Marking 20 years after Guitar Hero hit the market in North America, giving players everywhere the opportunity to become rock legends. Not literally, but try telling that anyone who's mastered the epic lengthy instrumental break before an enthusiastic crowd of friends.
Developed by the developers, Guitar Hero provided users with a plastic guitar peripheral to match coloured notes scrolling down the screen synchronized to a song. Every sequence mimicked particular chords, producing the feel of a genuine live show.
The studio had already tried its hand with rhythm games before partnering with RedOctane, later acquired by Activision in 2006. Together, they established the foundations for a surprising billion-dollar series which made a remarkable influence on numerous musicians featured, introducing classic groups to millions of gaming enthusiasts.
A former executive, former COO of Harmonix, recalls the early budgetary hurdles of licensing the songs – even though the first two games mostly used cover versions.
“We reproduced all the music because the dollar figure was so high,” he says. “Despite having the publishing rights by themselves, it was extremely difficult. We failed to secure bands like the Who – the publisher had virtually no money, and we were fairly certain the project would flop. However, when the game took off, and record sales and radio play were going up, all artists desired to participate.”
He adds: “One of the amazing things was the number of parents got in touch expressing gratitude for introducing their kids to the music they adored. It evolved into an intergenerational thing.”
Timeless Music Finds a New Audience
Northern Irish blues-rock band one featured act had Never Too Late on the 2008 game the popular installment. Guitarist Paul Mahon recalls the way the game revived older hits back into vogue: “Guitar Hero provided a bigger, younger audience. Typically this had been seen as outdated material, however when it was included in the game and teenagers were finding it, abruptly it was cool. This validated the genre, and got rid of the ‘dad rock’ tag. It gave our catalog a new life.”
In 2008, the band's first record was still not available stateside, so the game served as a primary platform of discovery 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 some of them knew us thanks to the game,” he notes.
Major Band Spin-offs Enduring Impact
Rock’s heavyweight names soon capitalised on the game's success, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen starring in dedicated game editions that focused on their music collections and associated lore, imagery and legendary status. For example, the Aerosmith edition, it was said to have made the group greater revenue compared to their records. It sold well over 500,000 copies upon release, while demand for their songs saw an increase of up to 40% at a time when the music business faced decline.
The series still motivates nimble-fingered dedication among its fans. Earlier this year, an online personality completed a remarkable feat of DragonForce’s the challenging track – an infamously tough anthem made popular by Guitar Hero – using a fan-made version, a freeware game with similar gameplay but an array of personalization features. This track is difficult even in the hardest setting, not to mention performed at double speed while hitting every one of its near 4,000 notes. The streamer claimed it took months of practice of practice.
“Guitar Hero is a fun, fantasy thing. Just as with other games, it doesn't imply you should use actual weapons and enlist,” says DragonForce guitarist the artist.
DragonForce had already wrapped up a successful tour when Through the Fire and Flames appeared in the third game, but Li says it turned them into widely recognized. “I remember our distributors informing us that we were records were moving rapidly,” he says. “It exploded on the subsequent tour, and we were playing just before top acts on the Mayhem festival.”
In fact, the band's visibility via the game proved so vast that it threatened to eclipsing all other accomplishments. Recently, the track was used in promotional material for a major film. “Previously I felt otherwise, but now I accept it,” he admits. “If you only 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 Legacy of a Plastic Guitar
The best marketing, be it for cars, clothes or video games, extends beyond mere transactions – it evokes a desire. Was the game able to tap into that? “Precisely what our team aiming to achieve,” he confirms. “The excitement of performing as a rock star in the spotlight. Since the beginning, the creators believed there’s an instinctive human desire to create songs, and they wanted to leverage innovation to enable everyone to participate”.
Most installments came out in just a half-decade between 2005 and 2010, featuring spin-offs like the DJ version, including a spinning deck, and Band Hero. After that, the publisher’s interest on peripherals died down, except for a short-lived revival several years later.
Games like Clone Hero and Fortnite Festival have maintained the community active, and there’s expectations of something from the founders on the way. A new studio has entered work on its debut rhythm-based title. Original co-founders are both involved as special advisers. Is the world prepared to welcome a new entry in the spirit of Guitar Hero?
“We thought those games could be similar to sports games where you can releases,” Dornbrook says. “There’s so much new music that it could be perennially popular, so I’ve always been hopeful. There’s no reason for it to persist for future fans.”
