Marking two decades after Guitar Hero first launched in North America, providing everyday gamers the opportunity to become rock legends. Not literally, though you'd be hard-pressed telling that someone who has mastered the epic four-minute guitar solo in front of an enthusiastic crowd of friends.
Developed by the developers, Guitar Hero provided users with a plastic guitar peripheral to match coloured notes moving along the display synchronized to a song. Every sequence mimicked specific notes, producing the feel of an authentic performance.
Harmonix had already tried its hand in the music genre prior to teaming up with RedOctane, which was acquired by the gaming giant in 2006. Together, they laid the foundations for an unlikely massively profitable franchise that had a remarkable influence for many musicians included, introducing decades-old groups to a new generation of younger players.
A former executive, ex-chief operating officer from the developer, recalls the initial financial challenges in securing the songs – despite the fact the first two games mostly used cover versions.
“We rerecorded every song because the cost was so high,” he says. “Even with the publishing rights by themselves, it was nearly impossible. We couldn’t get bands like the Who – RedOctane had virtually no money, and we were fairly certain it would fail. But once Guitar Hero became a hit, and record sales and radio play increased, all artists desired to participate.”
He adds: “Among the amazing things was the number of parents got in touch and thanked us for exposing their children to the songs they loved. It evolved into an intergenerational thing.”
Timeless Music Finds Younger Fans
Irish group one featured act included their track in the 2008 release Guitar Hero World Tour. Lead musician Paul Mahon remembers the way the game brought older hits back into vogue: “The game provided a bigger, new demographic. Generally such music was seen as music that was past it, but then when it was featured on the title and teenagers were finding it, suddenly it became trendy. This validated it, eliminating the ‘dad rock’ tag. It gave all our music renewed popularity.”
At that time, the Answer’s debut album was still not available stateside, so the game served as a primary platform for exposure for the group during their a North American tour opening for the rock giants. “Their crew were playing Never Too Late during travel, and several knew us thanks to the game,” he notes.
Major Band Spin-offs Enduring Influence
Music's heavyweight names quickly capitalised on the game's success, with Aerosmith, Metallica and others starring in specialized game editions that focused on their music collections and related stories, visuals and rock’n’roll mythology. In the case of, the Aerosmith edition, reportedly earned the band greater revenue compared to their studio albums. It moved well over half a million copies in its first week, and demand for their songs rose significantly at a time when the music business faced decline.
The series continues to inspire nimble-fingered fanaticism among its fans. Earlier this year, a streamer achieved an impressive attempt featuring Through the Fire and Flames – a notoriously difficult power-metal song popularized through Guitar Hero – using a fan-made version, a freeware game with similar mechanics and extensive customisation options. The song is challenging enough on expert mode, not to mention played at increased tempo while hitting every one of the thousands of cues. They stated requiring nine months to accomplish.
“Guitar Hero offers a, imaginary experience. If you play Call of Duty, it doesn't imply you should pick up actual weapons and enlist,” notes DragonForce guitarist Herman Li.
The band previously wrapped up a profitable run when their hit was featured in the third game, but Li says it made them a household name. “I remember the record label calling to tell me that we were records were moving like crazy,” he shares. “It exploded on the subsequent tour, and we performed just before the headliners on the Mayhem festival.”
Indeed, DragonForce’s exposure from Guitar Hero was so immense that it risked eclipsing everything else the band has done. Recently, the track featured in promotional material for Despicable Me 4. “Previously I thought otherwise, but I’ve made peace with it,” Li says. “If you only listen to a single track, it’s totally cool – everyone’s got a unique musical journey and I’m glad we played a role of people’s lives”.
Enduring Impact 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? “That’s exactly what our team trying to create,” Dornbrook says. “The excitement of being a music icon on the stage. From day one, the co-founders felt that there’s an instinctive human desire to create songs, and they wanted to use technology to enable everyone to participate”.
Most installments came out in just a half-decade from 2005 to 2010, including derivative titles such as DJ Hero, including a turntable controller, and the band-focused game. Subsequently, the publisher’s interest in plastic instruments waned, aside from a brief comeback several years later.
Titles such as the fan project and Fortnite Festival have maintained the scene alive, with expectations of a new product from the original publisher in development. A new studio has begun production on their first music game. Original co-founders are both involved in advisory roles. Is the world prepared to welcome a new entry following the classic?
“We thought such titles could be similar to sports games where you can releases,” he remarks. “There’s so much new music that it could be perennially popular, thus I remain hopeful. There’s no reason for it to persist for future fans.”
