It has been 20 years after Guitar Hero hit the market in North America, providing everyday gamers the means to feel like rock legends. Not in reality, though you'd be hard-pressed convincing anyone who has mastered Free Bird’s lengthy guitar solo before a packed living-room audience.
Developed by Harmonix, the game provided users with a plastic guitar peripheral to follow on-screen cues scrolling down the screen synchronized to a song. Every sequence mimicked specific notes, producing the sensation of a genuine live show.
The studio had already tried its hand with rhythm games before partnering with the publisher, which was purchased by the gaming giant in 2006. Together, they laid the groundwork for a surprising billion-dollar franchise that had a significant influence on numerous musicians included, showcasing decades-old bands to a new generation of gaming enthusiasts.
Michael Dornbrook, ex-chief operating officer of Harmonix, remembers the early budgetary hurdles in securing the recordings – despite the fact the first two games mostly used cover versions.
“We rerecorded all the music because the cost prohibitive,” he explains. “Even with the necessary permissions by themselves, it proved nearly impossible. We failed to secure bands like the Who – the publisher was operating on a shoestring budget, and we were pretty convinced it would fail. However, when the game took off, album purchases airtime were going up, all artists desired to be in.”
He continues: “One of the amazing things was how many mothers and fathers got in touch expressing gratitude for exposing their kids to the music they loved. It became a multigenerational phenomenon.”
Classic Rock Finds Younger Fans
Irish blues-rock band the Answer had Never Too Late in the 2008 release the popular installment. Guitarist the artist recalls the way the game brought classic rock to the forefront: “The game provided a larger, new demographic. Generally such music was seen as outdated material, however once it got featured on the title and teenagers were finding it, abruptly it was cool. This validated the genre, and got rid of the ‘dad rock’ tag. It gave our catalog a new life.”
At that time, the Answer’s first record was still unreleased in the US, so the game was a key medium for exposure for the group during their a North American tour supporting the rock giants. “Their crew had on Never Too Late during travel, and some of them knew us from Guitar Hero,” Mahon says.
Major Band Titles and Lasting Influence
Rock’s heavyweight names soon capitalised on the series’ popularity, with Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen starring in specialized spin-off titles that focused on each band’s catalogue and related lore, imagery and legendary status. For example, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, it was said to have made the band greater revenue compared to their studio albums. It moved more than half a million copies upon release, and demand for their songs saw an increase of up to 40% at a time as the industry faced decline.
The series still motivates quick-handed dedication among its fans. Recently, an online personality completed a remarkable feat featuring the challenging track – an infamously tough anthem popularized through Guitar Hero – using a fan-made version, a freeware game with similar mechanics and extensive customisation options. This track is challenging even in expert mode, not to mention played at double speed and without missing every one of its near 4,000 notes. They claimed requiring months of practice to accomplish.
“Guitar Hero offers a, fantasy thing. If you play other games, that doesn’t mean you should pick up actual weapons and go to war,” says musician Herman Li.
DragonForce had already wrapped up a successful tour before Through the Fire and Flames was featured on Guitar Hero III, yet he explains it made them a household name. “I remember our distributors calling to tell me that our records were moving rapidly,” he says. “It exploded on the subsequent tour, and we performed right ahead of the headliners on the Mayhem festival.”
Indeed, the band's visibility via the game proved so vast that it has risked eclipsing everything else the band has done. Last year, the track featured in a trailer for a major film. “Previously I thought differently, but now I accept it,” he admits. “If you only listen to one DragonForce song, that's fine – each person has their own musical journey and I'm pleased we played a role of people’s lives”.
Enduring Legacy from the Plastic Guitar
The best promotion, be it for cars, apparel or video games, extends beyond than selling something – it inspires a longing. Did Guitar Hero tap into that? “Precisely what we were aiming to achieve,” Dornbrook says. “That thrill of performing as a rock star in the spotlight. From day one, the co-founders believed there’s an instinctive human desire to make music, and they wanted to leverage innovation to enable everyone to participate”.
The majority installments came out in just a half-decade between 2005 and 2010, featuring spin-offs like the DJ version, including a spinning deck, and the band-focused game. Subsequently, the publisher’s interest in plastic instruments died down, except for a short-lived revival several years later.
Games like Clone Hero and Fortnite Festival have maintained the community alive, with expectations of a new product from the founders on the way. Recently formed developers has entered production on their first rhythm-based title. The initial creators are both involved as special advisers. Are gamers ready to embrace another game following Guitar Hero?
“Our team believed such titles might become like Madden where you can update every year,” he remarks. “There’s so much fresh tracks that it could be evergreen, so I’ve always been hopeful. There’s no reason for it to persist for future fans.”
