Through the Fire and Flames – a notoriously difficult power-metal song made popular by Guitar Hero – on Clone Hero, a freeware game with almost identical mechanics and extensive customisation options. The song is difficult enough on expert mode, not to mention performed at double speed and without missing every one of the thousands of cues. They stated it took months of practice of practice.
“The game is a fun, fantasy thing. If you play Call of Duty, it doesn't imply you ought to use actual weapons and enlist,” says DragonForce guitarist the artist.
DragonForce had already wrapped up a successful tour when Through the Fire and Flames was featured on Guitar Hero III, but Li says it made them widely recognized. “I remember our distributors informing us that we were 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, the band's visibility from Guitar Hero proved so vast that it risked overshadow all other accomplishments. Recently, the song featured in promotional material for Despicable Me 4. “Previously I felt otherwise, but I’ve made peace with it,” Li says. “Should you just listen to one DragonForce song, it’s totally cool – 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
The best marketing, be it for automobiles, apparel or video games, goes further mere transactions – it evokes a longing. Was the game able to harness this? “Precisely what our team trying to create,” Dornbrook says. “That thrill of being a music icon on the stage. Since the beginning, the co-founders believed humans have a natural urge to create songs, and they wanted to leverage innovation to enable everyone to do it”.
Most installments were released over a mere five-year period from 2005 to 2010, including derivative titles such as DJ Hero, including a spinning deck, and the band-focused game. Subsequently, the publisher’s interest in plastic instruments died down, aside from a brief comeback in 2015.
Games like the fan project and newer releases have kept the community alive, with expectations of something from the original publisher in development. A new studio has entered production on their first rhythm-based title. The initial creators are both involved as special advisers. Is the world prepared to welcome another game following Guitar Hero?
“We thought such titles could be similar to sports games allowing annual releases,” Dornbrook says. “There’s so much new music that it could be evergreen, thus I remain hopeful. It's entirely possible why it can’t persist for future fans.”
