It has been 20 years after Guitar Hero first launched across the Atlantic, offering everyday gamers the opportunity to become rock legends. Figuratively speaking, but try convincing anyone who has mastered the epic four-minute instrumental break before a packed crowd of friends.
Created by Harmonix, Guitar Hero provided users with a plastic guitar peripheral to match coloured notes moving along the display synchronized to the music. Each riff mimicked specific notes, producing the feel of an authentic live show.
Harmonix had already experimented in the music genre before partnering with the publisher, later purchased by Activision during the mid-2000s. Collaboratively, they laid the foundations for an unlikely billion-dollar franchise that had a significant influence for many of the artists featured, showcasing classic groups to a new generation of younger players.
A former executive, former COO from the developer, recalls the early financial challenges of licensing the recordings – even though initial releases mostly used rerecorded tracks.
“We rerecorded all the music because the cost prohibitive,” he explains. “Despite having the publishing rights by themselves, it was nearly impossible. We failed to secure acts such as legendary groups – RedOctane was operating on a shoestring budget, and our team was pretty convinced the project would flop. However, when the game became a hit, and record sales and radio play were going up, everyone wanted to participate.”
He adds: “Among the amazing things was the number of mothers and fathers reached out expressing gratitude for exposing their children to the songs they adored. It evolved into an intergenerational thing.”
Timeless Music Finds Younger Fans
Irish group the Answer included Never Too Late in the 2008 release Guitar Hero World Tour. Guitarist Paul Mahon recalls how the series brought classic rock to the forefront: “The game offered a larger, new demographic. Generally this had been seen as music that was past it, but then when it was included in the game young people were finding it, abruptly it became trendy. This validated it, eliminating the ‘dad rock’ label. It gave our catalog renewed popularity.”
At that time, the band's debut album was still not available in the US, meaning Guitar Hero was a key medium of discovery for the group during their US tour supporting AC/DC. “Their crew were playing Never Too Late on the tour bus, and some of them recognized us from Guitar Hero,” he notes.
Major Band Spin-offs and Lasting Influence
Music's biggest acts quickly capitalised on the series’ popularity, with Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen featuring in dedicated spin-off titles centered around each band’s catalogue and associated lore, visuals and rock’n’roll mythology. In the case of, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, reportedly to have made the group more money than any of their records. It moved more than half a million units upon release, while sales of Aerosmith’s music rose significantly at a time when the music business was already collapsing.
The series still motivates nimble-fingered dedication within the community. Recently, an online personality achieved an impressive attempt featuring the challenging track – an infamously tough power-metal song popularized through Guitar Hero – on Clone Hero, a freeware game with almost identical mechanics but an array of customisation options. The song is difficult enough on the hardest setting, not to mention performed at increased tempo and without missing a single one of its near 4,000 notes. They claimed it took nine months to accomplish.
“The game is a fun, fantasy thing. If you play Call of Duty, it doesn't imply you should use actual weapons and enlist,” notes DragonForce guitarist Herman Li.
DragonForce had already completed a profitable run when their hit was featured on Guitar Hero III, yet he explains it made them widely recognized. “I remember our distributors calling to tell me that we were records were moving like crazy,” he shares. “Popularity surged on the subsequent tour, and we performed just before the headliners on the Mayhem festival.”
In fact, the band's visibility via the game was so immense that it has threatened to overshadow all other the band has done. Last year, the track was used in promotional material for a major film. “Previously I felt differently, but now I accept it,” Li says. “If you only hear one DragonForce song, it’s totally cool – each person has their own musical journey and I'm pleased we played a role in fans' experiences”.
Enduring Impact from the Iconic Controller
The best marketing, be it for automobiles, clothes or video games, extends beyond than selling something – it evokes a desire. Did Guitar Hero tap into that? “That’s exactly what our team aiming to achieve,” Dornbrook says. “The excitement of performing as a music icon in the spotlight. From day one, the co-founders felt that humans have a natural urge to create songs, and their goal was to use technology to enable everyone to participate”.
The majority of Guitar Hero games came out in just a half-decade from 2005 to 2010, featuring spin-offs such as DJ Hero, complete with a turntable controller, and Band Hero. After that, the publisher’s interest in plastic instruments died down, except for a short-lived revival in 2015.
Titles like the fan project and Fortnite Festival have kept the community alive, and there’s expectations of something from the founders on the way. Recently formed developers has begun production on its debut rhythm-based title. 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 those games could be like Madden where you can update every year,” Dornbrook says. “There’s so much new music that it could be perennially popular, thus I remain optimistic. It's entirely possible why it can’t continue with new generations.”
