Marking two decades after Guitar Hero first launched across the Atlantic, giving everyday gamers the tools to become rock legends. Not in reality, though you'd be hard-pressed telling that someone who has mastered Free Bird’s lengthy guitar solo in front of a packed living-room audience.
Created by the developers, the game provided users with a plastic guitar peripheral to follow coloured notes scrolling down the screen synchronized to a song. Every sequence mimicked specific notes, producing the feel of an authentic live show.
Harmonix previously tried its hand with rhythm games before partnering with RedOctane, later acquired by the gaming giant during the mid-2000s. Collaboratively, they laid the foundations for a surprising billion-dollar franchise which made a remarkable impact for many musicians featured, showcasing decades-old bands to millions of gaming enthusiasts.
Michael Dornbrook, former COO from the developer, recalls the initial financial challenges in securing the recordings – despite the fact the first two games primarily featured rerecorded tracks.
“We reproduced every song because the cost prohibitive,” he says. “Even with the publishing rights by themselves, it was extremely difficult. We failed to secure bands like the Who – the publisher had virtually no money, and we were fairly certain it would fail. But once Guitar Hero became a hit, album purchases and radio play increased, everyone wanted to be in.”
He adds: “One of the remarkable aspects was how many mothers and fathers got in touch and thanked us for introducing their children to the music they adored. It evolved into an intergenerational thing.”
Timeless Music Gains Younger Fans
Northern Irish blues-rock band the Answer included their track on the 2008 game the popular installment. Guitarist Paul Mahon 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 Typically this had been seen as outdated material, however once it got included in the title young people discovered it, abruptly it was cool. This validated it, and got rid of the outdated tag. It provided our catalog renewed popularity.”
At that time, the Answer’s debut album was still unreleased stateside, so the game served as a primary platform of discovery for the group as they went on US tour opening for the rock giants. “Their crew were playing Never Too Late on the tour bus, and several knew us from Guitar Hero,” he notes.
Rock’s Heavyweight Spin-offs Enduring Influence
Rock’s heavyweight names quickly took advantage of the game's success, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and others featuring in dedicated spin-off titles centered around their music collections and related stories, imagery and rock’n’roll mythology. For example, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, reportedly to have made the band more money compared to their studio albums. It sold well over half a million copies in its first week, and demand for their songs saw an increase significantly during an era as the industry faced decline.
Guitar Hero still motivates quick-handed dedication among its fans. Recently, a streamer achieved an impressive attempt of DragonForce’s the challenging track – a notoriously difficult power-metal song made popular by the game – on Clone Hero, a no-cost alternative with similar gameplay and extensive personalization features. This track is difficult even in expert mode, let alone played at increased tempo and without missing a single one of the thousands of cues. They stated requiring months of practice to accomplish.
“Guitar Hero is a fun, fantasy thing. Just as with other games, it doesn't imply you should use actual weapons and go to war,” notes DragonForce guitarist the artist.
DragonForce previously completed a successful tour when their hit was featured in the third game, but Li says it made them widely recognized. “I recall the record label calling to tell me that we were records were moving like crazy,” he shares. “Popularity surged when we next toured, and we were playing just before the headliners at the event.”
In fact, DragonForce’s exposure via the game was so immense that it has risked overshadow all other the band has done. Recently, the song featured in promotional material for a major film. “Previously I felt otherwise, but now I accept it,” he admits. “Should you just listen to one DragonForce song, that's fine – everyone’s got a unique musical journey and I’m glad we played a role of people’s lives”.
The Lasting Legacy from the Plastic Guitar
The best promotion, whether it’s for automobiles, apparel or games, goes further than selling something – it inspires a desire. Was the game able to harness this? “That’s exactly what our team trying to create,” Dornbrook says. “The excitement of performing as a rock star on the stage. From day one, the creators felt that humans have a natural urge to create songs, and they wanted to leverage innovation to enable everyone to participate”.
Most of Guitar Hero games came out over a mere five-year period from 2005 to 2010, featuring derivative titles like the DJ version, complete with a spinning deck, and the band-focused game. Subsequently, corporate focus on peripherals waned, aside from a short-lived revival several years later.
Games such as Clone Hero and newer releases have kept the scene active, with set to be something from the original publisher in development. A new studio has begun production on their first music game. The initial creators are both involved in advisory roles. Are gamers prepared to welcome a new entry in the spirit of the classic?
“We thought such titles could be similar to sports games where you can releases,” he remarks. “There’s so much fresh tracks it could remain evergreen, thus I remain hopeful. There’s no reason for it to continue with new generations.”
