Marking 20 years since the legendary game first launched across the Atlantic, providing players everywhere the tools to feel like a rock star. Figuratively speaking, but try telling that anyone who's mastered Free Bird’s four-minute instrumental break before an enthusiastic crowd of friends.
Developed by Harmonix, the game provided users with a guitar-shaped controller to follow coloured notes moving along the display in time with 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 purchased by Activision during the mid-2000s. Together, they laid the foundations for an unlikely billion-dollar series which made a significant influence on numerous of the artists featured, introducing classic groups to a new generation of gaming enthusiasts.
A former executive, ex-chief operating officer of Harmonix, remembers the early financial challenges of licensing the recordings – despite the fact the first two games mostly used cover versions.
“We reproduced every song because the dollar figure was so high,” he explains. “Even with the publishing rights alone, it proved extremely difficult. We failed to secure acts such as legendary groups – the publisher had virtually no money, and our team was pretty convinced it would fail. However, when Guitar Hero became a hit, and record sales and radio play increased, all artists desired to participate.”
He adds: “Among the remarkable aspects was the number of parents reached out expressing gratitude for exposing their children to the songs they loved. It evolved into a multigenerational thing.”
Timeless Music Gains a New Audience
Irish blues-rock band one featured act had their track in the 2008 release Guitar Hero World Tour. Guitarist Paul Mahon remembers how the series revived older hits to the forefront: “Guitar Hero provided a larger, new demographic. Typically such music was seen as music that was past it, but then once it got included in the game and teenagers discovered it, suddenly it was cool. That legitimised the genre, and got rid of the ‘dad rock’ tag. It provided our catalog a new life.”
In 2008, the band's debut album was still unreleased in the US, meaning Guitar Hero was a key medium for exposure for the group as they went on a North American tour supporting the rock giants. “Their crew had on Never Too Late during travel, and several recognized us from Guitar Hero,” he notes.
Rock’s Heavyweight Spin-offs 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 each band’s catalogue and related stories, imagery and rock’n’roll mythology. In the case of, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, it was said earned the band more money than any of their studio albums. It moved well over 500,000 copies upon release, while sales of Aerosmith’s music rose significantly at a time when the music business faced decline.
Guitar Hero still motivates nimble-fingered dedication within the community. Earlier this year, a streamer completed an impressive attempt featuring the challenging track – an infamously tough power-metal song popularized through Guitar Hero – using a fan-made version, a no-cost alternative with almost identical mechanics and extensive customisation options. This track is difficult enough on expert mode, not to mention played at increased tempo and without missing every one of its near 4,000 notes. The streamer claimed it took months of practice to accomplish.
“The game is a fun, imaginary experience. Just as with other games, it doesn't imply you ought to use actual weapons and enlist,” notes musician the artist.
DragonForce previously completed a successful tour before their hit appeared on Guitar Hero III, but Li says it turned them into a household name. “I recall the record label calling to tell me that we were records were moving rapidly,” he says. “Popularity surged when we next toured, and we performed just before the headliners on the Mayhem festival.”
Indeed, DragonForce’s exposure via the game was so immense that it risked overshadow everything else the band has done. Last year, the song was used in promotional material for a major film. “In the past I felt otherwise, 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 path in music and I’m glad we’ve been part in fans' experiences”.
Enduring Impact of a Plastic Guitar
Top-tier marketing, be it for automobiles, clothes or video games, extends beyond mere transactions – it evokes a longing. Did Guitar Hero tap into that? “That’s exactly what we were aiming to achieve,” Dornbrook says. “The excitement of performing as a rock star on the stage. Since the beginning, the co-founders felt that there’s an instinctive human desire to make music, and they wanted to leverage innovation to enable everyone to do it”.
The majority of Guitar Hero games came out over a mere half-decade between 2005 and 2010, including derivative titles like the DJ version, complete with a turntable controller, and Band Hero. After that, corporate focus in plastic instruments died down, aside from a brief comeback several years later.
Games such as Clone Hero and newer releases have kept the community alive, and there’s set to be something from the original publisher on the way. Recently formed developers has begun production on its debut rhythm-based title. The initial creators are both involved in advisory roles. Is the world ready to embrace a new entry in the spirit of Guitar Hero?
“We thought such titles might become like Madden allowing annual releases,” Dornbrook says. “With abundant fresh tracks it could remain evergreen, so I’ve always been hopeful. It's entirely possible why it can’t persist with new generations.”
