It has been 20 years after Guitar Hero debuted across the Atlantic, giving everyday gamers the opportunity to become rock legends. Figuratively speaking, though you'd be hard-pressed telling that someone who has nailed the epic four-minute instrumental break in front of an enthusiastic crowd of friends.
Created by the developers, Guitar Hero gave players a plastic guitar peripheral to match coloured notes moving along the screen in time with a song. Each riff corresponded to particular chords, creating the feel of a genuine live show.
The studio had already tried its hand in the music genre before partnering with the publisher, later acquired by Activision in 2006. Collaboratively, they laid the foundations for a surprising massively profitable franchise which made a remarkable influence for many of the artists included, showcasing decades-old groups to millions of younger players.
Michael Dornbrook, former COO of Harmonix, recalls the early financial challenges of licensing the songs – even though the first two games mostly used rerecorded tracks.
“We rerecorded all the music since the dollar figure prohibitive,” he says. “Despite having the publishing rights alone, it was nearly impossible. We failed to secure acts such as legendary groups – the publisher was operating on a shoestring budget, and we were fairly certain the project would flop. But once the game became a hit, and record sales and radio play were going up, all artists desired to participate.”
He continues: “Among the amazing things was how many parents reached out expressing gratitude for exposing their children to the music they loved. It evolved into an intergenerational phenomenon.”
Timeless Music Finds a New Audience
Northern Irish group one featured act had their track in the 2008 release the popular installment. Guitarist the artist recalls the way the game brought older hits to the forefront: “The game provided a larger, younger audience. Generally this had been considered outdated material, but then when it was included in the game and teenagers were finding it, abruptly it was cool. This validated it, eliminating the outdated tag. It provided our catalog a new life.”
In 2008, the Answer’s first record was still unreleased stateside, so Guitar Hero was a key medium for exposure for the band during their US tour opening for the rock giants. “The roadies had on Never Too Late on the tour bus, and some of them knew us from Guitar Hero,” he notes.
Major Band Spin-offs Enduring Influence
Rock’s heavyweight names quickly took advantage of the game's success, with Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen starring in dedicated game editions that focused on each band’s catalogue and associated lore, visuals and legendary status. In the case of, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, reportedly to have made the band more money compared to their studio albums. It sold well over 500,000 units in its first week, while sales of Aerosmith’s music rose significantly at a time when the music business was already collapsing.
The series still motivates quick-handed dedication among its fans. Recently, a streamer completed a remarkable feat of DragonForce’s the challenging track – a notoriously difficult power-metal song made popular by the game – on Clone Hero, a freeware game with almost identical mechanics but an array of personalization features. The song is challenging enough on expert mode, let alone performed at double speed while hitting a single one of the thousands of cues. The streamer stated it took nine months of practice.
“The game offers a, imaginary experience. If you play other games, that doesn’t mean you ought to use actual weapons and enlist,” says DragonForce guitarist Herman Li.
DragonForce had already completed a successful tour when their hit appeared on Guitar Hero III, yet he explains it turned them into a household name. “I recall our distributors calling to tell me that our selling albums like crazy,” he says. “It exploded when we next toured, and we performed right ahead of top acts at the event.”
In fact, DragonForce’s exposure from Guitar Hero proved so vast that it risked eclipsing everything else the band has done. Last year, the track was used in a trailer for Despicable Me 4. “In the past I thought otherwise, but now I accept it,” he admits. “Should you just hear one DragonForce song, it’s totally cool – each person has a unique musical journey and I'm pleased we’ve been part in fans' experiences”.
The Lasting Legacy of a Plastic Guitar
Top-tier promotion, whether it’s for automobiles, apparel or video games, goes further than selling something – it inspires a desire. Was the game able to harness this? “That’s exactly what we were trying to create,” he confirms. “The excitement of being a music icon on the stage. From day one, the creators felt that there’s an instinctive urge to make music, and they wanted to leverage innovation to enable everyone to do it”.
The majority installments were released in just a five-year period between 2005 and 2010, including spin-offs like the DJ version, complete with a turntable controller, and Band Hero. After that, the publisher’s interest in plastic instruments waned, aside from a brief comeback in 2015.
Titles like the fan project and newer releases have maintained the community active, with expectations of a new product from the original publisher on the way. A new studio has begun production on their first rhythm-based title. The initial creators are participating in advisory roles. Are gamers prepared to welcome a new entry in the spirit of the classic?
“We thought those games could be similar to sports games where you can update every year,” Dornbrook says. “With abundant fresh tracks it could remain perennially popular, thus I remain optimistic. It's entirely possible why it can’t continue with new generations.”
