It has been 20 years since the legendary game hit the market across the Atlantic, offering everyday gamers the opportunity to feel like rock legends. Not in reality, but try convincing anyone who has nailed Free Bird’s four-minute guitar solo in front of a packed crowd of friends.
Developed by the developers, Guitar Hero gave players a plastic guitar peripheral to match coloured notes scrolling down the display in time with a song. Each riff mimicked particular chords, creating the feel of a genuine performance.
Harmonix previously experimented with rhythm games before partnering with RedOctane, which was acquired by Activision in 2006. Together, they laid the groundwork for a surprising billion-dollar franchise which made a remarkable impact for many musicians featured, showcasing decades-old groups to a new generation of gaming enthusiasts.
Michael Dornbrook, ex-chief operating officer from the developer, recalls the early budgetary hurdles in securing the songs – despite the fact the first two games mostly used cover versions.
“We reproduced every song because the dollar figure prohibitive,” he says. “Even with the publishing rights alone, it was nearly impossible. We failed to secure bands like legendary groups – RedOctane had virtually no money, and we were pretty convinced it would fail. But once Guitar Hero took off, and record sales and radio play increased, everyone wanted to be in.”
He continues: “Among the amazing things was the number of parents reached out expressing gratitude for exposing their children to the music they loved. It became a multigenerational thing.”
Classic Rock Finds a New Audience
Northern Irish group the Answer had their track in the 2008 release the popular installment. Lead musician the artist remembers the way the game brought classic rock to the forefront: “Guitar Hero provided a bigger, younger audience. Generally this had been considered outdated material, but then once it got featured on the title and teenagers were finding it, abruptly it was cool. This validated it, eliminating the ‘dad rock’ label. It gave our catalog renewed popularity.”
In 2008, the Answer’s first record remained unreleased in the US, so the game served as a primary platform for exposure for the band as they went on a North American tour supporting AC/DC. “Their crew had on the song on the tour bus, and some of them knew us from Guitar Hero,” Mahon says.
Major Band Spin-offs Enduring Impact
Rock’s biggest acts soon capitalised on the game's success, with Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen featuring in dedicated spin-off titles centered around their music collections and related stories, imagery and rock’n’roll mythology. For example, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, it was said to have made the band more money compared to their records. It sold more than half a million copies in its first week, while sales of Aerosmith’s music rose of up to 40% during an era as the industry was already collapsing.
The series still motivates nimble-fingered dedication within the community. Recently, an online personality completed a remarkable feat featuring Through the Fire and Flames – a notoriously difficult anthem made popular by Guitar Hero – using a fan-made version, a freeware game with almost identical mechanics but an array of personalization features. This track is challenging enough on expert mode, let alone played at double speed while hitting every one of the thousands of cues. The streamer claimed it took months of practice of practice.
“The game offers a, fantasy thing. Just as with Call of Duty, it doesn't imply you ought to pick up actual weapons and go to war,” says DragonForce guitarist the artist.
DragonForce previously wrapped up a profitable run before their hit appeared on Guitar Hero III, yet he explains it made them a household name. “I remember our distributors informing us that our selling albums like crazy,” he says. “Popularity surged when we next toured, and we were playing just before top acts on the Mayhem festival.”
Indeed, DragonForce’s exposure from Guitar Hero was so immense that it threatened to eclipsing all other accomplishments. Recently, the track featured in promotional material for Despicable Me 4. “Previously I felt otherwise, but I’ve made peace with it,” he admits. “Should you just listen to one DragonForce song, that's fine – each person has their own path in music and I’m glad 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 evokes a longing. Was the game able to tap into that? “That’s exactly what we were aiming to achieve,” Dornbrook says. “The excitement of performing as a music icon on the stage. From day one, the co-founders felt that humans have a natural human desire to create songs, and they wanted to use technology to enable everyone to do it”.
The majority installments were released over a mere five-year period between 2005 and 2010, featuring derivative titles such as the DJ version, including a spinning deck, and the band-focused game. Subsequently, corporate focus in plastic instruments waned, aside from a brief comeback in 2015.
Games such as Clone Hero and Fortnite Festival have kept the community active, and there’s expectations of a new product from the founders in development. Recently formed developers has entered work on its debut music game. Original co-founders are participating in advisory roles. Is the world prepared to welcome a new entry in the spirit of Guitar Hero?
“We thought those games could be similar to sports games allowing annual releases,” Dornbrook says. “With abundant fresh tracks that it could be evergreen, thus I remain hopeful. It's entirely possible why it can’t persist with new generations.”
