Marking two decades after Guitar Hero debuted across the Atlantic, giving players everywhere the means to feel like rock legends. Not literally, though you'd be hard-pressed telling that anyone who's nailed Free Bird’s four-minute instrumental break in front of an enthusiastic crowd of friends.
Developed by the developers, the game gave players a plastic guitar peripheral to follow on-screen cues moving along the screen in time with the music. Every sequence mimicked particular chords, creating the feel of an authentic performance.
Harmonix had already experimented with rhythm games before partnering with the publisher, later acquired by the gaming giant in 2006. Collaboratively, they laid the foundations for a surprising massively profitable series which made a remarkable influence on numerous musicians included, showcasing decades-old bands to millions of gaming enthusiasts.
Michael Dornbrook, ex-chief operating officer of Harmonix, recalls the initial financial challenges in securing the recordings – despite the fact initial releases primarily featured rerecorded tracks.
“We reproduced all the music because the dollar figure prohibitive,” he explains. “Despite having the necessary permissions alone, it proved nearly impossible. We failed to secure acts such as legendary groups – RedOctane had virtually no money, and we were fairly certain it would fail. But once Guitar Hero became a hit, and record sales airtime increased, all artists desired to be in.”
He adds: “Among the amazing things was how many mothers and fathers reached out expressing gratitude for introducing their children to the songs they loved. It became an intergenerational thing.”
Timeless Music Finds a New Audience
Irish blues-rock band the Answer had Never Too Late in the 2008 release the popular installment. Lead musician Paul Mahon recalls the way the game revived classic rock to the forefront: “Guitar Hero offered a larger, new demographic. Generally this had been seen as music that was past it, but then when it was included in the game and teenagers discovered it, abruptly it became trendy. That legitimised the genre, and got rid of the outdated label. It provided our catalog a new life.”
In 2008, the Answer’s first record was still not available in the US, meaning Guitar Hero was a key medium of discovery for the band during their US tour opening for the rock giants. “Their crew had on Never Too Late on the tour bus, and several knew us from Guitar Hero,” he notes.
Major Band Spin-offs Enduring Influence
Rock’s heavyweight names soon took advantage of the series’ popularity, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and others featuring in specialized spin-off titles that focused on each band’s catalogue and associated lore, imagery and rock’n’roll mythology. In the case of, the Aerosmith edition, reportedly to have made the group more money than any of their studio albums. It sold more than 500,000 copies upon release, and demand for Aerosmith’s music saw an increase significantly during an era when the music business was already collapsing.
The series still motivates quick-handed dedication among its fans. Recently, a streamer achieved a remarkable feat of DragonForce’s Through the Fire and Flames – a notoriously difficult anthem made popular by the game – using a fan-made version, a freeware game with almost identical mechanics and extensive personalization features. This track is challenging enough on expert mode, let alone performed at double speed while hitting a single one of the thousands of cues. The streamer stated it took months of practice to accomplish.
“Guitar Hero offers a, fantasy thing. Just as with other games, that doesn’t mean you should pick up actual weapons and enlist,” says musician Herman Li.
DragonForce had already wrapped up a profitable run when Through the Fire and Flames appeared on Guitar Hero III, but Li says it made them a household name. “I remember the record label informing us that we were records were moving like crazy,” he shares. “It exploded on the subsequent tour, and we were playing right ahead of top acts at the event.”
In fact, the band's visibility via the game was so immense that it has risked eclipsing everything else the band has done. Last year, the song featured in promotional material for a major film. “Previously I felt otherwise, but now I accept it,” Li says. “Should you just listen to one DragonForce song, it’s totally cool – everyone’s got their own musical journey and I'm pleased we’ve been part of people’s lives”.
Enduring Legacy of a Plastic Guitar
The best promotion, whether it’s for cars, apparel or video games, goes further than selling something – it evokes a longing. Did Guitar Hero harness this? “That’s exactly what we were aiming to achieve,” he confirms. “The excitement of performing as a music icon in the spotlight. Since the beginning, the co-founders felt that there’s an instinctive human desire to make music, and their goal was to leverage innovation to allow people to do it”.
The majority of Guitar Hero games came out in just a half-decade from 2005 to 2010, featuring spin-offs like the DJ version, complete with a turntable controller, and Band Hero. Subsequently, corporate focus on peripherals waned, except for a short-lived revival in 2015.
Titles such as the fan project and Fortnite Festival have kept the scene alive, and there’s set to be something from the original publisher on the way. A new studio has begun production on their first rhythm-based title. Original co-founders are both involved in advisory roles. Is the world prepared to welcome a new entry following Guitar Hero?
“We thought such titles could be similar to sports games where you can releases,” Dornbrook says. “There’s so much fresh tracks it could remain perennially popular, thus I remain optimistic. It's entirely possible for it to continue for future fans.”
