It has been 20 years since Guitar Hero hit the market in North America, giving everyday gamers the opportunity to become rock legends. Figuratively speaking, but try convincing anyone who's mastered Free Bird’s lengthy instrumental break before an enthusiastic crowd of friends.
Created by Harmonix, Guitar Hero provided users with a guitar-shaped controller to follow coloured notes scrolling down the screen synchronized to the music. Each riff mimicked specific notes, creating the feel of an authentic live show.
The studio had already experimented in the music genre before partnering with RedOctane, later purchased by the gaming giant in 2006. Together, they established the foundations for an unlikely billion-dollar franchise that had a remarkable impact on numerous musicians included, introducing decades-old groups to millions of younger players.
A former executive, ex-chief operating officer of Harmonix, remembers the early financial challenges of licensing the recordings – even though the first two games primarily featured cover versions.
“We reproduced every song because the cost was so high,” he explains. “Despite having the publishing rights by themselves, it was extremely difficult. We failed to secure bands like legendary groups – the publisher was operating on a shoestring budget, and our team was pretty convinced the project would flop. But once the game became a hit, and record sales airtime were going up, all artists desired to be in.”
He adds: “One of the amazing things was how many mothers and fathers reached out expressing gratitude for introducing their children to the music they adored. It evolved into a multigenerational thing.”
Classic Rock Finds Younger Fans
Northern Irish group one featured act included Never Too Late on the 2008 game the popular installment. Guitarist the artist remembers how the series revived older hits back into vogue: “Guitar Hero provided a bigger, new demographic. Typically this had been considered outdated material, but then once it got featured on the title and teenagers discovered it, suddenly it became trendy. That legitimised it, eliminating the outdated label. It gave all our music a new life.”
At that time, the Answer’s first record remained unreleased in the US, meaning the game was a key medium of discovery for the group as they went on US tour opening for AC/DC. “Their crew had on the song on the tour bus, and several recognized us from Guitar Hero,” he notes.
Major Band Titles Enduring Influence
Rock’s biggest acts soon took advantage of the series’ popularity, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen starring in dedicated game editions centered around their music collections and associated lore, imagery and legendary status. For example, the Aerosmith edition, reportedly to have made the group greater revenue compared to their records. It sold well over 500,000 copies in its first week, and demand for their songs rose significantly during an era when the music business faced decline.
The series continues to inspire quick-handed fanaticism within the community. Earlier this year, an online personality achieved an impressive attempt of DragonForce’s Through the Fire and Flames – a notoriously difficult anthem popularized through the game – using a fan-made version, a no-cost alternative with almost identical gameplay but an array of customisation options. This track is challenging even in the hardest setting, let alone played at double speed while hitting a single one of its near 4,000 notes. They stated it took months of practice of practice.
“The game is a fun, imaginary experience. Just as with other games, that doesn’t mean you ought to use actual weapons and go to war,” notes musician Herman Li.
DragonForce had already completed a successful tour when their hit was featured in the third game, but Li says it made them a household name. “I remember the record label informing us that we were selling albums rapidly,” he shares. “It exploded on the subsequent tour, and we performed just before top acts at the event.”
Indeed, the band's visibility from Guitar Hero proved so vast that it has threatened to eclipsing everything else the band has done. Last year, the song was used in promotional material for Despicable Me 4. “In the past I felt otherwise, but I’ve made peace with it,” he admits. “If you only listen to one DragonForce song, that's fine – everyone’s got a unique path in music and I’m glad we’ve been part of people’s lives”.
The Lasting Impact of a Plastic Guitar
Top-tier marketing, be it for cars, clothes or games, goes further mere transactions – it evokes a desire. Did Guitar Hero tap into that? “Precisely what our team aiming to achieve,” Dornbrook says. “That thrill of being a music icon on the stage. From day one, the co-founders felt that humans have a natural human desire to make music, and they wanted to use technology to enable everyone to participate”.
The majority installments came out in just a half-decade between 2005 and 2010, including derivative titles like the DJ version, including a turntable controller, and the band-focused game. Subsequently, the publisher’s interest in plastic instruments died down, aside from a brief comeback several years later.
Games like the fan project and Fortnite Festival have kept the scene active, and there’s set to be something from the founders in development. A new studio has begun production on its debut rhythm-based title. The initial creators are participating in advisory roles. Are gamers prepared to welcome a new entry following the classic?
“Our team believed such titles could be similar to sports games allowing annual releases,” he remarks. “There’s so much new music it could remain evergreen, so I’ve always been hopeful. It's entirely possible why it can’t continue with new generations.”
