It has been two decades after the legendary game hit the market in North America, providing everyday gamers the means to feel like a rock star. Not literally, but try convincing someone who's mastered the epic four-minute instrumental break in front of an enthusiastic crowd of friends.
Created by Harmonix, Guitar Hero gave players a plastic guitar peripheral to match on-screen cues scrolling down the screen in time with a song. Each riff mimicked particular chords, producing the sensation of an authentic performance.
Harmonix had already experimented in the music genre before partnering with the publisher, which was acquired by Activision during the mid-2000s. Together, they laid the foundations for an unlikely massively profitable franchise which made a significant impact for many of the artists included, introducing classic groups to a new generation of younger players.
Michael Dornbrook, former COO of Harmonix, remembers the initial budgetary hurdles in securing the songs – even though initial releases mostly used cover versions.
“We rerecorded every song since the cost was so high,” he explains. “Despite having the necessary permissions by themselves, it was nearly impossible. We couldn’t get acts such as legendary groups – RedOctane was operating on a shoestring budget, and we were pretty convinced it would fail. But once Guitar Hero became a hit, album purchases airtime increased, everyone wanted to be in.”
He continues: “One of the remarkable aspects was how many parents got in touch expressing gratitude for exposing their children to the music they adored. It became a multigenerational phenomenon.”
Classic Rock Finds a New Audience
Irish group the Answer included Never Too Late in the 2008 release the popular installment. Lead musician the artist remembers how the series revived classic rock back into vogue: “The game provided a bigger, younger audience. Generally this had been considered music that was past it, however once it got included in the game young people discovered it, suddenly it was cool. That legitimised the genre, eliminating the outdated tag. It gave our catalog a new life.”
In 2008, the Answer’s debut album remained not available stateside, meaning Guitar Hero served as a primary platform of discovery for the group during their US tour supporting AC/DC. “The roadies were playing Never Too Late during travel, and several recognized us from Guitar Hero,” Mahon says.
Major Band Spin-offs Enduring Influence
Music's heavyweight names soon took advantage of the series’ popularity, with Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen starring in dedicated spin-off titles centered around their music collections and related stories, imagery and legendary status. For example, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, it was said to have made the band greater revenue than any of their records. It sold well over half a million units in its first week, while sales of their songs rose of up to 40% during an era when the music business faced decline.
The series still motivates nimble-fingered fanaticism within the community. Recently, a streamer achieved a remarkable feat of DragonForce’s Through the Fire and Flames – an infamously tough power-metal song made popular by Guitar Hero – using a fan-made version, a freeware game with almost identical gameplay but an array of personalization features. The song is difficult enough on expert mode, let alone performed at double speed and without missing every one of its near 4,000 notes. The streamer stated it took nine months to accomplish.
“Guitar Hero offers a, fantasy thing. If you play other games, that doesn’t mean you ought to pick up actual weapons and go to war,” says DragonForce guitarist the artist.
The band previously wrapped up a profitable run before their hit was featured in the third game, but Li says it turned them into widely recognized. “I remember our distributors informing us that our selling albums like crazy,” he shares. “Popularity surged on the subsequent tour, and we were playing just before top acts at the event.”
Indeed, DragonForce’s exposure from Guitar Hero proved so vast that it has threatened to overshadow all other accomplishments. Last year, the song featured in a trailer for a major film. “In the past I felt differently, but now I accept it,” he admits. “If you only hear a single track, that's fine – each person has their own path in music and I'm pleased we played a role in fans' experiences”.
Enduring Legacy of a Plastic Guitar
Top-tier promotion, be it for cars, clothes or video games, extends beyond than selling something – it inspires a longing. Was the game able to tap into that? “That’s exactly what our team aiming to achieve,” he confirms. “The excitement of performing as a music icon in the spotlight. From day one, the creators believed there’s an instinctive urge to create songs, and they wanted to leverage innovation to enable everyone to do it”.
Most installments came out in just a five-year period from 2005 to 2010, including derivative titles such as DJ Hero, complete with a turntable controller, and the band-focused game. Subsequently, the publisher’s interest in plastic instruments waned, except for a short-lived revival several years later.
Titles like the fan project and Fortnite Festival have maintained the community active, with expectations of a new product from the founders in development. Recently formed developers has begun production on its debut music game. Original co-founders are both involved in advisory roles. Is the world ready to embrace a new entry in the spirit of the classic?
“We thought such titles might become like Madden allowing annual releases,” Dornbrook says. “There’s so much fresh tracks it could remain evergreen, thus I remain hopeful. It's entirely possible why it can’t continue with new generations.”
