Marking two decades after the legendary game debuted across the Atlantic, giving players everywhere the opportunity to feel like a rock star. Not literally, but try telling that anyone who's mastered the epic four-minute instrumental break before an enthusiastic crowd of friends.
Created by the developers, Guitar Hero provided users with a guitar-shaped controller to follow coloured notes moving along the screen synchronized to the music. Every sequence corresponded to specific notes, producing the sensation of an authentic performance.
Harmonix previously tried its hand in the music genre prior to teaming up with the publisher, later acquired by Activision in 2006. Together, they established the groundwork for a surprising massively profitable series that had a significant influence on numerous musicians included, introducing decades-old groups to millions of younger players.
A former executive, former COO of Harmonix, recalls the early budgetary hurdles of licensing the songs – even though initial releases primarily featured rerecorded tracks.
“We rerecorded every song since the cost prohibitive,” he says. “Even with the publishing rights alone, it was extremely difficult. We failed to secure bands like the Who – the publisher had virtually no money, and we were pretty convinced it would fail. But once the game became a hit, album purchases airtime increased, all artists desired to participate.”
He adds: “Among the remarkable aspects was the number of mothers and fathers reached out and thanked us for exposing their children to the songs they loved. It became an intergenerational phenomenon.”
Timeless Music Finds a New Audience
Irish group the Answer included their track on the 2008 game the popular installment. Lead musician the artist remembers how the series revived classic rock to the forefront: “Guitar Hero offered a bigger, younger audience. Typically such music was considered outdated material, but then when it was featured on the title and teenagers were finding it, abruptly it was cool. That legitimised the genre, and got rid of the ‘dad rock’ label. It provided our catalog renewed popularity.”
At that time, the band's first record was still not available in the US, so Guitar Hero was a key medium of discovery for the group during their US tour supporting AC/DC. “Their crew were playing the song during travel, and several knew us from Guitar Hero,” he notes.
Major Band Titles and Lasting Impact
Music's biggest acts quickly took advantage of the series’ popularity, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and others featuring in specialized spin-off titles centered around their music collections and related lore, visuals and legendary status. For example, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, reportedly to have made the band greater revenue than any of their records. It moved more than 500,000 copies in its first week, and demand for Aerosmith’s music saw an increase significantly during an era as the industry faced decline.
Guitar Hero still motivates nimble-fingered fanaticism within the community. Recently, an online personality achieved an impressive attempt featuring Through the Fire and Flames – a notoriously difficult power-metal song made popular by Guitar Hero – on Clone Hero, a no-cost alternative with similar gameplay but an array of customisation options. The song is difficult even in the hardest setting, let alone performed at increased tempo while hitting every one of its near 4,000 notes. The streamer stated it took nine months to accomplish.
“The game offers a, imaginary experience. Just as with Call of Duty, it doesn't imply you should pick up a real gun and enlist,” says DragonForce guitarist Herman Li.
DragonForce previously wrapped up a successful tour before Through the Fire and Flames appeared on Guitar Hero III, yet he explains it made them widely recognized. “I remember our distributors calling to tell me that our selling albums rapidly,” he says. “It exploded on the subsequent tour, and we performed just before the headliners at the event.”
In fact, DragonForce’s exposure from Guitar Hero was so immense that it threatened to eclipsing everything else accomplishments. Recently, the track featured in promotional material for Despicable Me 4. “Previously I felt differently, but now I accept it,” Li says. “Should you just hear one DragonForce song, that's fine – each person has a unique musical journey and I’m glad we’ve been part of people’s lives”.
The Lasting Legacy of a Plastic Guitar
The best marketing, be it for automobiles, apparel or games, goes further mere transactions – it inspires a longing. Did Guitar Hero harness this? “That’s exactly what our team aiming to achieve,” Dornbrook says. “That thrill of being a rock star on the stage. Since the beginning, the creators felt that there’s an instinctive urge to make music, and they wanted to use technology to allow people to participate”.
The majority installments were released in just a half-decade between 2005 and 2010, including spin-offs such as DJ Hero, complete with a turntable controller, and the band-focused game. Subsequently, corporate focus on peripherals waned, except for a short-lived revival in 2015.
Titles like the fan project and Fortnite Festival have maintained the scene alive, and there’s set to be a new product from the founders on the way. A new studio has begun work on its debut rhythm-based title. The initial creators are participating as special advisers. Are gamers ready to embrace another game in the spirit of Guitar Hero?
“We thought those games could be like Madden where you can update every year,” Dornbrook says. “There’s so much fresh tracks that it could be perennially popular, thus I remain hopeful. It's entirely possible why it can’t continue for future fans.”
