Marking two decades since Guitar Hero hit the market in North America, offering everyday gamers the tools to feel like rock legends. Not literally, but try convincing anyone who's nailed Free Bird’s lengthy instrumental break in front of an enthusiastic crowd of friends.
Created by Harmonix, the game provided users with a guitar-shaped controller to follow on-screen cues scrolling down the display synchronized to the music. Each riff mimicked particular chords, producing the feel of a genuine performance.
Harmonix had already experimented in the music genre prior to teaming up with RedOctane, later acquired by Activision during the mid-2000s. Collaboratively, they established the foundations for an unlikely billion-dollar series that had a remarkable impact for many musicians featured, introducing classic bands to a new generation of gaming enthusiasts.
Michael Dornbrook, former COO of Harmonix, recalls the early financial challenges of licensing the songs – despite the fact the first two games primarily featured cover versions.
“We reproduced all the music because the dollar figure prohibitive,” he explains. “Even with the publishing rights by themselves, it proved nearly impossible. We couldn’t get acts such as the Who – RedOctane was operating on a shoestring budget, and we were pretty convinced it would fail. However, when Guitar Hero took off, and record sales and radio play were going up, everyone wanted to participate.”
He continues: “Among the amazing things was how many mothers and fathers got in touch expressing gratitude for introducing their children to the songs they adored. It evolved into a multigenerational phenomenon.”
Classic Rock Finds Younger Fans
Northern Irish blues-rock band the Answer included their track on the 2008 game the popular installment. Lead musician the artist remembers the way the game brought older hits to the forefront: “Guitar Hero offered a bigger, new demographic. Generally such music was considered music that was past it, however when it was included in the title young people discovered it, abruptly it became trendy. This validated it, eliminating the outdated label. It gave our catalog a new life.”
In 2008, the band's first record remained not available in the US, so Guitar Hero served as a primary platform for exposure for the group as they went on US tour supporting the rock giants. “Their crew had on Never Too Late on the tour bus, and some of them recognized us from Guitar Hero,” he notes.
Rock’s Heavyweight Spin-offs Enduring Impact
Music's heavyweight names soon took advantage of the game's success, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and others starring in dedicated game editions centered around each band’s catalogue and associated stories, visuals and rock’n’roll mythology. In the case of, the Aerosmith edition, reportedly to have made the group more money compared to their records. It sold well over 500,000 units upon release, and sales of their songs saw an increase of up to 40% during an era when the music business faced decline.
Guitar Hero still motivates quick-handed dedication within the community. Recently, an online personality achieved a remarkable feat featuring the challenging track – a notoriously difficult power-metal song made popular by Guitar Hero – on Clone Hero, a freeware game with similar gameplay and extensive customisation options. The song is challenging even in the hardest setting, let alone played at increased tempo while hitting every one of its near 4,000 notes. They stated requiring nine months of practice.
“Guitar Hero is a fun, imaginary experience. If you play other games, that doesn’t mean you ought to use a real gun and go to war,” notes DragonForce guitarist the artist.
DragonForce had already completed a profitable run when their hit was featured on Guitar Hero III, but Li says it turned them into widely recognized. “I recall the record label informing us that we were selling albums rapidly,” he shares. “It exploded when we next toured, and we performed right ahead of the headliners at the event.”
In fact, the band's visibility from Guitar Hero was so immense that it risked eclipsing everything else the band has done. Recently, the track featured in a trailer for a major film. “Previously I felt differently, but I’ve made peace with it,” he admits. “Should you just listen to a single track, it’s totally cool – everyone’s got a unique path in music and I'm pleased we’ve been part in fans' experiences”.
Enduring Legacy of a Plastic Guitar
Top-tier promotion, whether it’s for cars, clothes or games, extends beyond than selling something – it inspires a desire. Did Guitar Hero harness this? “That’s exactly what we were aiming to achieve,” Dornbrook says. “The excitement of being a rock star in the spotlight. From day one, the creators believed humans have a natural urge to create songs, and they wanted to use technology to allow people to do it”.
Most installments were released in just a five-year period from 2005 to 2010, featuring derivative titles such as the DJ version, complete with a spinning deck, and the band-focused game. After that, corporate focus in plastic instruments waned, aside from a brief comeback in 2015.
Games like the fan project and newer releases have kept the scene active, with set to be a new product from the original publisher on the way. A new studio has begun production on their first music game. Original co-founders are participating as special advisers. Are gamers ready to embrace a new entry in the spirit of Guitar Hero?
“Our team believed such titles could be like Madden allowing annual releases,” he remarks. “With abundant fresh tracks that it could be evergreen, so I’ve always been hopeful. It's entirely possible for it to persist with new generations.”
