Marking 20 years since Guitar Hero debuted in North America, giving everyday gamers the opportunity to become a rock star. Not in reality, though you'd be hard-pressed telling that anyone who has mastered the epic lengthy instrumental break in front of an enthusiastic crowd of friends.
Created by the developers, Guitar Hero gave players a plastic guitar peripheral to match coloured notes scrolling down the display synchronized to a song. Each riff mimicked specific notes, producing the feel of an authentic live show.
The studio previously tried its hand in the music genre before partnering with the publisher, which was purchased by the gaming giant during the mid-2000s. Collaboratively, they laid the groundwork for a surprising billion-dollar franchise that had a significant influence for many musicians featured, introducing classic bands to millions of younger players.
Michael Dornbrook, former COO of Harmonix, remembers the early financial challenges of licensing the songs – even though the first two games mostly used rerecorded tracks.
“We rerecorded all the music since the dollar figure prohibitive,” he explains. “Even with the publishing rights alone, it was nearly impossible. We failed to secure acts such as legendary groups – the publisher had virtually no money, and we were fairly certain the project would flop. However, when the game became a hit, album purchases airtime increased, all artists desired to participate.”
He adds: “Among the remarkable aspects was how many parents reached out and thanked us for introducing their children to the music they loved. It evolved into a multigenerational phenomenon.”
Timeless Music Finds a New Audience
Irish blues-rock band the Answer had their track on the 2008 game Guitar Hero World Tour. Guitarist Paul Mahon recalls the way the game revived older hits back into vogue: “The game provided a larger, new demographic. Typically this had been considered outdated material, however when it was featured on the game and teenagers discovered it, suddenly it was cool. This validated the genre, and got rid of the ‘dad rock’ label. It provided our catalog a new life.”
In 2008, the band's debut album remained not available stateside, meaning the game was a key medium of discovery for the group as they went on a North American tour opening for the rock giants. “Their crew had on Never Too Late on the tour bus, and some of them recognized us from Guitar Hero,” Mahon says.
Major Band Titles Enduring Influence
Music's heavyweight names soon took advantage of the game's success, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and others starring in specialized spin-off titles that focused on their music collections and associated lore, visuals and rock’n’roll mythology. For example, the Aerosmith edition, reportedly to have made the band greater revenue compared to their records. It moved more than half a million copies in its first week, while sales of Aerosmith’s music rose significantly during an era as the industry was already collapsing.
The series still motivates quick-handed fanaticism among its fans. Earlier this year, a streamer completed a remarkable feat of DragonForce’s the challenging track – a notoriously difficult power-metal song popularized through Guitar Hero – on Clone Hero, a no-cost alternative with similar mechanics but an array of personalization features. The song is challenging even in the hardest setting, not to mention performed at increased tempo while hitting a single one of its near 4,000 notes. They stated requiring months of practice of practice.
“The game is a fun, fantasy thing. If you play other games, that doesn’t mean you ought to use actual weapons and enlist,” notes DragonForce guitarist the artist.
DragonForce had already wrapped up a successful tour when their hit was featured in the third game, yet he explains it made them widely recognized. “I remember our distributors informing us that our selling albums like crazy,” he says. “Popularity surged on the subsequent tour, and we were playing just before the headliners at the event.”
Indeed, DragonForce’s exposure via the game proved so vast that it has risked eclipsing all other the band has done. Last year, the track was used in a trailer for Despicable Me 4. “In the past I thought differently, but I’ve made peace with it,” he admits. “If you only listen to one DragonForce song, it’s totally cool – each person has a unique path in music and I'm pleased we played a role of people’s lives”.
Enduring Impact of a Plastic Guitar
The best promotion, whether it’s for automobiles, clothes or video games, goes further mere transactions – it inspires a desire. Did Guitar Hero harness this? “Precisely what we were aiming to achieve,” he confirms. “That thrill of being a rock star in the spotlight. Since the beginning, the co-founders felt that there’s an instinctive urge to make music, and their goal was to use technology to allow people to participate”.
Most of Guitar Hero games were released over a mere five-year period from 2005 to 2010, featuring spin-offs like DJ Hero, including a spinning deck, and the band-focused game. After that, corporate focus on peripherals waned, except for a brief comeback in 2015.
Games like the fan project and newer releases have kept the community alive, with set to be something from the founders on the way. Recently formed developers has begun production on its debut music game. The initial creators are both involved as special advisers. Is the world prepared to welcome another game in the spirit of the classic?
“Our team believed those games might become like Madden where you can update every year,” Dornbrook says. “With abundant fresh tracks that it could be perennially popular, so I’ve always been optimistic. There’s no reason for it to persist with new generations.”
