It has been two decades after Guitar Hero first launched in North America, providing players everywhere the tools to become rock legends. Not in reality, but try convincing anyone who's nailed the epic four-minute guitar solo in front of a packed crowd of friends.
Developed by the developers, Guitar Hero gave players a guitar-shaped controller to match on-screen cues scrolling down the screen in time with a song. Each riff corresponded to particular chords, producing the sensation of a genuine performance.
Harmonix had already experimented in the music genre before partnering with RedOctane, later acquired by Activision during the mid-2000s. Collaboratively, they established the foundations for an unlikely massively profitable series which made a remarkable influence on numerous of the artists included, introducing decades-old groups to millions of gaming enthusiasts.
Michael Dornbrook, ex-chief operating officer from the developer, recalls the early financial challenges in securing the songs – even though initial releases primarily featured cover versions.
“We rerecorded all the music because the cost prohibitive,” he explains. “Despite having the publishing rights alone, it proved nearly impossible. We couldn’t get acts such as legendary groups – RedOctane had virtually no money, and we were fairly certain it would fail. However, when the game took off, and record sales airtime increased, all artists desired to participate.”
He adds: “One of the remarkable aspects was how many mothers and fathers got in touch expressing gratitude for exposing their children to the songs they loved. It evolved into an intergenerational phenomenon.”
Timeless Music Finds Younger Fans
Northern Irish group one featured act had Never Too Late in the 2008 release Guitar Hero World Tour. Guitarist Paul Mahon recalls the way the game revived classic rock back into vogue: “Guitar Hero offered a bigger, new demographic. Generally such music was considered music that was past it, however once it got featured on the game young people were finding it, abruptly it was cool. That legitimised it, and got rid of the outdated tag. It gave our catalog renewed popularity.”
In 2008, the band's debut album was still unreleased stateside, meaning the game served as a primary platform for exposure for the group during their US tour supporting AC/DC. “Their crew were playing Never Too Late during travel, and several knew us thanks to the game,” he notes.
Rock’s Heavyweight Titles Enduring Influence
Rock’s heavyweight names soon capitalised on the game's success, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen featuring in dedicated game editions centered around their music collections and associated lore, visuals and legendary status. For example, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, it was said earned the group greater revenue than any of their studio albums. It moved more than 500,000 units in its first week, and sales of Aerosmith’s music saw an increase significantly during an era as the industry was already collapsing.
Guitar Hero continues to inspire nimble-fingered fanaticism among its fans. Recently, a streamer achieved a remarkable feat featuring Through the Fire and Flames – a notoriously difficult anthem made popular by Guitar Hero – on Clone Hero, a freeware game with almost identical mechanics but an array of personalization features. The song is difficult even in the hardest setting, not to mention performed at increased tempo while hitting a single one of its near 4,000 notes. The streamer stated it took months of practice of practice.
“Guitar Hero is a fun, fantasy thing. Just as with Call of Duty, that doesn’t mean you ought to pick up actual weapons and go to war,” notes DragonForce guitarist the artist.
DragonForce had already wrapped up a profitable run when Through the Fire and Flames was featured in the third game, but Li says it turned them into a household name. “I remember the record label calling to tell me that we were selling albums rapidly,” he shares. “It exploded on the subsequent tour, and we performed right ahead of the headliners on the Mayhem festival.”
Indeed, the band's visibility via the game was so immense that it risked overshadow all other accomplishments. Last year, the track featured in promotional material for a major film. “In the past I thought otherwise, but now I accept it,” Li says. “If you only hear a single track, that's fine – everyone’s got a unique path in music and I'm pleased we’ve been part of people’s lives”.
Enduring Legacy of a Plastic Guitar
Top-tier promotion, whether it’s for cars, apparel or games, extends beyond mere transactions – it inspires a longing. Did Guitar Hero harness this? “That’s exactly what we were trying to create,” Dornbrook says. “That thrill of being a music icon on the stage. From day one, the creators believed humans have a natural human desire to create songs, and their goal was to leverage innovation to allow people to participate”.
The majority installments were released in just a five-year period between 2005 and 2010, featuring spin-offs such as DJ Hero, including a spinning deck, and the band-focused game. After that, corporate focus on peripherals died down, aside from a short-lived revival in 2015.
Titles such as Clone Hero and Fortnite Festival have kept the scene alive, and there’s set to be a new product from the founders in development. A new studio has entered work on its debut music game. The initial creators are participating as special advisers. Is the world prepared to welcome another game in the spirit of Guitar Hero?
“Our team believed such titles could be like Madden allowing annual releases,” Dornbrook says. “With abundant new music it could remain evergreen, so I’ve always been hopeful. There’s no reason for it to continue for future fans.”
