Marking 20 years since Guitar Hero first launched across the Atlantic, providing players everywhere the means to become rock legends. Not literally, though you'd be hard-pressed telling that anyone who has mastered the epic four-minute guitar solo before a packed living-room audience.
Created by Harmonix, the game gave players a guitar-shaped controller to follow on-screen cues scrolling down the screen synchronized to the music. Every sequence corresponded to particular chords, producing the sensation of a genuine live show.
Harmonix previously experimented in the music genre before partnering with the publisher, later purchased by Activision in 2006. Together, they laid the foundations for a surprising billion-dollar franchise which made a remarkable influence for many musicians featured, introducing classic groups to millions of younger players.
Michael Dornbrook, former COO of Harmonix, recalls the early financial challenges of licensing the recordings – even though the first two games mostly used cover versions.
“We reproduced all the music because the cost prohibitive,” he explains. “Even with the publishing rights alone, it proved nearly impossible. We couldn’t get bands like the Who – RedOctane was operating on a shoestring budget, and we were pretty convinced the project would flop. But once Guitar Hero took off, album purchases and radio play increased, all artists desired to participate.”
He continues: “Among the amazing things was the number of parents reached out expressing gratitude for introducing their children to the songs they loved. It became a multigenerational thing.”
Classic Rock Finds Younger Fans
Northern Irish blues-rock band one featured act included their track on the 2008 game the popular installment. Lead musician the artist remembers the way the game brought older hits back into vogue: “Guitar Hero offered a larger, new demographic. Typically this had been seen as music that was past it, but then when it was included in the game young people discovered it, suddenly it became trendy. That legitimised it, eliminating the ‘dad rock’ label. It provided our catalog renewed popularity.”
At that time, the band's debut album remained unreleased stateside, meaning the game was a key medium of discovery for the group as they went on US tour supporting AC/DC. “Their crew had on the song during travel, and several knew us thanks to the game,” he notes.
Major Band Titles and Lasting Influence
Rock’s biggest acts soon capitalised on the series’ popularity, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and others starring in specialized spin-off titles centered around their music collections and associated stories, imagery and rock’n’roll mythology. For example, the Aerosmith edition, it was said earned the band greater revenue than any of their studio albums. It moved more than 500,000 units in its first week, and sales of their songs saw an increase significantly at a time when the music business was already collapsing.
The series continues to inspire nimble-fingered fanaticism among its fans. Recently, a streamer achieved an impressive attempt featuring the challenging track – a notoriously difficult anthem popularized through Guitar Hero – on Clone Hero, a no-cost alternative with similar gameplay and extensive personalization features. This track is challenging even in the hardest setting, not to mention played at increased tempo and without missing every one of its near 4,000 notes. The streamer claimed requiring months of practice of practice.
“Guitar Hero offers a, imaginary experience. Just as with Call of Duty, it doesn't imply you ought to use actual weapons and go to war,” notes DragonForce guitarist Herman Li.
DragonForce had already completed a profitable run before Through the Fire and Flames appeared in the third game, but Li says it made them a household name. “I remember the record label informing us that we were records were moving rapidly,” he says. “Popularity surged when we next toured, and we were playing just before the headliners on the Mayhem festival.”
In fact, DragonForce’s exposure from Guitar Hero was so immense that it has risked eclipsing everything else accomplishments. Recently, the song featured in a trailer for a major film. “In the past I felt otherwise, but I’ve made peace with it,” Li says. “Should you just hear a single track, it’s totally cool – each person has a unique musical journey and I’m glad we played a role in fans' experiences”.
Enduring Impact from the Plastic Guitar
The best promotion, whether it’s for automobiles, clothes or video games, extends beyond mere transactions – it evokes a desire. Was the game able to tap into that? “Precisely what we were trying to create,” he confirms. “The excitement of performing as a rock star on the stage. From day one, the co-founders believed there’s an instinctive human desire to make music, and they wanted to use technology to enable everyone to participate”.
Most installments were released over a mere half-decade between 2005 and 2010, featuring derivative titles such as DJ Hero, including a turntable controller, and the band-focused game. After that, the publisher’s interest in plastic instruments died down, aside from a short-lived revival several years later.
Titles such as Clone Hero and Fortnite Festival have maintained the community active, and there’s expectations of a new product from the original publisher in development. A new studio has entered work on its debut rhythm-based title. Original co-founders are participating as special advisers. Are gamers prepared to welcome a new entry following Guitar Hero?
“Our team believed such titles might become similar to sports games where you can update every year,” Dornbrook says. “There’s so much new music it could remain evergreen, thus I remain hopeful. There’s no reason for it to persist with new generations.”
