Marking 20 years after the legendary game debuted in North America, offering players everywhere the tools to become a rock star. Not literally, but try convincing someone who's nailed Free Bird’s lengthy guitar solo before an enthusiastic crowd of friends.
Developed by Harmonix, Guitar Hero gave players a plastic guitar peripheral to match on-screen cues scrolling down the screen synchronized to a song. Each riff corresponded to particular chords, creating the feel of an authentic performance.
Harmonix previously experimented in the music genre prior to teaming up with RedOctane, later acquired by the gaming giant in 2006. Collaboratively, they laid the groundwork for an unlikely massively profitable franchise which made a significant impact on numerous musicians included, introducing decades-old bands to a new generation of gaming enthusiasts.
Michael Dornbrook, former COO of Harmonix, recalls the initial budgetary hurdles in securing the songs – even though the first two games primarily featured rerecorded tracks.
“We rerecorded all the music because the cost was so high,” he explains. “Even with the publishing rights by themselves, it proved extremely difficult. We couldn’t get acts such as legendary groups – RedOctane had virtually no money, and our team was fairly certain the project would flop. However, when Guitar Hero took off, and record sales airtime increased, all artists desired to participate.”
He continues: “One of the remarkable aspects was how many mothers and fathers reached out expressing gratitude for exposing their kids to the music they loved. It became a multigenerational phenomenon.”
Classic Rock Gains a New Audience
Irish group the Answer had Never Too Late on the 2008 game Guitar Hero World Tour. Guitarist Paul Mahon remembers how the series revived older hits to the forefront: “Guitar Hero offered a larger, new demographic. Generally such music was considered music that was past it, however when it was included in the game young people were finding it, suddenly it became trendy. This validated the genre, eliminating the ‘dad rock’ label. It provided all our music a new life.”
In 2008, the Answer’s first record remained not available stateside, meaning the game was a key medium for exposure for the group as they went on US tour opening for AC/DC. “The roadies had on the song on the tour bus, and several knew us from Guitar Hero,” Mahon says.
Rock’s Heavyweight Titles Enduring Impact
Rock’s biggest acts quickly capitalised on the series’ popularity, with Aerosmith, Metallica and others starring in specialized spin-off titles centered around their music collections and associated lore, visuals and legendary status. In the case of, the Aerosmith edition, it was said to have made the band greater revenue compared to their records. It moved well over half a million units in its first week, and demand for Aerosmith’s music saw an increase of up to 40% during an era as the industry was already collapsing.
Guitar Hero still motivates quick-handed dedication within the community. Recently, a streamer achieved a remarkable feat featuring the challenging track – a notoriously difficult power-metal song popularized through Guitar Hero – using a fan-made version, a freeware game with almost identical gameplay but an array of customisation options. The song is difficult enough on expert mode, let alone performed at increased tempo while hitting a single one of its near 4,000 notes. They claimed requiring months of practice of practice.
“The game is a fun, fantasy thing. Just as with other games, that doesn’t mean you ought to use actual weapons and go to war,” says DragonForce guitarist the artist.
The band previously wrapped up a successful tour before their hit was featured in the third game, yet he explains it made them widely recognized. “I recall the record label informing us that we were selling albums rapidly,” he shares. “It exploded on the subsequent tour, and we performed just before the headliners on the Mayhem festival.”
In fact, the band's visibility via the game was so immense that it threatened to eclipsing everything else accomplishments. Last year, the song was used in promotional material for Despicable Me 4. “Previously I thought differently, but now I accept it,” he admits. “If you only listen to one DragonForce song, it’s totally cool – each person has a unique musical journey and I'm pleased we played a role in fans' experiences”.
Enduring Impact from the Plastic Guitar
The best marketing, whether it’s for cars, apparel or games, goes further than selling something – it evokes a longing. Did Guitar Hero harness this? “Precisely what we were trying to create,” he confirms. “The excitement of performing as a music icon in the spotlight. From day one, the co-founders believed there’s an instinctive urge to create songs, and their goal was to use technology to allow people to participate”.
The majority installments came out in just a half-decade between 2005 and 2010, featuring spin-offs such as DJ Hero, including a turntable controller, and Band Hero. Subsequently, the publisher’s interest on peripherals died down, except for a brief comeback in 2015.
Games like the fan project and newer releases have maintained the scene active, with set to be a new product from the original publisher in development. Recently formed developers has entered work on its debut music game. Original co-founders are participating as special advisers. Are gamers prepared to welcome a new entry following Guitar Hero?
“We thought such titles might become like Madden where you can releases,” he remarks. “There’s so much new music it could remain perennially popular, so I’ve always been hopeful. There’s no reason why it can’t continue for future fans.”
