It has been 20 years after Guitar Hero hit the market in North America, offering everyday gamers the means to become a rock star. Figuratively speaking, but try telling that anyone who's nailed the epic lengthy instrumental break before an enthusiastic crowd of friends.
Created by Harmonix, Guitar Hero gave players a guitar-shaped controller to follow on-screen cues scrolling down the screen in time with a song. Each riff corresponded to particular chords, producing the sensation of an authentic live show.
Harmonix had already tried its hand with rhythm games before partnering with the publisher, which was acquired by the gaming giant during the mid-2000s. Together, they established the groundwork for a surprising billion-dollar franchise that had a remarkable impact for many of the artists featured, introducing classic groups to millions of younger players.
A former executive, former COO of Harmonix, remembers the early budgetary hurdles of licensing the songs – even though initial releases mostly used rerecorded tracks.
“We reproduced every song because the dollar figure prohibitive,” he says. “Even with the publishing rights by themselves, it was extremely difficult. 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. But once Guitar Hero became a hit, album purchases and radio play increased, everyone wanted to be in.”
He adds: “Among the amazing things was how many parents reached out expressing gratitude for exposing their children to the songs they adored. It evolved into a multigenerational phenomenon.”
Classic Rock Gains Younger Fans
Irish blues-rock band the Answer included Never Too Late in the 2008 release the popular installment. Guitarist the artist recalls the way the game brought older hits back into vogue: “Guitar Hero provided a larger, new demographic. Generally such music was seen as outdated material, however when it was featured on the title young people discovered it, abruptly it was cool. This validated it, eliminating the outdated label. It provided our catalog renewed popularity.”
In 2008, the Answer’s first record was still not available stateside, meaning the game served as a primary platform for exposure for the group during their a North American tour opening for AC/DC. “The roadies had on the song during travel, and several knew us from Guitar Hero,” Mahon says.
Rock’s Heavyweight Spin-offs Enduring Impact
Rock’s heavyweight names soon took advantage of the series’ popularity, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen featuring in dedicated spin-off titles centered around each band’s catalogue and related lore, visuals and rock’n’roll mythology. For example, the Aerosmith edition, reportedly earned the group greater revenue than any of their records. It moved well over half a million units upon release, while demand for Aerosmith’s music saw an increase significantly at a time as the industry faced decline.
The series still motivates nimble-fingered fanaticism among its fans. Recently, an online personality achieved an impressive attempt of DragonForce’s Through the Fire and Flames – an infamously tough power-metal song popularized through Guitar Hero – on Clone Hero, a freeware game with almost identical mechanics and extensive customisation options. The song is difficult enough on expert mode, not to mention performed at increased tempo and without missing a single one of its near 4,000 notes. The streamer stated it took nine months of practice.
“Guitar Hero offers a, fantasy thing. Just as with other games, it doesn't imply you should pick up a real gun and go to war,” says DragonForce guitarist the artist.
The band previously wrapped up a successful tour when their hit appeared on Guitar Hero III, yet he explains it made them a household name. “I remember our distributors informing us that our records were moving like crazy,” he says. “Popularity surged when we next toured, and we were playing right ahead of the headliners on the Mayhem festival.”
In fact, the band's visibility via the game was so immense that it has risked overshadow all other the band has done. Recently, the song featured in promotional material for Despicable Me 4. “Previously I thought differently, but I’ve made peace with it,” he admits. “Should you just listen to a single track, it’s totally cool – everyone’s got a unique musical journey and I’m glad we played a role in fans' experiences”.
Enduring Legacy from the Plastic Guitar
Top-tier marketing, whether it’s for cars, apparel or video games, goes further than selling something – it inspires a longing. Was the game able to tap into that? “Precisely what our team trying to create,” Dornbrook says. “The excitement of performing as a rock star on the stage. Since the beginning, the creators felt that there’s an instinctive urge to create songs, and they wanted to leverage innovation to enable everyone to participate”.
Most installments were released over a mere half-decade between 2005 and 2010, featuring derivative titles such as the DJ version, including a turntable controller, and Band Hero. Subsequently, corporate focus in plastic instruments died down, except for a brief comeback several years later.
Games such as Clone Hero and Fortnite Festival have kept the community active, and there’s set to be something from the original publisher in development. A new studio has entered production on its debut rhythm-based title. Original co-founders are participating as special advisers. Are gamers prepared to welcome another game following the classic?
“Our team believed such titles could be like Madden where you can update every year,” he remarks. “There’s so much new music it could remain perennially popular, thus I remain hopeful. It's entirely possible for it to persist with new generations.”
