Marking 20 years since Guitar Hero debuted in North America, giving everyday gamers the means to feel like rock legends. Not literally, though you'd be hard-pressed telling that anyone who has nailed Free Bird’s four-minute instrumental break before an enthusiastic living-room audience.
Developed by Harmonix, the game gave players a plastic guitar peripheral to match coloured notes moving along the display synchronized to a song. Every sequence corresponded to specific notes, producing the sensation of a genuine live show.
Harmonix had already experimented with rhythm games prior to teaming up with RedOctane, which was purchased by Activision in 2006. Collaboratively, they established the groundwork for a surprising billion-dollar series which made a remarkable influence for many musicians included, showcasing decades-old groups to millions of younger players.
Michael Dornbrook, former COO from the developer, recalls the early financial challenges of licensing the recordings – despite the fact initial releases primarily featured cover versions.
“We rerecorded every song because the dollar figure was so high,” he says. “Despite having the necessary permissions alone, it was nearly impossible. We failed to secure acts such as legendary groups – RedOctane had virtually no money, and our team was fairly certain the project would flop. However, when the game took off, and record sales airtime were going up, all artists desired to participate.”
He continues: “One of the remarkable aspects was how many mothers and fathers got in touch and thanked us for exposing their children to the songs they adored. It became an intergenerational phenomenon.”
Timeless Music Gains a New Audience
Irish group one featured act had their track on the 2008 game Guitar Hero World Tour. Lead musician the artist recalls the way the game revived classic rock to the forefront: “The game offered a bigger, younger audience. Typically this had been seen as music that was past it, however when it was included in the game young people discovered it, suddenly it became trendy. This validated it, and got rid of the ‘dad rock’ label. It gave all our music a new life.”
In 2008, the Answer’s first record was still unreleased in the US, meaning Guitar Hero was a key medium for exposure for the group as they went on US tour supporting the rock giants. “Their crew had on the song during travel, and some of them recognized us from Guitar Hero,” he notes.
Rock’s Heavyweight Titles Enduring Impact
Rock’s biggest acts quickly capitalised on the series’ popularity, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and others starring in specialized game editions centered around each band’s catalogue and related lore, visuals and legendary status. For example, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, reportedly to have made the group more money compared to their records. It sold well over 500,000 units in its first week, and sales of their songs saw an increase significantly during an era when the music business was already collapsing.
Guitar Hero still motivates nimble-fingered dedication within the community. Earlier this year, a streamer completed an impressive attempt featuring the challenging track – an infamously tough anthem made popular by Guitar Hero – using a fan-made version, a freeware game with similar mechanics and extensive personalization features. The song is challenging even in the hardest setting, let alone performed at double speed and without missing a single one of the thousands of cues. The streamer claimed it took months of practice to accomplish.
“Guitar Hero is a fun, imaginary experience. If you play other games, it doesn't imply you should use actual weapons and go to war,” notes musician the artist.
DragonForce previously wrapped up a successful tour when their hit appeared in the third game, yet he explains it turned them into a household name. “I remember the record label informing us that we were selling albums rapidly,” he shares. “It exploded on the subsequent tour, and we performed just before top acts on the Mayhem festival.”
Indeed, the band's visibility via the game was so immense that it threatened to eclipsing everything else accomplishments. Last year, the song featured in a trailer for a major film. “In the past I felt otherwise, but now I accept it,” Li says. “Should you just hear one DragonForce song, that's fine – everyone’s got their own musical journey and I’m glad we’ve been part of people’s lives”.
Enduring Legacy of a Plastic Guitar
Top-tier marketing, whether it’s for automobiles, clothes or games, extends beyond than selling something – it evokes a desire. Did Guitar Hero tap into that? “Precisely what we were aiming to achieve,” Dornbrook says. “That thrill of being a rock star in the spotlight. From day one, the co-founders believed there’s an instinctive human desire to create songs, and their goal was to leverage innovation to enable everyone to participate”.
Most of Guitar Hero games were released over a mere half-decade from 2005 to 2010, featuring spin-offs like DJ Hero, including a spinning deck, and Band Hero. After that, corporate focus in plastic instruments waned, aside from a short-lived revival several years later.
Games like the fan project and Fortnite Festival have kept the scene alive, and there’s set to be a new product 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. Is the world ready to embrace a new entry in the spirit of the classic?
“We thought those games could be similar to sports games allowing annual releases,” he remarks. “With abundant fresh tracks that it could be perennially popular, so I’ve always been optimistic. There’s no reason for it to persist for future fans.”
