It has been two decades after the legendary game debuted across the Atlantic, providing players everywhere the means to become rock legends. Figuratively speaking, but try convincing anyone who's mastered Free Bird’s four-minute guitar solo in front of an enthusiastic living-room audience.
Developed by Harmonix, Guitar Hero provided users with a plastic guitar peripheral to match on-screen cues moving along the display synchronized to a song. Every sequence corresponded to specific notes, producing the feel of a genuine performance.
Harmonix previously tried its hand in the music genre prior to teaming up with the publisher, which was purchased by Activision during the mid-2000s. Collaboratively, they laid the groundwork for an unlikely massively profitable series which made a remarkable influence on numerous of the artists included, introducing classic bands to a new generation of younger players.
Michael Dornbrook, ex-chief operating officer of Harmonix, remembers the initial budgetary hurdles of licensing the songs – despite the fact initial releases mostly used cover versions.
“We rerecorded every song because the dollar figure prohibitive,” he says. “Despite having the necessary permissions by themselves, it was nearly impossible. We failed to secure bands like legendary groups – the publisher was operating on a shoestring budget, and we were pretty convinced it would fail. However, when Guitar Hero took off, and record sales and radio play were going up, all artists desired to participate.”
He adds: “One of the amazing things was the number of mothers and fathers got in touch expressing gratitude for introducing their kids to the music they loved. It became a multigenerational phenomenon.”
Classic Rock Gains Younger Fans
Irish group one featured act had their track in the 2008 release Guitar Hero World Tour. Lead musician the artist recalls how the series revived classic rock to the forefront: “The game offered a larger, younger audience. Generally this had been seen as music that was past it, however when it was featured on the game young people discovered it, abruptly it was cool. This validated it, eliminating the outdated label. It provided our catalog renewed popularity.”
In 2008, the band's first record remained unreleased in the US, meaning Guitar Hero served as a primary platform of discovery for the group during their a North American tour supporting AC/DC. “The roadies were playing the song during travel, and some of them knew us thanks to the game,” Mahon says.
Major Band Titles and Lasting Impact
Rock’s heavyweight names quickly took advantage of the game's success, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen starring in dedicated spin-off titles centered around their music collections and associated stories, imagery and legendary status. In the case of, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, reportedly earned the band more money than any of their studio albums. It sold well over 500,000 units upon release, and demand for Aerosmith’s music rose significantly at a time as the industry faced decline.
Guitar Hero continues to inspire quick-handed dedication among its fans. Earlier this year, a streamer achieved an impressive attempt 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 and extensive customisation options. The song is challenging even in expert mode, let alone played at double speed and without missing a single one of its near 4,000 notes. They stated it took nine months to accomplish.
“Guitar Hero is a fun, imaginary experience. Just as with other games, that doesn’t mean you should pick up a real gun and go to war,” says DragonForce guitarist the artist.
DragonForce had already completed a profitable run when Through the Fire and Flames appeared in the third game, but Li says it made them a household name. “I remember our distributors calling to tell me that our selling albums like crazy,” he shares. “It exploded when we next toured, and we performed right ahead of top acts on the Mayhem festival.”
In fact, DragonForce’s exposure from Guitar Hero was so immense that it risked eclipsing everything else the band has done. Last year, the song was used in a trailer for Despicable Me 4. “In the past I felt differently, but I’ve made peace with it,” Li says. “If you only hear a single track, it’s totally cool – each person has their own musical journey and I'm pleased we’ve been part of people’s lives”.
Enduring Legacy of a Plastic Guitar
Top-tier marketing, whether it’s for cars, clothes or video games, goes further than selling something – it evokes a desire. Was the game able to harness this? “Precisely what our team trying to create,” he confirms. “That thrill of being a rock star on the stage. Since the beginning, the creators believed there’s an instinctive urge to create songs, and they wanted to leverage innovation to enable everyone to do it”.
Most installments were released in just a five-year period from 2005 to 2010, featuring derivative titles such as the DJ version, complete with a spinning deck, and the band-focused game. After that, corporate focus on peripherals waned, except for a short-lived revival several years later.
Games such as Clone Hero and Fortnite Festival have maintained the scene active, and there’s set to be 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 another game following Guitar Hero?
“We thought those games could be like Madden where you can releases,” he remarks. “There’s so much fresh tracks it could remain evergreen, so I’ve always been optimistic. It's entirely possible why it can’t persist for future fans.”
