It has been 20 years after Guitar Hero first launched across the Atlantic, giving everyday gamers the opportunity to feel like a rock star. Not in reality, though you'd be hard-pressed convincing anyone who has nailed Free Bird’s four-minute instrumental break in front of an enthusiastic crowd of friends.
Created by the developers, Guitar Hero provided users with a guitar-shaped controller to match coloured notes scrolling down the display synchronized to a song. Each riff corresponded to particular chords, producing the sensation of an authentic live show.
Harmonix previously tried its hand in the music genre before partnering with RedOctane, which was acquired by Activision in 2006. Together, they established the groundwork for an unlikely billion-dollar franchise which made a significant impact on numerous of the artists featured, showcasing classic bands to a new generation of younger players.
Michael Dornbrook, former COO of Harmonix, recalls the initial financial challenges in securing the songs – despite the fact the first two games mostly used cover versions.
“We reproduced every song because the cost prohibitive,” he explains. “Despite having the publishing rights by themselves, it was nearly impossible. We couldn’t get acts such as legendary groups – the publisher had virtually no money, and we were fairly certain it would fail. But once the game became a hit, album purchases airtime increased, all artists desired to participate.”
He adds: “One of the remarkable aspects was how many mothers and fathers reached out and thanked us for exposing their children to the songs they adored. It became a multigenerational thing.”
Timeless Music Gains a New Audience
Irish group one featured act included Never Too Late on the 2008 game the popular installment. Lead musician the artist recalls the way the game brought classic rock back into vogue: “The game offered a larger, new demographic. Generally such music was seen as music that was past it, however when it was included in the game and teenagers discovered it, suddenly it became trendy. This validated the genre, eliminating the ‘dad rock’ label. It provided all our music a new life.”
In 2008, the band's debut album was still not available stateside, so Guitar Hero served as a primary platform for exposure for the band as they went on US tour opening for AC/DC. “Their crew had on Never Too Late on the tour bus, and several knew us from Guitar Hero,” Mahon says.
Major Band Spin-offs Enduring Impact
Rock’s biggest acts quickly took advantage of the game's success, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen featuring in dedicated spin-off titles centered around each band’s catalogue and related stories, imagery and rock’n’roll mythology. In the case of, the Aerosmith edition, it was said earned the band greater revenue than any of their records. It sold more than half a million units in its first week, while sales of Aerosmith’s music saw an increase significantly during an era when the music business faced decline.
The series still motivates nimble-fingered fanaticism within the community. Earlier this year, an online personality achieved a remarkable feat of DragonForce’s the challenging track – a notoriously difficult power-metal song popularized through Guitar Hero – using a fan-made version, a freeware game with similar gameplay and extensive personalization features. The song is challenging enough on expert mode, not to mention played at double speed while hitting a single one of the thousands of cues. The streamer claimed requiring nine months to accomplish.
“Guitar Hero offers a, imaginary experience. If you play Call of Duty, it doesn't imply you ought to pick up a real gun and go to war,” notes DragonForce guitarist Herman Li.
DragonForce had already completed a profitable run before their hit appeared on Guitar Hero III, but Li says it made them widely recognized. “I recall our distributors informing us that our records were moving rapidly,” he says. “Popularity surged when we next toured, and we were playing right ahead of the headliners at the event.”
Indeed, the band's visibility from Guitar Hero was so immense that it risked eclipsing all other the band has done. Last year, the track was used in promotional material for Despicable Me 4. “Previously I felt otherwise, but I’ve made peace with it,” he admits. “Should you just listen to one DragonForce song, that's fine – everyone’s got their own musical journey and I'm pleased we played a role in fans' experiences”.
Enduring Legacy of a Plastic Guitar
Top-tier marketing, whether it’s for cars, clothes or games, extends beyond than selling something – it evokes a longing. 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 in the spotlight. Since the beginning, the creators felt that there’s an instinctive human desire to create songs, and they wanted to leverage innovation to enable everyone to do it”.
Most installments came out in just a five-year period between 2005 and 2010, including spin-offs like the DJ version, complete with a turntable controller, and Band Hero. After that, corporate focus in plastic instruments died down, aside from a brief comeback in 2015.
Titles like the fan project and newer releases have kept the scene active, with set to be a new product from the founders in development. Recently formed developers has entered work on its debut rhythm-based title. Original co-founders are participating in advisory roles. Are gamers ready to embrace a new entry in the spirit of the classic?
“Our team believed such titles might become like Madden where you can update every year,” he remarks. “With abundant fresh tracks it could remain perennially popular, so I’ve always been optimistic. There’s no reason why it can’t continue for future fans.”
