It has been two decades since Guitar Hero first launched across the Atlantic, offering everyday gamers the tools to feel like rock legends. Figuratively speaking, though you'd be hard-pressed convincing anyone who has nailed Free Bird’s lengthy guitar solo before a packed living-room audience.
Developed by Harmonix, Guitar Hero gave players a guitar-shaped controller to follow on-screen cues scrolling down the screen in time with the music. Every sequence corresponded to specific notes, creating the sensation of a genuine live show.
Harmonix had already tried its hand in the music genre prior to teaming up with RedOctane, later acquired by the gaming giant in 2006. Collaboratively, they laid the foundations for a surprising billion-dollar franchise which made a remarkable impact on numerous of the artists featured, introducing decades-old groups to millions of younger players.
A former executive, former COO from the developer, recalls the early financial challenges of licensing the recordings – despite the fact initial releases mostly used rerecorded tracks.
“We reproduced all the music because the dollar figure was so high,” he explains. “Despite having the necessary permissions alone, it proved nearly impossible. We failed to secure bands like the Who – the publisher had virtually no money, and our team was fairly certain 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 the number of parents got in touch expressing gratitude for introducing their kids to the music they adored. It became a multigenerational thing.”
Classic Rock Gains Younger Fans
Irish blues-rock band one featured act had their track in the 2008 release the popular installment. Guitarist the artist recalls the way the game revived older hits back into vogue: “The game provided a larger, new demographic. Typically such music was considered music that was past it, but then when it was included in the title young people discovered it, abruptly it was cool. This validated the genre, and got rid of the outdated label. It gave all our music a new life.”
At that time, the band's first record was still not available stateside, so Guitar Hero served as a primary platform of discovery for the band during their US tour opening for the rock giants. “The roadies had on the song on the tour bus, and several recognized us thanks to the game,” he notes.
Major Band Spin-offs and Lasting Impact
Rock’s biggest acts quickly took advantage of the series’ popularity, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen featuring in dedicated spin-off titles centered around each band’s catalogue and related stories, visuals and rock’n’roll mythology. In the case of, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, reportedly earned the band greater revenue compared to their records. It moved well over half a million units upon release, and sales of their songs saw an increase significantly during an era when the music business faced decline.
The series still motivates nimble-fingered fanaticism within the community. Recently, a streamer achieved an impressive attempt featuring the challenging track – a notoriously difficult anthem popularized through Guitar Hero – using a fan-made version, a no-cost alternative with almost identical gameplay but an array of customisation options. This track is challenging even in the hardest setting, let alone performed at double speed and without missing every one of the thousands of cues. They stated requiring nine months to accomplish.
“The game offers a, imaginary experience. Just as with other games, that doesn’t mean you ought to use actual weapons and enlist,” notes DragonForce guitarist the artist.
DragonForce previously wrapped up a profitable run when their hit appeared in the third game, but Li says it turned them into a household name. “I recall the record label informing us that our selling albums like crazy,” he shares. “It exploded when we next toured, and we performed right ahead of the headliners on the Mayhem festival.”
Indeed, DragonForce’s exposure from Guitar Hero was so immense that it risked overshadow all other accomplishments. Last year, the track featured in promotional material for a major film. “In the past I felt otherwise, but now I accept it,” he admits. “If you only hear a single track, it’s totally cool – each person has their own path in music and I’m glad we played a role of people’s lives”.
Enduring Legacy from the Plastic Guitar
The best promotion, whether it’s for automobiles, apparel or video games, goes further mere transactions – it evokes a desire. Did Guitar Hero tap into that? “Precisely what we were trying to create,” he confirms. “The excitement of being a music icon in the spotlight. From day one, the co-founders believed humans have a natural human desire to create songs, and their goal was to leverage innovation to allow people to do it”.
The majority installments were released in just a five-year period between 2005 and 2010, including derivative titles such as the DJ version, complete with a turntable controller, and the band-focused game. After that, corporate focus in plastic instruments waned, aside from a short-lived revival several years later.
Games like the fan project and newer releases have kept the community active, with set to be something from the founders on the way. A new studio has begun work on their first rhythm-based title. Original co-founders are participating as special advisers. Is the world prepared to welcome another game following Guitar Hero?
“We thought those games might become similar to sports games where you can releases,” Dornbrook says. “With abundant new music that it could be evergreen, thus I remain optimistic. There’s no reason for it to persist for future fans.”
