Marking 20 years after Guitar Hero hit the market across the Atlantic, providing players everywhere the means to feel like rock legends. Figuratively speaking, though you'd be hard-pressed telling that anyone who's mastered the epic lengthy instrumental break in front of a packed living-room audience.
Created by Harmonix, the game provided users with a guitar-shaped controller to follow coloured notes scrolling down the display in time with a song. Each riff mimicked specific notes, creating the sensation of a genuine performance.
Harmonix previously tried its hand in the music genre prior to teaming up with RedOctane, later purchased by Activision during the mid-2000s. Together, they established the foundations for an unlikely billion-dollar franchise that had a significant impact on numerous of the artists included, introducing classic groups to millions of younger players.
A former executive, ex-chief operating officer from the developer, remembers the initial financial challenges of licensing the recordings – despite the fact the first two games primarily featured cover versions.
“We reproduced all the music since the cost was so high,” he says. “Despite having the necessary permissions alone, it was extremely difficult. We couldn’t get bands like legendary groups – RedOctane had virtually no money, and our team was fairly certain it would fail. But once Guitar Hero became a hit, and record sales airtime increased, all artists desired to participate.”
He continues: “One of the amazing things was how many parents got in touch and thanked us for exposing their children to the songs they loved. It evolved into an intergenerational thing.”
Classic Rock Gains Younger Fans
Northern Irish blues-rock band one featured act included Never Too Late in the 2008 release Guitar Hero World Tour. Guitarist the artist remembers how the series brought older hits back into vogue: “The game offered a larger, younger audience. Typically such music was considered outdated material, however when it was featured on the game and teenagers discovered it, suddenly it became trendy. That legitimised it, and got rid of the ‘dad rock’ tag. It provided all our music a new life.”
In 2008, the band's debut album was still not available in the US, so Guitar Hero served as a primary platform for exposure for the group as they went on US tour supporting the rock giants. “The roadies had on the song during travel, and some of them knew us thanks to the game,” he notes.
Major Band Spin-offs and Lasting Influence
Rock’s heavyweight names soon capitalised on the game's success, with Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen starring in specialized spin-off titles that focused on each band’s catalogue and related lore, visuals and rock’n’roll mythology. For example, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, it was said to have made the group more money compared to their records. It sold more than half a million units in its first week, while demand for their songs saw an increase of up to 40% at a time as the industry was already collapsing.
The series continues to inspire quick-handed dedication among its fans. Earlier this year, a streamer achieved an impressive attempt of DragonForce’s Through the Fire and Flames – an infamously tough anthem popularized through the game – using a fan-made version, a no-cost alternative with similar gameplay but an array of personalization features. This track is challenging even in the hardest setting, let alone played at increased tempo while hitting a single one of its near 4,000 notes. They claimed requiring months of practice to accomplish.
“Guitar Hero is a fun, imaginary experience. Just as with other games, that doesn’t mean you should use a real gun and go to war,” says musician the artist.
The band had already wrapped up a profitable run when their hit appeared in the third game, yet he explains it made them widely recognized. “I recall the record label informing us that we were records were moving rapidly,” he says. “Popularity surged when we next toured, and we were playing right ahead of the headliners on the Mayhem festival.”
In fact, the band's visibility via the game was so immense that it threatened to eclipsing all other accomplishments. Last year, the song featured in promotional material for Despicable Me 4. “Previously I felt otherwise, but now I accept it,” Li says. “Should you just hear one DragonForce song, it’s totally cool – everyone’s got their own musical journey and I'm pleased we played a role in fans' experiences”.
Enduring Impact from the Plastic Guitar
The best marketing, be it for automobiles, apparel or games, goes further than selling something – it inspires a desire. Did Guitar Hero tap into that? “Precisely what we were trying to create,” Dornbrook says. “That thrill of performing as a music icon on the stage. Since the beginning, the co-founders felt that humans have a natural urge to create songs, and their goal was to leverage innovation to enable everyone to do it”.
Most installments were released over a mere half-decade between 2005 and 2010, including derivative titles such as DJ Hero, including a spinning deck, and the band-focused game. After that, corporate focus in plastic instruments died down, aside from a brief comeback in 2015.
Titles such as the fan project and newer releases have kept the community active, with expectations of a new product from the founders in development. A new studio has entered work on its debut rhythm-based title. The initial creators are both involved as special advisers. Is the world ready to embrace a new entry following the classic?
“Our team believed those games might become like Madden allowing annual releases,” he remarks. “With abundant new music it could remain perennially popular, so I’ve always been hopeful. There’s no reason for it to continue for future fans.”
