It has been two decades after Guitar Hero first launched in North America, giving everyday gamers the tools to feel like a rock star. Not literally, but try telling that anyone who's mastered Free Bird’s four-minute instrumental break before a packed living-room audience.
Developed by Harmonix, Guitar Hero provided users with a plastic guitar peripheral to match on-screen cues moving along the display synchronized to the music. Every sequence corresponded to specific notes, producing the sensation of a genuine live show.
Harmonix previously tried its hand with rhythm games prior to teaming up with the publisher, later purchased by the gaming giant during the mid-2000s. Collaboratively, they established the foundations for a surprising billion-dollar franchise which made a remarkable influence on numerous musicians included, introducing classic bands to a new generation of gaming enthusiasts.
A former executive, ex-chief operating officer from the developer, remembers the early budgetary hurdles of licensing the recordings – even though initial releases primarily featured rerecorded tracks.
“We rerecorded all the music since the cost was so high,” he explains. “Despite having the necessary permissions alone, it was nearly impossible. We failed to secure acts such as the Who – the publisher was operating on a shoestring budget, and our team was fairly certain the project would flop. However, when the game became a hit, and record sales and radio play increased, everyone wanted to participate.”
He continues: “Among the remarkable aspects was how many parents reached out and thanked us for introducing their kids to the songs they loved. It evolved into a multigenerational thing.”
Timeless Music Gains Younger Fans
Irish group one featured act included Never Too Late on the 2008 game Guitar Hero World Tour. Guitarist the artist remembers the way the game revived older hits back into vogue: “The game offered a bigger, younger audience. Typically this had been seen as music that was past it, however once it got included in the title and teenagers discovered it, suddenly it became trendy. This validated the genre, and got rid of the outdated label. It gave our catalog renewed popularity.”
In 2008, the band's first record was still unreleased in the US, so the game was a key medium for exposure for the group as they went on a North American tour opening for AC/DC. “The roadies were playing Never Too Late on the tour bus, and some of them knew us thanks to the game,” he notes.
Rock’s Heavyweight Spin-offs Enduring Impact
Rock’s heavyweight names soon took advantage of the series’ popularity, with Aerosmith, Metallica and others starring in dedicated game editions that focused on their music collections and associated stories, imagery and legendary status. For example, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, it was said to have made the group greater revenue compared to their studio albums. It moved well over half a million units upon release, while sales of Aerosmith’s music rose significantly at a time as the industry was already collapsing.
Guitar Hero still motivates nimble-fingered dedication among its fans. Recently, a streamer achieved an impressive attempt of DragonForce’s the challenging track – a notoriously difficult anthem popularized through the game – using a fan-made version, a freeware game with similar gameplay and extensive customisation options. This track is difficult enough on the hardest setting, let alone performed at double speed and without missing a single one of the thousands of cues. The streamer stated requiring nine months of practice.
“The game is a fun, imaginary experience. Just as with Call of Duty, it doesn't imply you should pick up actual weapons and go to war,” notes DragonForce guitarist the artist.
DragonForce previously wrapped up a profitable run before their hit appeared on Guitar Hero III, yet he explains it made them a household name. “I remember our distributors informing us that our records were moving like crazy,” he says. “It exploded on the subsequent tour, and we performed just before the headliners at the event.”
In fact, the band's visibility from Guitar Hero was so immense that it threatened to overshadow all other accomplishments. Recently, the song featured in promotional material for Despicable Me 4. “In the past I felt differently, but I’ve made peace with it,” he admits. “If you only hear one DragonForce song, it’s totally cool – everyone’s got their own musical journey and I’m glad we played a role in fans' experiences”.
The Lasting Legacy from the Plastic Guitar
The best marketing, whether it’s for automobiles, apparel or video games, extends beyond than selling something – it inspires a desire. Did Guitar Hero harness this? “That’s exactly what we were aiming to achieve,” he confirms. “The excitement of performing as a rock star on the stage. Since the beginning, the creators felt that humans have a natural human desire to create songs, and their goal was to use technology to enable everyone to participate”.
The majority installments were released over a mere half-decade from 2005 to 2010, featuring derivative titles like DJ Hero, complete with a turntable controller, and Band Hero. Subsequently, the publisher’s interest in plastic instruments died down, except for a short-lived revival in 2015.
Titles like Clone Hero and Fortnite Festival have kept the community active, with set to be a new product from the founders on the way. A new studio has begun work on their first rhythm-based title. Original co-founders are both involved as special advisers. Is the world ready to embrace a new entry following the classic?
“Our team believed such titles could be similar to sports games where you can update every year,” Dornbrook says. “There’s so much fresh tracks that it could be perennially popular, so I’ve always been optimistic. There’s no reason for it to continue for future fans.”
