It has been two decades since Guitar Hero hit the market in North America, providing everyday gamers the means to become a rock star. Figuratively speaking, though you'd be hard-pressed convincing anyone who's mastered Free Bird’s lengthy instrumental break before a packed living-room audience.
Created by Harmonix, Guitar Hero provided users with a plastic guitar peripheral to match on-screen cues moving along the screen synchronized to the music. Each riff corresponded to specific notes, producing the feel of a genuine performance.
Harmonix previously experimented with rhythm games prior to teaming up with RedOctane, later purchased by Activision during the mid-2000s. Collaboratively, they established the groundwork for an unlikely billion-dollar series which made a significant impact for many musicians included, introducing classic groups to a new generation of gaming enthusiasts.
A former executive, former COO of Harmonix, remembers the early financial challenges in securing the recordings – even though the first two games mostly used rerecorded tracks.
“We rerecorded all the music since the cost prohibitive,” he says. “Despite having the publishing rights alone, it proved nearly impossible. We couldn’t get bands like legendary groups – RedOctane had virtually no money, 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 participate.”
He adds: “One of the remarkable aspects was how many mothers and fathers got in touch expressing gratitude for introducing their kids to the songs they loved. It became a multigenerational thing.”
Timeless Music Gains Younger Fans
Northern Irish group one featured act included Never Too Late in the 2008 release the popular installment. Guitarist Paul Mahon recalls the way the game revived older hits to the forefront: “The game provided a bigger, new demographic. Typically such music was seen as music that was past it, but then when it was included in the game young people discovered it, abruptly it became trendy. This validated it, eliminating the ‘dad rock’ label. It gave all our music a new life.”
In 2008, the Answer’s debut album was still unreleased stateside, so Guitar Hero served as a primary platform of discovery for the group during their US tour supporting the rock giants. “The roadies were playing Never Too Late on the tour bus, and some of them recognized us from Guitar Hero,” he notes.
Major Band Titles Enduring Influence
Music's biggest acts quickly took advantage of the game's success, with Aerosmith, Metallica and others featuring in dedicated spin-off titles that focused on their music collections and associated lore, visuals and rock’n’roll mythology. For example, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, reportedly earned the band more money than any of their records. It sold more than 500,000 copies upon release, and sales of their songs saw an increase of up to 40% during an era as the industry faced decline.
The series continues to inspire quick-handed fanaticism among its fans. Recently, an online personality completed a remarkable feat of DragonForce’s Through the Fire and Flames – a notoriously difficult power-metal song made popular by the game – using a fan-made version, a no-cost alternative with similar gameplay and extensive customisation options. The song is challenging enough on the hardest setting, not to mention performed at double speed while hitting a single one of the thousands of cues. The streamer stated requiring nine months to accomplish.
“Guitar Hero is a fun, imaginary experience. If you play other games, that doesn’t mean you should use actual weapons and enlist,” notes DragonForce guitarist the artist.
DragonForce had already wrapped up a profitable run when Through the Fire and Flames appeared in the third game, yet he explains it turned them into widely recognized. “I remember our distributors informing us that we were records were moving rapidly,” he says. “Popularity surged on the subsequent tour, and we were playing right ahead of top acts at the event.”
In fact, DragonForce’s exposure via the game proved so vast that it has risked eclipsing everything else the band has done. Last year, the track featured in promotional material for Despicable Me 4. “Previously I thought differently, but now I accept it,” he admits. “Should you just hear one DragonForce song, that's fine – everyone’s got a unique path in music and I’m glad we played a role in fans' experiences”.
The Lasting Legacy of a Plastic Guitar
The best marketing, be it for automobiles, clothes or video games, goes further than selling something – it inspires a desire. Was the game able to harness this? “That’s exactly 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 felt that there’s an instinctive urge to make music, and their goal was to leverage innovation to allow people to do it”.
Most installments were released over a mere half-decade from 2005 to 2010, featuring derivative titles such as DJ Hero, complete with a turntable controller, and Band Hero. After that, corporate focus in plastic instruments waned, except for a brief comeback in 2015.
Games such as Clone Hero and Fortnite Festival have maintained the scene alive, with set to be a new product from the founders in development. A new studio has entered production on their first rhythm-based title. Original co-founders are participating as special advisers. Is the world ready to embrace a new entry in the spirit of the classic?
“We thought those games could be similar to sports games allowing annual releases,” Dornbrook says. “There’s so much new music that it could be perennially popular, so I’ve always been hopeful. It's entirely possible why it can’t continue with new generations.”
