It has been two decades after Guitar Hero hit the market in North America, offering everyday gamers the opportunity to become a rock star. Not literally, though you'd be hard-pressed telling that someone who's nailed Free Bird’s four-minute instrumental break in front of a packed living-room audience.
Developed by Harmonix, Guitar Hero gave players a guitar-shaped controller to follow on-screen cues moving along the screen in time with the music. Every sequence corresponded to specific notes, creating the sensation of an authentic live show.
Harmonix previously tried its hand in the music genre prior to teaming up with RedOctane, later purchased by the gaming giant during the mid-2000s. Together, they established the groundwork for an unlikely billion-dollar franchise that had a remarkable impact on numerous of the artists included, introducing decades-old groups to millions of younger players.
Michael Dornbrook, ex-chief operating officer from the developer, remembers the initial financial challenges of licensing the recordings – despite the fact initial releases mostly used cover versions.
“We rerecorded all the music since the dollar figure was so high,” he says. “Despite having the necessary permissions by themselves, it was nearly impossible. We failed to secure acts such as the Who – RedOctane was operating on a shoestring budget, and our team was fairly certain it would fail. But once the game became a hit, album purchases and radio play were going up, everyone wanted to participate.”
He adds: “Among the remarkable aspects was how many parents got in touch and thanked us for exposing their children to the songs they loved. It became a multigenerational thing.”
Timeless Music Gains a New Audience
Irish group one featured act included their track on the 2008 game the popular installment. Guitarist the artist recalls the way the game brought classic rock back into vogue: “The game offered a bigger, younger audience. Typically this had been seen as outdated material, but then once it got featured on the game young people were finding it, suddenly it was cool. This validated it, eliminating the ‘dad rock’ label. It gave our catalog a new life.”
At that time, the Answer’s debut album was still not available in the US, so the game was a key medium for exposure for the band as they went on US tour opening for AC/DC. “Their crew were playing the song during travel, and some of them recognized us thanks to the game,” Mahon says.
Major Band Spin-offs and Lasting Impact
Rock’s biggest acts quickly took advantage of the series’ popularity, with Aerosmith, Metallica and others starring in specialized spin-off titles centered around their music collections and related lore, visuals and rock’n’roll mythology. For example, the Aerosmith edition, reportedly earned the group more money than any of their records. It moved more than 500,000 units in its first week, while demand for Aerosmith’s music saw an increase of up to 40% at a time when the music business faced decline.
Guitar Hero still motivates nimble-fingered dedication among its fans. Recently, a streamer achieved a remarkable feat of DragonForce’s Through the Fire and Flames – an infamously tough anthem popularized through Guitar Hero – using a fan-made version, a no-cost alternative with almost identical mechanics and extensive personalization features. The song is difficult enough on the hardest setting, let alone played at increased tempo and without missing every one of its near 4,000 notes. The streamer stated it took nine months of practice.
“Guitar Hero is a fun, imaginary experience. Just as with other games, that doesn’t mean you should use a real gun and enlist,” says musician the artist.
DragonForce previously wrapped up a profitable run when their hit appeared in the third game, but Li says it turned them into widely recognized. “I remember our distributors informing us that we were selling albums rapidly,” he shares. “Popularity surged on the subsequent tour, and we were playing right ahead of top acts at the event.”
In fact, the band's visibility from Guitar Hero proved so vast that it has threatened to eclipsing all other the band has done. Last year, the song was used in promotional material for Despicable Me 4. “Previously I felt otherwise, but now I accept it,” he admits. “If you only hear one DragonForce song, it’s totally cool – each person has a unique path in music and I'm pleased we’ve been part of people’s lives”.
Enduring Legacy from the Plastic Guitar
The best marketing, be it for cars, apparel or games, goes further than selling something – it evokes a desire. Was the game able to harness this? “That’s exactly what our team aiming to achieve,” Dornbrook says. “That thrill of performing as a rock star in the spotlight. From day one, the creators believed humans have a natural human desire to create songs, and they wanted to use technology to enable everyone to do it”.
The majority of Guitar Hero games came out over a mere half-decade from 2005 to 2010, including derivative titles like the DJ version, complete with a spinning deck, and Band Hero. Subsequently, the publisher’s interest in plastic instruments waned, aside from a short-lived revival in 2015.
Titles such as Clone Hero and Fortnite Festival have maintained the scene active, with set to be a new product from the founders in development. A new studio has begun work on their first music game. Original co-founders are both involved as special advisers. Are gamers prepared to welcome another game following the classic?
“Our team believed such titles might become like Madden allowing annual releases,” Dornbrook says. “There’s so much new music it could remain perennially popular, so I’ve always been hopeful. There’s no reason for it to continue for future fans.”
