Marking 20 years after the legendary game hit the market in North America, providing everyday gamers the tools to feel like a rock star. Figuratively speaking, though you'd be hard-pressed telling that anyone who's mastered Free Bird’s four-minute guitar solo before an enthusiastic crowd of friends.
Developed by Harmonix, Guitar Hero provided users with a plastic guitar peripheral to follow coloured notes moving along the display synchronized to a song. Each riff mimicked specific notes, producing the feel of an authentic live show.
Harmonix had already experimented with rhythm games prior to teaming up with the publisher, later acquired by Activision in 2006. Collaboratively, they established the groundwork for a surprising massively profitable franchise that had a significant impact for many musicians featured, introducing decades-old groups to millions of gaming enthusiasts.
Michael Dornbrook, ex-chief operating officer of Harmonix, recalls the early budgetary hurdles of licensing the songs – even though initial releases primarily featured cover versions.
“We reproduced every song because the cost was so high,” he explains. “Despite having the necessary permissions alone, it proved nearly impossible. We couldn’t get bands like the Who – the publisher had virtually no money, and our team was fairly certain the project would flop. But once the game took off, and record sales airtime were going up, everyone wanted to participate.”
He continues: “One of the remarkable aspects was the number of mothers and fathers got in touch expressing gratitude for introducing their kids to the songs they loved. It evolved into a multigenerational thing.”
Timeless Music Gains Younger Fans
Irish blues-rock band the Answer included Never Too Late on the 2008 game Guitar Hero World Tour. Guitarist Paul Mahon remembers how the series brought older hits back into vogue: “Guitar Hero provided a larger, younger audience. Generally this had been seen as music that was past it, but then once it got included in the game and teenagers discovered it, suddenly it became trendy. This validated it, eliminating the outdated tag. It provided our catalog renewed popularity.”
In 2008, the Answer’s debut album was still not available in the US, so the game served as a primary platform of discovery for the band as they went on a North American tour supporting AC/DC. “The roadies were playing Never Too Late during travel, and several recognized us from Guitar Hero,” Mahon says.
Rock’s Heavyweight Titles Enduring Influence
Rock’s biggest acts soon took advantage of the game's success, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and others starring in dedicated spin-off titles that focused on each band’s catalogue and related stories, imagery and rock’n’roll mythology. In the case of, the Aerosmith edition, it was said to have made the group greater revenue than any of their studio albums. It sold well over half a million units in its first week, and demand for Aerosmith’s music rose of up to 40% during an era when the music business faced decline.
The series still motivates quick-handed fanaticism within the community. Recently, an online personality achieved a remarkable feat featuring the challenging track – a notoriously difficult anthem made popular by Guitar Hero – on Clone Hero, a freeware game with similar gameplay but an array of customisation options. The song is difficult even in expert mode, not to mention played at double speed while hitting every one of the thousands of cues. They claimed it took nine months of practice.
“Guitar Hero offers a, imaginary experience. Just as with other games, that doesn’t mean you ought to pick up a real gun and go to war,” notes DragonForce guitarist Herman Li.
DragonForce had already completed a profitable run when Through the Fire and Flames appeared on Guitar Hero III, yet he explains it turned them into widely recognized. “I recall our distributors informing us that our selling albums like crazy,” he shares. “Popularity surged on the subsequent tour, and we were playing right ahead of top acts at the event.”
Indeed, DragonForce’s exposure via the game was so immense that it has threatened to overshadow everything else accomplishments. Recently, the track featured in promotional material for Despicable Me 4. “Previously I felt differently, but I’ve made peace with it,” he admits. “If you only hear a single track, it’s totally cool – everyone’s got their own path in music and I’m glad we’ve been part of people’s lives”.
The Lasting Impact of a Iconic Controller
Top-tier marketing, whether it’s for cars, apparel or video games, goes further than selling something – it evokes a desire. Did Guitar Hero harness this? “That’s exactly what our team trying to create,” he confirms. “That thrill 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 allow people to participate”.
The majority of Guitar Hero games were released in just a five-year period between 2005 and 2010, including derivative titles such as the DJ version, complete with a spinning deck, and the band-focused game. Subsequently, corporate focus in plastic instruments waned, except for a brief comeback in 2015.
Titles like the fan project and newer releases have maintained the community alive, and there’s expectations of something from the founders on the way. Recently formed developers has entered production on their first music game. Original co-founders are both involved as special advisers. Are gamers ready to embrace a new entry following the classic?
“We thought those games could be like Madden allowing annual update every year,” he remarks. “With abundant new music it could remain evergreen, thus I remain hopeful. There’s no reason for it to persist with new generations.”
