It has been 20 years after the legendary game first launched across the Atlantic, providing players everywhere the tools to feel like rock legends. Figuratively speaking, though you'd be hard-pressed telling that anyone who has nailed Free Bird’s four-minute instrumental break before an enthusiastic living-room audience.
Created by the developers, Guitar Hero provided users with a plastic guitar peripheral to match on-screen cues scrolling down the screen synchronized to a song. Each riff corresponded to specific notes, producing the sensation of an authentic performance.
Harmonix had already tried its hand in the music genre prior to teaming up with the publisher, later purchased by Activision in 2006. Together, they laid the groundwork for an unlikely massively profitable series that had a remarkable impact on numerous of the artists featured, introducing classic bands to millions of gaming enthusiasts.
A former executive, former COO of Harmonix, recalls the initial financial challenges of licensing the songs – even though initial releases primarily featured cover versions.
“We reproduced every song since the cost was so high,” he explains. “Despite having the necessary permissions alone, it proved nearly impossible. We failed to secure acts such as legendary groups – RedOctane had virtually no money, and our team was fairly certain it would fail. However, when Guitar Hero took off, album purchases and radio play increased, all artists desired to be in.”
He continues: “Among the remarkable aspects was how many mothers and fathers reached out expressing gratitude for exposing their children to the songs they loved. It evolved into an intergenerational thing.”
Classic Rock Finds a New Audience
Northern Irish blues-rock band one featured act included Never Too Late on the 2008 game the popular installment. Guitarist the artist remembers how the series brought classic rock back into vogue: “The game provided a larger, new demographic. Typically this had been considered music that was past it, however once it got included in the game young people were finding it, abruptly it was cool. That legitimised the genre, and got rid of the outdated tag. It gave our catalog a new life.”
In 2008, the band's first record remained unreleased stateside, so Guitar Hero was a key medium for exposure for the group as they went on a North American tour supporting the rock giants. “Their crew were playing Never Too Late during travel, and several knew us from Guitar Hero,” he notes.
Major Band Titles and Lasting Influence
Rock’s heavyweight names soon took advantage of the series’ popularity, with Aerosmith, Metallica and others starring in dedicated spin-off titles that focused on each band’s catalogue and associated lore, visuals and legendary status. In the case of, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, reportedly earned the group greater revenue than any of their studio albums. It sold more than half a million copies in its first week, and demand for Aerosmith’s music rose significantly at a time as the industry was already collapsing.
The series continues to inspire nimble-fingered fanaticism among its fans. Recently, a streamer completed a remarkable feat of DragonForce’s Through the Fire and Flames – a notoriously difficult anthem made popular by the game – using a fan-made version, a freeware game with similar gameplay but an array of personalization features. This track is challenging even in expert mode, not to mention played at increased tempo while hitting every one of its near 4,000 notes. They stated requiring nine months to accomplish.
“Guitar Hero offers a, fantasy thing. If you play Call of Duty, it doesn't imply you should use actual weapons and enlist,” notes DragonForce guitarist the artist.
DragonForce previously wrapped up a successful tour when Through the Fire and Flames was featured in the third game, yet he explains it turned them into widely recognized. “I recall our distributors informing us that we were selling albums rapidly,” he shares. “Popularity surged when we next toured, and we performed right ahead of top acts at the event.”
Indeed, DragonForce’s exposure from Guitar Hero was so immense that it threatened to eclipsing all other accomplishments. Last year, the song featured in promotional material for Despicable Me 4. “Previously I thought differently, but now I accept it,” Li says. “If you only listen to one DragonForce song, that's fine – everyone’s got a unique musical journey and I’m glad we played a role of people’s lives”.
Enduring Impact of a Plastic Guitar
Top-tier promotion, be it for automobiles, clothes or games, goes further than selling something – it evokes a desire. Was the game able to tap into that? “Precisely what our team trying to create,” he confirms. “The excitement of performing as a rock star on the stage. Since the beginning, the creators felt that humans have a natural human desire to create songs, and their goal was to use technology to enable everyone to do it”.
The majority of Guitar Hero games came out in just a half-decade between 2005 and 2010, including spin-offs such as the DJ version, complete with a turntable controller, and the band-focused game. After that, the publisher’s interest on peripherals died down, aside from a brief comeback in 2015.
Games such as Clone Hero and newer releases have maintained the community active, with expectations of something from the founders in development. Recently formed developers has entered work on its debut music game. Original co-founders are participating as special advisers. Are gamers ready to embrace a new entry following the classic?
“Our team believed those games could be like Madden allowing annual releases,” Dornbrook says. “With abundant new music it could remain evergreen, thus I remain hopeful. It's entirely possible why it can’t continue with new generations.”
