Marking 20 years since the legendary game hit the market in North America, giving players everywhere the means to feel like a rock star. Not literally, but try convincing anyone who has nailed Free Bird’s lengthy guitar solo before an enthusiastic living-room audience.
Developed by Harmonix, Guitar Hero gave players a guitar-shaped controller to follow on-screen cues moving along the screen in time with the music. Each riff corresponded to particular chords, producing the sensation of a genuine performance.
Harmonix had already tried its hand with rhythm games prior to teaming up with RedOctane, later purchased by the gaming giant in 2006. Together, they laid the groundwork for an unlikely billion-dollar franchise that had a significant impact for many of the artists included, introducing classic groups to a new generation of gaming enthusiasts.
Michael Dornbrook, ex-chief operating officer of Harmonix, recalls the initial budgetary hurdles of licensing the songs – despite the fact the first two games mostly used rerecorded tracks.
“We rerecorded all the music since the cost was so high,” he says. “Even with the necessary permissions alone, it was nearly impossible. We couldn’t get bands like the Who – the publisher was operating on a shoestring budget, and our team was pretty convinced it would fail. But once Guitar Hero became a hit, album purchases airtime increased, all artists desired to be in.”
He continues: “One of the amazing things was how many parents got in touch expressing gratitude for exposing their kids to the songs they loved. It became an intergenerational phenomenon.”
Timeless Music Finds Younger Fans
Irish group one featured act had Never Too Late on the 2008 game the popular installment. Lead musician the artist remembers the way the game brought older hits back into vogue: “The game provided a bigger, younger audience. Generally this had been considered outdated material, but then once it got featured on the game and teenagers were finding it, suddenly it became trendy. That legitimised it, and got rid of the outdated tag. It gave our catalog a new life.”
In 2008, the band's debut album remained unreleased stateside, meaning Guitar Hero was a key medium of discovery for the group as they went on a North American tour opening for the rock giants. “Their crew had on the song during travel, and some of them recognized us from Guitar Hero,” he notes.
Major Band Titles Enduring Influence
Music's biggest acts quickly took advantage of the series’ popularity, with Aerosmith, Metallica and others starring in dedicated spin-off titles centered around each band’s catalogue and related stories, visuals and rock’n’roll mythology. For example, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, reportedly earned the group greater revenue than any of their studio albums. It moved more than half a million units upon release, while sales of Aerosmith’s music saw an increase significantly during an era as the industry was already collapsing.
The series continues to inspire quick-handed fanaticism among its fans. Earlier this year, an online personality achieved a remarkable feat of DragonForce’s Through the Fire and Flames – a notoriously difficult anthem made popular by Guitar Hero – using a fan-made version, a freeware game with similar mechanics and extensive customisation options. This track is difficult enough on expert mode, let alone played at increased tempo and without missing a single one of the thousands of cues. They claimed requiring months of practice of practice.
“The game offers a, imaginary experience. Just as with other games, that doesn’t mean you should pick up a real gun and go to war,” notes musician Herman Li.
DragonForce had already completed a successful tour when their hit appeared on Guitar Hero III, but Li says it turned them into widely recognized. “I recall our distributors informing us that we were records were moving like crazy,” he says. “It exploded on the subsequent tour, and we were playing just before top acts at the event.”
Indeed, DragonForce’s exposure from Guitar Hero proved so vast that it has risked eclipsing everything else accomplishments. Last year, the track featured in promotional material for a major film. “Previously I felt otherwise, but now I accept it,” Li says. “If you only hear a single track, that's fine – each person has a unique path in music and I'm pleased we played a role in fans' experiences”.
The Lasting Impact of a Plastic Guitar
Top-tier marketing, be it for automobiles, apparel or games, goes further than selling something – it inspires a desire. Was the game able to tap into that? “Precisely what we were aiming to achieve,” Dornbrook says. “The excitement of being a music icon in the spotlight. From day one, the co-founders felt that there’s an instinctive human desire to create songs, and their goal was to use technology to allow people to do it”.
Most installments came out over a mere five-year period from 2005 to 2010, including derivative titles such as the DJ version, complete with a turntable controller, and the band-focused game. After that, the publisher’s interest in plastic instruments waned, except for a short-lived revival several years later.
Titles such as the fan project and Fortnite Festival have kept the scene alive, with expectations of something from the original publisher on the way. Recently formed developers has entered work on its debut rhythm-based title. The initial creators are participating in advisory roles. Are gamers prepared to welcome another game following Guitar Hero?
“We thought those games could be like Madden allowing annual releases,” he remarks. “With abundant new music it could remain perennially popular, thus I remain optimistic. There’s no reason why it can’t continue for future fans.”
