It has been two decades after Guitar Hero first launched across the Atlantic, providing players everywhere the opportunity to feel like rock legends. Figuratively speaking, though you'd be hard-pressed telling that someone who's nailed the epic four-minute instrumental break before an enthusiastic crowd of friends.
Created by Harmonix, Guitar Hero gave players a plastic guitar peripheral to match coloured notes moving along the display synchronized to the music. Each riff corresponded to specific notes, creating the feel of a genuine performance.
Harmonix previously experimented with rhythm games before partnering with RedOctane, which was purchased by the gaming giant in 2006. Together, they established the foundations for a surprising massively profitable franchise which made a remarkable impact for many of the artists featured, showcasing decades-old bands to millions of younger players.
Michael Dornbrook, former COO from the developer, remembers the initial financial challenges of licensing the recordings – even though initial releases primarily featured cover versions.
“We rerecorded every song because the cost prohibitive,” he says. “Even with the publishing rights alone, it was extremely difficult. We failed to secure acts such as legendary groups – the publisher had virtually no money, and we were fairly certain it would fail. But once the game took off, and record sales and radio play were going up, everyone wanted to be in.”
He continues: “Among the amazing things was how many mothers and fathers got in touch expressing gratitude for exposing their children to the music they loved. It evolved into a multigenerational phenomenon.”
Classic Rock Finds a New Audience
Northern Irish group one featured act included their track on the 2008 game Guitar Hero World Tour. Lead musician Paul Mahon remembers how the series brought older hits back into vogue: “The game provided a larger, younger audience. Generally such music was considered music that was past it, but then when it was featured on the title and teenagers were finding it, suddenly it was cool. That legitimised the genre, eliminating the outdated tag. It provided our catalog renewed popularity.”
At that time, the Answer’s first record was still unreleased in the US, meaning Guitar Hero served as a primary platform for exposure for the group during their US tour opening for AC/DC. “The roadies had on the song on the tour bus, and several recognized us thanks to the game,” he notes.
Major Band Spin-offs Enduring Impact
Music's heavyweight names soon took advantage of the series’ popularity, with Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen featuring in dedicated game editions that focused on each band’s catalogue and associated stories, visuals and rock’n’roll mythology. For example, the Aerosmith edition, reportedly to have made the group greater revenue compared to their studio albums. It moved more than half a million copies in its first week, while sales of their songs saw an increase of up to 40% during an era when the music business faced decline.
Guitar Hero continues to inspire quick-handed dedication among its fans. Recently, an online personality achieved a remarkable feat featuring Through the Fire and Flames – an infamously tough power-metal song popularized through the game – using a fan-made version, a no-cost alternative with similar 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 every one of its near 4,000 notes. They claimed requiring months of practice to accomplish.
“Guitar Hero is a fun, imaginary experience. Just as with Call of Duty, that doesn’t mean you ought to use a real gun and go to war,” says musician Herman Li.
The band had already wrapped up a successful tour when their hit was featured on Guitar Hero III, yet he explains it turned them into a household name. “I recall the record label informing us that we were selling albums rapidly,” he shares. “Popularity surged on the subsequent tour, and we were playing just before top acts on the Mayhem festival.”
In fact, DragonForce’s exposure via the game was so immense that it has threatened to overshadow all other the band has done. Last year, the track featured in a trailer for Despicable Me 4. “In the past I thought otherwise, but I’ve made peace with it,” he admits. “Should you just listen to one DragonForce song, that's fine – everyone’s got their own path in music and I’m glad we played a role of people’s lives”.
The Lasting Impact of a Plastic Guitar
Top-tier marketing, be it for automobiles, clothes or video games, goes further than selling something – it inspires a desire. Did Guitar Hero harness this? “That’s exactly what our team trying to create,” Dornbrook says. “The excitement of being a music icon in the spotlight. Since the beginning, the creators believed humans have a natural urge to make music, and their goal was to use technology to allow people to participate”.
The majority installments came out over a mere five-year period between 2005 and 2010, including derivative titles such as DJ Hero, complete with a turntable controller, and the band-focused game. Subsequently, corporate focus in plastic instruments died down, except for a short-lived revival in 2015.
Titles such as the fan project and newer releases have kept the community active, with expectations of a new product from the original publisher on the way. A new studio has begun work on their first music game. Original co-founders are both involved in advisory roles. Are gamers prepared to welcome a new entry in the spirit of the classic?
“We thought such titles might become like Madden allowing annual update every year,” he remarks. “There’s so much new music it could remain perennially popular, thus I remain hopeful. It's entirely possible why it can’t persist for future fans.”
