It has been two decades after Guitar Hero debuted in North America, offering players everywhere the tools to feel like a rock star. Not in reality, but try convincing someone who's nailed the epic four-minute instrumental break before an enthusiastic crowd of friends.
Created by the developers, the game provided users with a plastic guitar peripheral to follow coloured notes scrolling down the display in time with the music. Each riff mimicked specific notes, producing the feel of a genuine performance.
The studio previously tried its hand in the music genre prior to teaming up with RedOctane, which was acquired by Activision during the mid-2000s. Collaboratively, they laid the groundwork for a surprising billion-dollar series which made a significant impact on numerous musicians featured, showcasing decades-old groups to a new generation of younger players.
A former executive, ex-chief operating officer of Harmonix, remembers the initial financial challenges in securing the recordings – even though initial releases mostly used cover versions.
“We reproduced all the music because the dollar figure prohibitive,” he explains. “Even with the publishing rights alone, it proved extremely difficult. We couldn’t get acts such as the Who – the publisher had virtually no money, and we were fairly certain it would fail. However, when Guitar Hero took off, album purchases airtime increased, all artists desired to participate.”
He continues: “One of the remarkable aspects was the number of parents got in touch expressing gratitude for introducing their kids to the songs they loved. It evolved into a multigenerational phenomenon.”
Timeless Music Finds Younger Fans
Northern Irish blues-rock band one featured act included Never Too Late on the 2008 game Guitar Hero World Tour. Lead musician the artist remembers the way the game revived classic rock to the forefront: “The game provided a larger, younger audience. Typically such music was considered outdated material, however once it got featured on the title young people were finding it, suddenly it became trendy. This validated it, eliminating the outdated label. It provided our catalog a new life.”
At that time, the Answer’s first record remained unreleased in the US, meaning Guitar Hero was a key medium of discovery for the band as they went on US tour supporting AC/DC. “The roadies had on the song on the tour bus, and some of them knew us from Guitar Hero,” he notes.
Rock’s Heavyweight Spin-offs and Lasting Influence
Rock’s heavyweight names soon took advantage of the game's success, with Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen starring in specialized game editions centered around their music collections and related lore, visuals and legendary status. In the case of, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, it was said to have made the band greater revenue compared to their studio albums. It moved more than 500,000 units upon release, while demand for their songs rose significantly during an era when the music business faced decline.
Guitar Hero still motivates nimble-fingered fanaticism among its fans. Recently, an online personality achieved a remarkable feat of DragonForce’s the challenging track – an infamously tough power-metal song popularized through the game – using a fan-made version, a no-cost alternative with similar mechanics and extensive personalization features. The song is difficult enough on the hardest setting, not to mention performed at double speed while hitting a single one of its near 4,000 notes. They claimed it took nine months to accomplish.
“Guitar Hero is a fun, fantasy thing. If you play other games, that doesn’t mean you should pick up actual weapons and enlist,” notes musician Herman Li.
The band previously completed a profitable run before Through the Fire and Flames appeared in the third game, but Li says it turned them into a household name. “I remember our distributors calling to tell me that we were records were moving like crazy,” he shares. “Popularity surged when we next toured, and we were playing just before top acts on the Mayhem festival.”
In fact, the band's visibility via the game was so immense that it has risked eclipsing all other accomplishments. Recently, the song was used in promotional material for a major film. “In the past I felt otherwise, but now I accept it,” Li says. “Should you just listen to a single track, it’s totally cool – each person has their own path in music and I’m glad we played a role in fans' experiences”.
The Lasting Impact of a Plastic Guitar
The best marketing, whether it’s for cars, apparel or games, extends beyond than selling something – it inspires a desire. Did Guitar Hero tap into that? “That’s exactly what we were aiming to achieve,” Dornbrook says. “The excitement of being a music icon on the stage. From day one, the co-founders felt that humans have a natural urge to make music, and their goal was to leverage innovation to allow people to participate”.
Most installments were released in just a half-decade between 2005 and 2010, including derivative titles like the DJ version, complete with a spinning deck, and Band Hero. Subsequently, the publisher’s interest in plastic instruments died down, except for a short-lived revival several years later.
Titles such as the fan project and newer releases have maintained the scene active, with expectations of a new product from the original publisher in development. A new studio has begun work on their first rhythm-based title. Original co-founders are participating in advisory roles. Is the world prepared to welcome a new entry in the spirit of the classic?
“We thought such titles could be like Madden allowing annual releases,” Dornbrook says. “There’s so much fresh tracks that it could be perennially popular, so I’ve always been optimistic. There’s no reason why it can’t persist with new generations.”
