Marking two decades after Guitar Hero first launched in North America, providing players everywhere the tools to become rock legends. Figuratively speaking, but try telling that someone who's mastered the epic four-minute instrumental break in front of a packed crowd of friends.
Created by Harmonix, Guitar Hero provided users with a guitar-shaped controller to match coloured notes scrolling down the screen synchronized to the music. Each riff corresponded to specific notes, creating the feel of an authentic performance.
Harmonix had already experimented in the music genre before partnering with the publisher, later acquired by Activision during the mid-2000s. Together, they laid the groundwork for a surprising massively profitable series which made a significant influence for many of the artists featured, introducing classic bands to a new generation of gaming enthusiasts.
Michael Dornbrook, ex-chief operating officer from the developer, remembers the early budgetary hurdles in securing the songs – even though the first two games mostly used cover versions.
“We rerecorded all the music because the dollar figure prohibitive,” he says. “Even with the publishing rights alone, it was nearly impossible. We failed to secure acts such as the Who – RedOctane had virtually no money, and our team was pretty convinced it would fail. However, when Guitar Hero took off, album purchases and radio play were going up, everyone wanted to be in.”
He adds: “Among the amazing things was how many parents reached out and thanked us for exposing their kids to the songs they loved. It evolved into an intergenerational thing.”
Classic Rock Finds a New Audience
Northern Irish blues-rock band the Answer had their track on the 2008 game Guitar Hero World Tour. Lead musician the artist remembers how the series revived older hits to the forefront: “Guitar Hero offered a bigger, new demographic. Generally this had been seen as music that was past it, however once it got featured on the title young people were finding it, abruptly it was cool. This validated the genre, eliminating the outdated tag. It gave all our music a new life.”
In 2008, the band's first record was still not available stateside, meaning the game served as a primary platform for exposure for the group during their US tour supporting AC/DC. “The roadies had on the song during travel, and some of them recognized us thanks to the game,” he notes.
Major Band Spin-offs Enduring Influence
Music's biggest acts soon capitalised on the game's success, with Aerosmith, Metallica and others featuring in specialized spin-off titles that focused on each band’s catalogue and associated lore, imagery and legendary status. For example, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, reportedly earned the band greater revenue compared to their studio albums. It moved well over half a million copies in its first week, while sales of their songs saw an increase of up to 40% during an era when the music business was already collapsing.
Guitar Hero still motivates nimble-fingered dedication within the community. Earlier this year, an online personality completed an impressive attempt featuring the challenging track – an infamously tough anthem made popular by the game – on Clone Hero, a no-cost alternative with similar gameplay and extensive customisation options. The song is challenging even in the hardest setting, not to mention played at increased tempo and without missing a single one of the thousands of cues. They stated requiring nine months of practice.
“The game offers a, fantasy thing. Just as with Call of Duty, that doesn’t mean you should pick up actual weapons and go to war,” says DragonForce guitarist the artist.
DragonForce had already completed a successful tour when Through the Fire and Flames appeared on Guitar Hero III, yet he explains it turned them into a household name. “I remember the record label calling to tell me that our selling albums like crazy,” he shares. “It exploded when we next toured, and we performed right ahead of top acts at the event.”
Indeed, the band's visibility from Guitar Hero proved so vast that it threatened to eclipsing everything else the band has done. Recently, the song featured in a trailer for a major film. “Previously I thought otherwise, but now I accept it,” Li says. “If you only hear a single track, it’s totally cool – everyone’s got their own path in music and I’m glad we played a role of people’s lives”.
The Lasting Legacy from the Plastic Guitar
Top-tier promotion, be it for automobiles, clothes or games, extends beyond than selling something – it inspires a longing. Was the game able to harness this? “Precisely what our team aiming to achieve,” Dornbrook says. “That thrill of being a music icon in the spotlight. Since the beginning, the creators believed there’s an instinctive urge to make music, and they wanted to leverage innovation to allow people to participate”.
The majority installments were released in just a half-decade between 2005 and 2010, including spin-offs such as DJ Hero, complete with a spinning deck, and Band Hero. After that, the publisher’s interest on peripherals waned, except for a short-lived revival in 2015.
Titles such as Clone Hero and newer releases have kept the community alive, and there’s expectations of a new product from the original publisher on the way. A new studio has entered production on their first music game. The initial creators are participating in advisory roles. Is the world prepared to welcome a new entry following Guitar Hero?
“Our team believed such titles might become like Madden where you can update every year,” Dornbrook says. “With abundant fresh tracks it could remain perennially popular, thus I remain hopeful. There’s no reason for it to continue with new generations.”
