It has been two decades after the legendary game hit the market in North America, giving players everywhere the means to become a rock star. Not literally, though you'd be hard-pressed telling that someone who's mastered the epic lengthy guitar solo in front of an enthusiastic crowd of friends.
Created by Harmonix, Guitar Hero provided users with a guitar-shaped controller to match coloured notes scrolling down the display synchronized to a song. Every sequence corresponded to specific notes, producing the sensation of a genuine performance.
The studio previously experimented in the music genre before partnering with the publisher, later purchased by Activision in 2006. Together, they established the foundations for an unlikely massively profitable series that had a remarkable impact on numerous of the artists included, showcasing decades-old bands to millions of younger players.
A former executive, former COO of Harmonix, recalls the initial financial challenges in securing the songs – even though the first two games primarily featured rerecorded tracks.
“We rerecorded all the music because the cost prohibitive,” he says. “Despite having the publishing rights by themselves, it proved extremely difficult. We failed to secure bands like the Who – RedOctane had virtually no money, and our team was pretty convinced the project would flop. But once the game took off, and record sales airtime increased, everyone wanted to participate.”
He continues: “Among the remarkable aspects was the number of mothers and fathers got in touch expressing gratitude for exposing their children to the songs they loved. It became a multigenerational phenomenon.”
Timeless Music Finds a New Audience
Northern Irish group one featured act included Never Too Late on the 2008 game the popular installment. Lead musician the artist remembers how the series brought older hits back into vogue: “Guitar Hero offered a bigger, younger audience. Generally this had been considered outdated material, however once it got included in the title young people were finding it, suddenly it became trendy. This validated the genre, and got rid of the ‘dad rock’ tag. It provided our catalog renewed popularity.”
At that time, the Answer’s first record was still unreleased in the US, meaning Guitar Hero was a key medium of discovery for the band during their a North American tour opening for the rock giants. “Their crew were playing the song on the tour bus, and several knew us thanks to the game,” he notes.
Major Band Spin-offs and Lasting Influence
Rock’s heavyweight names soon capitalised on the series’ popularity, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and others starring in dedicated game editions centered around their music collections and associated stories, imagery and rock’n’roll mythology. For example, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, it was said earned the group more money compared to their studio albums. It sold well over half a million copies in its first week, and sales of their songs rose significantly at a time when the music business was already collapsing.
The series continues to inspire nimble-fingered dedication within the community. Recently, an online personality achieved a remarkable feat featuring Through the Fire and Flames – a notoriously difficult anthem made popular by the game – using a fan-made version, a no-cost alternative with similar gameplay but an array of customisation options. This track is challenging even in expert mode, let alone performed at double speed and without missing every one of its near 4,000 notes. The streamer claimed requiring nine months of practice.
“Guitar Hero offers a, fantasy thing. If you play Call of Duty, that doesn’t mean you should use actual weapons and go to war,” notes musician the artist.
DragonForce previously wrapped up a successful tour when their hit was featured on Guitar Hero III, yet he explains it made them widely recognized. “I remember the record label calling to tell me that our records were moving like crazy,” he shares. “Popularity surged when we next toured, and we were playing just before the headliners on the Mayhem festival.”
Indeed, DragonForce’s exposure from Guitar Hero proved so vast that it has risked eclipsing all other the band has done. Recently, the track featured in a trailer for Despicable Me 4. “In the past I thought differently, but I’ve made peace with it,” Li says. “Should you just listen to one DragonForce song, that's fine – everyone’s got a unique musical journey and I'm pleased we played a role of people’s lives”.
Enduring Legacy of a Plastic Guitar
Top-tier promotion, be it for automobiles, apparel or games, goes further mere transactions – it inspires a longing. Did Guitar Hero harness this? “Precisely what our team aiming to achieve,” Dornbrook says. “The excitement of being a rock star in the spotlight. Since the beginning, the co-founders believed humans have a natural urge to create songs, and their goal was to use technology to allow people to do it”.
Most of Guitar Hero games were released in just a five-year period between 2005 and 2010, including derivative titles like DJ Hero, including a turntable controller, and Band Hero. After that, corporate focus on peripherals died down, aside from a short-lived revival several years later.
Titles like the fan project and Fortnite Festival have kept the scene alive, and there’s set to be something from the founders on the way. A new studio has begun work on their first rhythm-based title. The initial creators are participating as special advisers. Are gamers prepared to welcome another game following Guitar Hero?
“Our team believed those games could be similar to sports games where you can releases,” Dornbrook says. “With abundant fresh tracks that it could be perennially popular, thus I remain optimistic. There’s no reason why it can’t persist with new generations.”
