It has been 20 years after Guitar Hero debuted in North America, giving players everywhere the tools to become rock legends. Figuratively speaking, but try convincing anyone who has nailed the epic lengthy guitar solo in front of a packed living-room audience.
Created by Harmonix, Guitar Hero gave players a guitar-shaped controller to follow coloured notes scrolling down the screen in time with the music. Every sequence corresponded to specific notes, creating the feel of a genuine live show.
The studio previously tried its hand with rhythm games prior to teaming up with the publisher, which was acquired by Activision in 2006. Collaboratively, they laid the groundwork for an unlikely massively profitable series that had a significant impact for many of the artists featured, showcasing decades-old groups to millions of gaming enthusiasts.
Michael Dornbrook, ex-chief operating officer from the developer, remembers the initial financial challenges in securing the songs – despite the fact the first two games mostly used cover versions.
“We reproduced every song since the dollar figure was so high,” he says. “Despite having the publishing rights 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 the project would flop. However, when Guitar Hero took off, album purchases airtime were going up, all artists desired to be in.”
He continues: “One of the amazing things was the number of mothers and fathers reached out and thanked us for exposing their kids to the songs they loved. It became an intergenerational phenomenon.”
Classic Rock Finds Younger Fans
Irish blues-rock band one featured act included their track in the 2008 release Guitar Hero World Tour. Guitarist Paul Mahon remembers the way the game brought classic rock back into vogue: “Guitar Hero provided a bigger, new demographic. Typically this had been considered outdated material, but then when it was included in the game young people were finding it, suddenly it became trendy. That legitimised the genre, eliminating the ‘dad rock’ tag. It gave all our music renewed popularity.”
In 2008, the band's first record remained not available stateside, so the game served as a primary platform for exposure for the group during their US tour opening for the rock giants. “Their crew had on the song during travel, and some of them recognized us from Guitar Hero,” he notes.
Rock’s Heavyweight Titles and Lasting Influence
Music's heavyweight names soon took advantage of the series’ popularity, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and others starring in dedicated game editions that focused on each band’s catalogue and related lore, imagery and rock’n’roll mythology. For example, the Aerosmith edition, reportedly earned the band more money compared to their records. It sold more than 500,000 units upon release, and demand for Aerosmith’s music rose of up to 40% at a time as the industry faced decline.
The series continues to inspire quick-handed dedication among its fans. Earlier this year, an online personality achieved an impressive attempt featuring the challenging track – an infamously tough power-metal song popularized through the game – on Clone Hero, a no-cost alternative with almost identical mechanics but an array of customisation options. This track is difficult enough on expert mode, let alone performed at increased tempo and without missing a single one of its near 4,000 notes. They claimed it took months of practice to accomplish.
“Guitar Hero is a fun, imaginary experience. If you play other games, it doesn't imply you should use actual weapons and go to war,” says DragonForce guitarist the artist.
The band had already completed a successful tour before Through the Fire and Flames appeared in the third game, yet he explains it made them widely recognized. “I remember our distributors informing us that our records were moving rapidly,” he shares. “It exploded on the subsequent tour, and we were playing right ahead of the headliners at the event.”
Indeed, DragonForce’s exposure from Guitar Hero proved so vast that it has threatened to eclipsing all other accomplishments. Last year, the track was used in promotional material for Despicable Me 4. “Previously I felt otherwise, but now I accept it,” Li says. “Should you just listen to a single track, that's fine – each person has a unique musical journey and I'm pleased we played a role in fans' experiences”.
The Lasting Impact of a Plastic Guitar
The best promotion, be it for cars, clothes or games, goes further than selling something – it evokes a desire. Was the game able to tap into that? “Precisely what we were aiming to achieve,” he confirms. “The excitement of being a rock star in the spotlight. Since the beginning, the creators believed humans have a natural urge to create songs, and they wanted to leverage innovation to enable everyone to do it”.
Most of Guitar Hero games were released over a mere five-year period from 2005 to 2010, including spin-offs like DJ Hero, including a spinning deck, and the band-focused game. Subsequently, corporate focus in plastic instruments waned, except for a brief comeback several years later.
Titles such as Clone Hero and newer releases have kept the community alive, and there’s set to be something from the founders in development. Recently formed developers has begun production on its debut music game. Original co-founders are both involved as special advisers. Is the world prepared to welcome another game in the spirit of Guitar Hero?
“We thought such titles might become like Madden where you can update every year,” Dornbrook says. “There’s so much fresh tracks that it could be evergreen, thus I remain hopeful. It's entirely possible why it can’t continue for future fans.”
