Marking two decades after Guitar Hero debuted in North America, giving everyday gamers the means to feel like rock legends. Not literally, but try telling that anyone who has nailed the epic lengthy guitar solo before a packed living-room audience.
Developed by Harmonix, the game gave players a plastic guitar peripheral to follow on-screen cues scrolling down the display synchronized to a song. Each riff corresponded to particular chords, creating the feel of a genuine performance.
Harmonix previously tried its hand in the music genre before partnering with the publisher, later acquired by Activision in 2006. Together, they established the foundations for an unlikely massively profitable franchise which made a remarkable impact on numerous of the artists featured, showcasing decades-old groups to millions of younger players.
Michael Dornbrook, ex-chief operating officer of Harmonix, remembers the initial financial challenges in securing the songs – even though initial releases mostly used cover versions.
“We reproduced all the music since the dollar figure was so high,” he explains. “Even with the publishing rights by themselves, it was extremely difficult. We couldn’t get acts such as the Who – RedOctane was operating on a shoestring budget, and we were pretty convinced it would fail. But once the game became a hit, and record sales airtime increased, all artists desired to be in.”
He continues: “Among the amazing things was the number of mothers and fathers reached out expressing gratitude for introducing their kids to the songs they adored. It became an intergenerational thing.”
Timeless Music Finds Younger Fans
Northern Irish group the Answer included Never Too Late on the 2008 game the popular installment. Guitarist Paul Mahon recalls how the series brought older hits back into vogue: “Guitar Hero provided a bigger, new demographic. Typically such music was considered music that was past it, but then once it got featured on the game young people discovered it, suddenly it was cool. This validated the genre, eliminating the ‘dad rock’ label. It provided all our music renewed popularity.”
In 2008, the Answer’s debut album was still not available in the US, so the game served as a primary platform for exposure for the band during their US tour opening for the rock giants. “The roadies had on the song during travel, and several recognized us thanks to the game,” Mahon says.
Rock’s Heavyweight Titles Enduring Influence
Music's biggest acts soon capitalised on the game's success, with Aerosmith, Metallica and others featuring in specialized spin-off titles that focused on each band’s catalogue and associated stories, imagery and rock’n’roll mythology. In the case of, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, reportedly to have made the band more money than any of their studio albums. It moved more than half a million copies upon release, and demand for Aerosmith’s music rose significantly at a time when the music business was already collapsing.
The series still motivates nimble-fingered dedication among its fans. Recently, a streamer completed a remarkable feat of DragonForce’s the challenging track – an infamously tough power-metal song made popular by Guitar Hero – on Clone Hero, a no-cost alternative with almost identical mechanics but an array of customisation options. The song is challenging enough on the hardest setting, not to mention played at double speed while hitting every one of the thousands of cues. The streamer claimed requiring months of practice to accomplish.
“The game offers a, imaginary experience. If you play other games, it doesn't imply you should use actual weapons and enlist,” notes DragonForce guitarist the artist.
The band previously completed a profitable run before their hit was featured in the third game, but Li says it turned them into a household name. “I recall our distributors informing us that our selling albums like crazy,” he shares. “It exploded when we next toured, and we were playing just before top acts on the Mayhem festival.”
In fact, the band's visibility via the game was so immense that it threatened to overshadow everything else the band has done. Recently, the track featured in a trailer for Despicable Me 4. “Previously I thought differently, but now I accept it,” Li says. “Should you just hear one DragonForce song, it’s totally cool – each person has their own path in music and I'm pleased we’ve been part of people’s lives”.
The Lasting Impact of a Plastic Guitar
Top-tier promotion, be it for cars, clothes or video games, extends beyond mere transactions – it evokes a desire. Was the game able to harness this? “That’s exactly what we were trying to create,” Dornbrook says. “That thrill of performing as a music icon in the spotlight. Since the beginning, the co-founders felt that humans have a natural human desire to make music, and their goal was to use technology to allow people to do it”.
Most of Guitar Hero games came out over a mere half-decade between 2005 and 2010, including spin-offs like DJ Hero, including a turntable controller, and the band-focused game. Subsequently, corporate focus on peripherals died down, except for a brief comeback in 2015.
Games like the fan project and newer releases have kept the scene alive, and there’s set to be a new product from the founders on the way. Recently formed developers has entered production on their first music game. The initial creators are both involved in advisory roles. Is the world ready to embrace another game in the spirit of the classic?
“We thought such titles could be like Madden where you can update every year,” Dornbrook says. “With abundant fresh tracks that it could be evergreen, so I’ve always been optimistic. There’s no reason for it to persist with new generations.”
