Marking two decades after Guitar Hero hit the market across the Atlantic, providing players everywhere the opportunity to become rock legends. Not in reality, but try convincing someone who has mastered Free Bird’s four-minute instrumental break before a packed living-room audience.
Developed by Harmonix, the game gave players a guitar-shaped controller to follow coloured notes scrolling down the display synchronized to the music. Each riff corresponded to particular chords, producing the feel of a genuine live show.
Harmonix had already tried its hand in the music genre prior to teaming up with the publisher, later acquired by Activision during the mid-2000s. Together, they laid the foundations for an unlikely massively profitable franchise which made a remarkable impact on numerous musicians included, showcasing classic bands to a new generation of gaming enthusiasts.
A former executive, former COO from the developer, remembers the early budgetary hurdles of licensing the recordings – despite the fact the first two games primarily featured cover versions.
“We rerecorded every song because the dollar figure prohibitive,” he says. “Even with the necessary permissions alone, it proved nearly impossible. We failed to secure acts such as the Who – the publisher was operating on a shoestring budget, and we were pretty convinced the project would flop. However, when the game became a hit, album purchases and radio play were going up, all artists desired to participate.”
He adds: “One of the amazing things was how many mothers and fathers reached out expressing gratitude for exposing their children to the songs they adored. It evolved into a multigenerational phenomenon.”
Classic Rock Finds Younger Fans
Irish blues-rock band the Answer included their track in the 2008 release Guitar Hero World Tour. Lead musician the artist recalls the way the game brought classic rock back into vogue: “The game offered a larger, new demographic. Generally such music was considered music that was past it, however once it got included in the title and teenagers discovered it, abruptly it was cool. This validated it, eliminating the outdated label. It provided all our music a new life.”
At that time, the Answer’s debut album was still not available in the US, meaning the game served as a primary platform of discovery for the group as they went on US tour opening for AC/DC. “Their crew were playing Never Too Late on the tour bus, and several knew us from Guitar Hero,” Mahon says.
Rock’s Heavyweight Spin-offs and Lasting Influence
Rock’s heavyweight names quickly took advantage of the game's success, with Aerosmith, Metallica and others starring in dedicated spin-off titles that focused on their music collections and related lore, visuals and legendary status. In the case of, the Aerosmith edition, it was said to have made the band more money compared to their studio albums. It sold well over half a million copies upon release, and sales of their songs saw an increase significantly at a time as the industry faced decline.
The series still motivates nimble-fingered fanaticism among its fans. Recently, a streamer achieved a remarkable feat of DragonForce’s the challenging track – a notoriously difficult power-metal song made popular by Guitar Hero – on Clone Hero, a no-cost alternative with similar mechanics and extensive customisation options. The song is challenging even in expert mode, not to mention played at double speed and without missing a single one of its near 4,000 notes. The streamer claimed requiring nine months to accomplish.
“Guitar Hero is a fun, imaginary experience. Just as with Call of Duty, that doesn’t mean you ought to use a real gun and enlist,” says musician the artist.
DragonForce previously completed a successful tour when Through the Fire and Flames was featured on Guitar Hero III, yet he explains it made them a household name. “I remember the record label calling to tell me that we were records were moving like crazy,” he says. “Popularity surged when we next toured, and we were playing just before the headliners at the event.”
Indeed, DragonForce’s exposure from Guitar Hero proved so vast that it has risked eclipsing everything else accomplishments. Recently, the song was used in a trailer for a major film. “Previously I thought otherwise, but now I accept it,” he admits. “If you only listen to a single track, it’s totally cool – everyone’s got a unique path in music and I'm pleased we played a role in fans' experiences”.
The Lasting Impact of a Plastic Guitar
The best marketing, be it for automobiles, apparel or games, extends beyond than selling something – it evokes a longing. Did Guitar Hero harness this? “That’s exactly what our team aiming to achieve,” he confirms. “That thrill of being a rock star on the stage. Since the beginning, the co-founders felt that there’s an instinctive urge to make music, and they wanted to leverage innovation to allow people to participate”.
Most of Guitar Hero games came out over a mere five-year period between 2005 and 2010, featuring derivative titles like the DJ version, complete with a spinning deck, and the band-focused game. After that, corporate focus on peripherals died down, aside from a short-lived revival several years later.
Titles such as Clone Hero and newer releases have kept the community alive, and there’s expectations of something from the original publisher on the way. A new studio has begun production on their first rhythm-based title. Original co-founders are participating in advisory roles. Is the world ready to embrace another game following Guitar Hero?
“Our team believed those games might become similar to sports games allowing annual update every year,” Dornbrook says. “There’s so much fresh tracks that it could be perennially popular, thus I remain optimistic. There’s no reason why it can’t continue with new generations.”
