It has been 20 years since Guitar Hero hit the market across the Atlantic, giving everyday gamers the tools to become rock legends. Not in reality, but try convincing anyone who's mastered Free Bird’s lengthy guitar solo in front of an enthusiastic living-room audience.
Developed by Harmonix, the game gave players a plastic guitar peripheral to follow coloured notes scrolling down the screen synchronized to the music. Every sequence mimicked specific notes, creating the sensation of a genuine live show.
The studio had already tried its hand in the music genre before partnering with RedOctane, later purchased by Activision in 2006. Together, they established the groundwork for a surprising billion-dollar series that had a remarkable influence for many musicians featured, introducing decades-old bands to a new generation of gaming enthusiasts.
Michael Dornbrook, ex-chief operating officer of Harmonix, remembers the initial financial challenges of licensing the songs – even though initial releases primarily featured rerecorded tracks.
“We rerecorded all the music since the cost prohibitive,” he explains. “Even with the necessary permissions by themselves, it proved extremely difficult. We failed to secure acts such as legendary groups – RedOctane was operating on a shoestring budget, and we were pretty convinced it would fail. However, when Guitar Hero became a hit, album purchases airtime were going up, all artists desired to be in.”
He continues: “One of the amazing things was the number of parents got in touch expressing gratitude for introducing their children to the songs they adored. It became an intergenerational phenomenon.”
Classic Rock Finds a New Audience
Irish blues-rock band one featured act included their track in the 2008 release Guitar Hero World Tour. Guitarist the artist recalls how the series revived older hits to the forefront: “The game offered a larger, new demographic. Typically such music was seen as music that was past it, however once it got included in the game and teenagers were finding it, suddenly it became trendy. That legitimised the genre, eliminating the ‘dad rock’ label. It gave our catalog a new life.”
At that time, the band's debut album remained unreleased stateside, so the game was a key medium for exposure for the band as they went on a North American tour supporting the rock giants. “The roadies were playing Never Too Late on the tour bus, and several recognized us thanks to the game,” Mahon says.
Major Band Titles and Lasting Influence
Rock’s heavyweight names quickly took advantage of the series’ popularity, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen featuring in specialized game editions that focused on each band’s catalogue and related stories, imagery and rock’n’roll mythology. In the case of, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, it was said to have made the group more money than any of their records. It moved more than half a million units in its first week, while sales of their songs rose significantly at a time when the music business faced decline.
The series continues to inspire nimble-fingered fanaticism among its fans. Recently, a streamer completed a remarkable feat of DragonForce’s the challenging track – an infamously tough power-metal song made popular by the game – using a fan-made version, a no-cost alternative with almost identical gameplay but an array of customisation options. This track is difficult enough on expert mode, not to mention performed at increased tempo while hitting a single one of its near 4,000 notes. The streamer stated requiring nine months to accomplish.
“Guitar Hero is a fun, imaginary experience. Just as with Call of Duty, it doesn't imply you ought to use a real gun and go to war,” says musician Herman Li.
DragonForce previously wrapped up a successful tour before Through the Fire and Flames was featured on Guitar Hero III, yet he explains it made them a household name. “I remember our distributors calling to tell me that our selling albums like crazy,” he says. “Popularity surged on the subsequent tour, and we were playing right ahead of top acts at the event.”
In fact, the band's visibility from Guitar Hero proved so vast that it threatened to eclipsing everything else the band has done. Last year, the song was used in promotional material for a major film. “Previously I felt otherwise, but now I accept it,” Li says. “Should you just hear a single track, that's fine – everyone’s got their own musical journey and I'm pleased we’ve been part in fans' experiences”.
The Lasting Legacy of a Plastic Guitar
The best promotion, whether it’s for cars, apparel or games, goes further mere transactions – it evokes a longing. Was the game able to harness this? “Precisely what we were aiming to achieve,” Dornbrook says. “The excitement of performing as a music icon on the stage. Since the beginning, the co-founders believed humans have a natural human desire to make music, and their goal was to use technology to allow people to do it”.
Most installments were released in just a five-year period from 2005 to 2010, featuring spin-offs like the DJ version, complete with a turntable controller, and the band-focused game. Subsequently, corporate focus in plastic instruments waned, aside from a short-lived revival several years later.
Games like the fan project and newer releases have kept the community alive, and there’s expectations of something from the founders on the way. Recently formed developers has entered production on their first music game. Original co-founders are participating in advisory roles. Are gamers prepared to welcome a new entry following the classic?
“Our team believed those games could be like Madden allowing annual update every year,” he remarks. “With abundant fresh tracks that it could be evergreen, so I’ve always been hopeful. There’s no reason why it can’t persist with new generations.”
