It has been 20 years after Guitar Hero debuted in North America, providing players everywhere the opportunity to become a rock star. Not literally, but try convincing someone who has nailed the epic four-minute guitar solo before an enthusiastic living-room audience.
Developed by Harmonix, Guitar Hero provided users with a plastic guitar peripheral to follow coloured notes moving along the screen synchronized to a song. Each riff mimicked specific notes, producing the feel of an authentic live show.
Harmonix previously experimented with rhythm games before partnering with the publisher, which was acquired by Activision in 2006. Collaboratively, they laid the groundwork for a surprising massively profitable series which made a significant influence for many musicians included, showcasing decades-old bands to a new generation of gaming enthusiasts.
A former executive, ex-chief operating officer from the developer, recalls the initial financial challenges in securing the songs – even though initial releases primarily featured cover versions.
“We reproduced all the music since the cost prohibitive,” he says. “Even with the necessary permissions by themselves, it proved extremely difficult. We failed to secure bands like legendary groups – the publisher had virtually no money, and we were fairly certain it would fail. But once the game became a hit, album purchases airtime increased, everyone wanted to be in.”
He adds: “One of the remarkable aspects was the number of parents reached out and thanked us for introducing their kids to the music they loved. It became an intergenerational thing.”
Timeless Music Gains Younger Fans
Northern Irish blues-rock band one featured act included their track on the 2008 game Guitar Hero World Tour. Guitarist the artist remembers the way the game brought classic rock to the forefront: “Guitar Hero offered a larger, younger audience. Typically such music was considered outdated material, however once it got included in the title young people discovered it, suddenly it became trendy. This validated it, eliminating the ‘dad rock’ label. It provided all our music renewed popularity.”
In 2008, the band's debut album was still unreleased stateside, meaning Guitar Hero served as a primary platform for exposure for the group as they went on a North American tour opening for AC/DC. “The roadies had on the song during travel, and some of them recognized us from Guitar Hero,” Mahon says.
Major Band Titles and Lasting Impact
Music's biggest acts quickly 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, visuals and legendary status. In the case of, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, it was said earned the band greater revenue than any of their studio albums. It moved well over half a million units in its first week, while demand for Aerosmith’s music rose of up to 40% during an era as the industry faced decline.
The series still motivates quick-handed dedication among its fans. Recently, a streamer achieved an impressive attempt featuring the challenging track – an infamously tough anthem popularized through the game – on Clone Hero, a freeware game with similar mechanics but an array of customisation options. The song is difficult enough on the hardest setting, not to mention played at increased tempo while hitting a single one of its near 4,000 notes. The streamer claimed requiring nine months of practice.
“Guitar Hero is a fun, fantasy thing. If you play Call of Duty, that doesn’t mean you should use actual weapons and go to war,” says musician the artist.
DragonForce had already completed a profitable run before their hit was featured on Guitar Hero III, but Li says it made them a household name. “I remember the record label informing us that we were records were moving like crazy,” he says. “Popularity surged on the subsequent tour, and we performed right ahead of top acts on the Mayhem festival.”
In fact, DragonForce’s exposure via the game was so immense that it risked overshadow all other the band has done. Recently, the song was used in promotional material for Despicable Me 4. “Previously I thought differently, but now I accept it,” he admits. “If you only listen to one DragonForce song, it’s totally cool – everyone’s got their own path in music and I’m glad we’ve been part of people’s lives”.
Enduring Legacy of a Plastic Guitar
Top-tier marketing, whether it’s for automobiles, apparel or video games, goes further than selling something – it inspires a longing. Was the game able to harness this? “Precisely what our team trying to create,” Dornbrook says. “The excitement of being a music icon in the spotlight. Since the beginning, the creators believed humans have a natural urge to make music, and they wanted to use technology to enable everyone to do it”.
The majority installments came out over a mere half-decade from 2005 to 2010, including derivative titles such as DJ Hero, including a spinning deck, and Band Hero. After that, the publisher’s interest in plastic instruments died down, aside from a brief comeback several years later.
Games like the fan project and newer releases have kept the community active, with set to be a new product from the founders in development. A new studio has entered production on their first music game. The initial creators are participating as special advisers. Is the world ready to embrace another game following Guitar Hero?
“Our team believed those games might become like Madden where you can update every year,” Dornbrook says. “There’s so much new music that it could be perennially popular, so I’ve always been optimistic. There’s no reason for it to continue with new generations.”
