Marking 20 years after Guitar Hero hit the market across the Atlantic, giving everyday gamers the opportunity to become a rock star. Figuratively speaking, though you'd be hard-pressed convincing someone who has mastered Free Bird’s four-minute instrumental break before an enthusiastic crowd of friends.
Developed by Harmonix, Guitar Hero gave players a plastic guitar peripheral to match coloured notes moving along the display synchronized to the music. Each riff mimicked particular chords, producing the feel of a genuine performance.
Harmonix previously experimented in the music genre prior to teaming up with RedOctane, which was purchased by the gaming giant during the mid-2000s. Together, they established the foundations for a surprising billion-dollar series that had a remarkable impact for many of the artists included, showcasing classic bands to a new generation of gaming enthusiasts.
A former executive, former COO from the developer, recalls the initial budgetary hurdles in securing the recordings – even though the first two games primarily featured cover versions.
“We rerecorded all the music since the cost was so high,” he says. “Even with the necessary permissions by themselves, it was 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 the game took off, album purchases airtime were going up, all artists desired to be in.”
He continues: “Among the remarkable aspects was the number of mothers and fathers reached out expressing gratitude for exposing their children to the music they adored. It became a multigenerational thing.”
Timeless Music Finds Younger Fans
Northern Irish group one featured act included Never Too Late in the 2008 release the popular installment. Guitarist the artist remembers how the series brought older hits back into vogue: “The game provided a larger, new demographic. Typically such music was considered music that was past it, however once it got included in the title and teenagers were finding it, suddenly it was cool. That legitimised it, and got rid of the ‘dad rock’ label. It provided our catalog renewed popularity.”
At that time, the Answer’s first record remained not available stateside, meaning Guitar Hero served as a primary platform for exposure for the group as they went on a North American tour opening for the rock giants. “The roadies had on Never Too Late during travel, and several knew us from Guitar Hero,” he notes.
Major Band Spin-offs Enduring Impact
Music's biggest acts soon capitalised on the series’ popularity, with Aerosmith, Metallica and others starring in dedicated game editions that focused on each band’s catalogue and related lore, imagery and legendary status. For example, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, it was said earned the band more money than any of their studio albums. It sold more than half a million copies in its first week, while sales of their songs saw an increase of up to 40% at a time when the music business faced decline.
Guitar Hero still motivates quick-handed dedication among its fans. Recently, an online personality achieved an impressive attempt featuring the challenging track – an infamously tough power-metal song made popular by the game – on Clone Hero, a no-cost alternative with almost identical mechanics but an array of personalization features. This track is challenging even in expert mode, not to mention performed at double speed while hitting a single one of the thousands of cues. They stated it took months of practice of practice.
“The game offers a, imaginary experience. If you play Call of Duty, it doesn't imply you ought to pick up actual weapons and go to war,” notes musician Herman Li.
DragonForce had already completed a successful tour before Through the Fire and Flames appeared on Guitar Hero III, yet he explains it turned them into a household name. “I recall our distributors informing us that our selling albums rapidly,” he shares. “It exploded on the subsequent tour, and we were playing just before the headliners at the event.”
Indeed, DragonForce’s exposure from Guitar Hero was so immense that it threatened to overshadow everything else accomplishments. Last year, the track featured in a trailer for Despicable Me 4. “In the past I felt differently, but now I accept it,” Li says. “Should you just hear one DragonForce song, it’s totally cool – each person has a unique path in music and I’m glad we’ve been part of people’s lives”.
The Lasting Impact from the Plastic Guitar
The best marketing, whether it’s for automobiles, apparel or games, extends beyond mere transactions – it inspires a longing. Did Guitar Hero harness this? “Precisely what our team aiming to achieve,” Dornbrook says. “That thrill of being a music icon on the stage. From day one, the creators believed there’s an instinctive human desire to create songs, and their goal was to leverage innovation to allow people to do it”.
Most of Guitar Hero games came out in just a half-decade from 2005 to 2010, including derivative titles such as DJ Hero, complete with a spinning deck, and the band-focused game. After that, the publisher’s interest in plastic instruments waned, except for a short-lived revival in 2015.
Games such as Clone Hero and Fortnite Festival have kept the community alive, and there’s set to be a new product from the original publisher in development. A new studio has begun production on their first music game. The initial creators are both involved as special advisers. Is the world ready to embrace a new entry in the spirit of the classic?
“Our team believed those games could be similar to sports games where you can update every year,” he remarks. “There’s so much new music that it could be evergreen, so I’ve always been hopeful. It's entirely possible for it to persist for future fans.”
