It has been 20 years after the legendary game hit the market across the Atlantic, providing players everywhere the means to become a rock star. Not literally, though you'd be hard-pressed convincing anyone who's nailed the epic four-minute instrumental break before a packed living-room audience.
Created by Harmonix, Guitar Hero gave players a plastic guitar peripheral to match on-screen cues moving along the screen in time with a song. Each riff mimicked particular chords, producing the feel of a genuine performance.
The studio previously experimented with rhythm games prior to teaming up with the publisher, later purchased by Activision during the mid-2000s. Collaboratively, they laid the groundwork for an unlikely billion-dollar series which made a remarkable impact for many of the artists included, showcasing decades-old bands to millions of gaming enthusiasts.
Michael Dornbrook, former COO of Harmonix, recalls the initial financial challenges of licensing the songs – despite the fact the first two games primarily featured rerecorded tracks.
“We reproduced all the music since the cost prohibitive,” he says. “Even with the publishing rights by themselves, it was nearly impossible. We couldn’t get acts such as the Who – RedOctane was operating on a shoestring budget, and our team was pretty convinced it would fail. But once the game became a hit, and record sales and radio play increased, all artists desired to participate.”
He adds: “Among the amazing things was how many mothers and fathers reached out and thanked us for exposing their kids to the music they adored. It became an intergenerational phenomenon.”
Timeless Music Finds a New Audience
Northern Irish group one featured act had Never Too Late in the 2008 release Guitar Hero World Tour. Lead musician the artist remembers how the series brought older hits back into vogue: “The game offered a larger, new demographic. Typically such music was seen as music that was past it, but then when it was featured on the game young people were finding it, abruptly it became trendy. That legitimised the genre, and got rid of the outdated label. It provided all our music a new life.”
In 2008, the Answer’s first record remained unreleased in the US, meaning Guitar Hero served as a primary platform for exposure for the group as they went on US tour supporting the rock giants. “The roadies were playing the song during travel, and some of them knew us thanks to the game,” he notes.
Rock’s Heavyweight Spin-offs Enduring Influence
Rock’s heavyweight names quickly capitalised on the series’ popularity, with Aerosmith, Metallica and others starring in dedicated game editions centered around their music collections and associated lore, visuals and rock’n’roll mythology. In the case of, the Aerosmith edition, it was said to have made the group more money than any of their records. It sold well over half a million copies in its first week, and demand for their songs saw an increase of up to 40% during an era when the music business was already collapsing.
Guitar Hero still motivates nimble-fingered fanaticism among its fans. Earlier this year, an online personality achieved an impressive attempt featuring Through the Fire and Flames – a notoriously difficult power-metal song popularized through Guitar Hero – using a fan-made version, a no-cost alternative with similar gameplay but an array of customisation options. The song is difficult enough on expert mode, not to mention performed at double speed and without missing every one of its near 4,000 notes. They stated it took nine months to accomplish.
“The game is a fun, imaginary experience. Just as with other games, that doesn’t mean you ought to pick up actual weapons and go to war,” notes musician Herman Li.
The band previously wrapped up a successful tour when their hit was featured in the third game, but Li says it turned them into widely recognized. “I remember the record label calling to tell me that our selling albums rapidly,” he shares. “Popularity surged on the subsequent tour, and we performed just before the headliners on the Mayhem festival.”
In fact, the band's visibility from Guitar Hero proved so vast that it risked eclipsing everything else the band has done. Recently, the track was used in a trailer for a major film. “Previously I thought differently, but now I accept it,” he admits. “If you only hear a single track, it’s totally cool – everyone’s got a unique musical journey and I'm pleased we’ve been part of people’s lives”.
Enduring Legacy of a Plastic Guitar
The best marketing, be it for cars, clothes or games, goes further mere transactions – it evokes a longing. Did Guitar Hero tap into that? “That’s exactly what our team trying to create,” Dornbrook says. “The excitement of being a music icon on the stage. Since the beginning, the creators believed humans have a natural urge to create songs, and their goal was to use technology to enable everyone to participate”.
The majority of Guitar Hero games came out in just a half-decade from 2005 to 2010, featuring derivative titles such as the DJ version, including a turntable controller, and Band Hero. After that, the publisher’s interest in plastic instruments died down, except for a short-lived revival several years later.
Games such as the fan project and Fortnite Festival have maintained the community alive, with expectations of something from the original publisher in development. A new studio has begun work on its debut rhythm-based title. Original co-founders are participating as special advisers. Are gamers prepared to welcome a new entry in the spirit of 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 evergreen, thus I remain optimistic. It's entirely possible for it to persist with new generations.”
