Marking two decades since the legendary game first launched in North America, providing players everywhere the opportunity to feel like a rock star. Figuratively speaking, but try telling that anyone who's nailed Free Bird’s four-minute guitar solo in front of an enthusiastic living-room audience.
Created by Harmonix, Guitar Hero gave players a guitar-shaped controller to follow on-screen cues moving along the screen in time with a song. Every sequence corresponded to specific notes, creating the sensation of an authentic performance.
The studio previously tried its hand with rhythm games before partnering with RedOctane, later purchased by the gaming giant in 2006. Together, they laid the foundations for a surprising billion-dollar series which made a remarkable influence for many musicians included, introducing classic groups to a new generation of younger players.
Michael Dornbrook, former COO from the developer, recalls the early budgetary hurdles in securing the songs – despite the fact initial releases primarily featured rerecorded tracks.
“We rerecorded every song because the dollar figure prohibitive,” he says. “Even with the publishing rights by themselves, it was nearly impossible. We couldn’t get bands like the Who – the publisher had virtually no money, and we were pretty convinced the project would flop. But once the game took off, and record sales airtime were going up, all artists desired to participate.”
He adds: “Among the amazing things was the number of parents reached out expressing gratitude for exposing their kids to the music they adored. It evolved into a multigenerational phenomenon.”
Classic Rock Finds a New Audience
Irish group the Answer included their track on the 2008 game the popular installment. Lead musician the artist recalls how the series revived older hits to the forefront: “Guitar Hero offered a bigger, new demographic. Generally this had been considered outdated material, but then once it got featured on the title and teenagers discovered it, abruptly it became trendy. That legitimised it, and got rid of the outdated tag. It provided all our music renewed popularity.”
In 2008, the Answer’s debut album remained unreleased in the US, meaning Guitar Hero served as a primary platform of discovery for the group as they went on US tour opening for AC/DC. “Their crew had on Never Too Late during travel, and several knew us from Guitar Hero,” he notes.
Major Band Titles and Lasting Impact
Music's biggest acts soon took advantage of the series’ popularity, with Aerosmith, Metallica and others starring in dedicated spin-off titles that focused on their music collections and associated lore, visuals and rock’n’roll mythology. In the case of, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, it was said earned the group greater revenue than any of their records. It moved well over half a million units in its first week, and sales of their songs rose of up to 40% at a time when the music business was already collapsing.
Guitar Hero continues to inspire nimble-fingered fanaticism among its fans. Earlier this year, an online personality completed an impressive attempt of DragonForce’s the challenging track – a notoriously difficult power-metal song made popular by the game – using a fan-made version, a no-cost alternative with similar mechanics but an array of personalization features. The song is challenging even in expert mode, let alone played at increased tempo while hitting a single one of its near 4,000 notes. They stated it took nine months of practice.
“The game is a fun, imaginary experience. If you play Call of Duty, it doesn't imply you should use actual weapons and enlist,” notes DragonForce guitarist the artist.
DragonForce previously wrapped up a profitable run when their hit 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 we were records were moving rapidly,” he shares. “Popularity surged when we next toured, and we performed right ahead of the headliners at the event.”
Indeed, DragonForce’s exposure from Guitar Hero was so immense that it has risked overshadow everything else the band has done. Recently, the song was used in promotional material for a major film. “Previously I felt differently, but I’ve made peace with it,” Li says. “Should you just hear one DragonForce song, that's fine – everyone’s got a unique musical journey and I’m glad we’ve been part of people’s lives”.
The Lasting Legacy of a Plastic Guitar
Top-tier marketing, be it for cars, clothes or video games, goes further mere transactions – it evokes a longing. Was the game able to tap into that? “Precisely what we were aiming to achieve,” he confirms. “That thrill of being a rock star on the stage. Since the beginning, the co-founders believed humans have a natural human desire to create songs, and they wanted to use technology to allow people to participate”.
The majority of Guitar Hero games came out over a mere half-decade from 2005 to 2010, featuring spin-offs like the DJ version, complete with a turntable controller, and the band-focused game. After that, corporate focus in plastic instruments died down, aside from a brief comeback in 2015.
Titles such as the fan project and Fortnite Festival have maintained the community alive, and there’s set to be a new product from the original publisher on the way. Recently formed developers has begun work on their first music game. The initial creators are participating in advisory roles. Are gamers ready to embrace a new entry following the classic?
“Our team believed those games could be similar to sports games where you can releases,” Dornbrook says. “With abundant fresh tracks that it could be perennially popular, thus I remain optimistic. It's entirely possible for it to continue with new generations.”
