Marking two decades after Guitar Hero hit the market in North America, offering everyday gamers the tools to become a rock star. Not literally, though you'd be hard-pressed telling that someone who has nailed the epic lengthy guitar solo in front of a packed crowd of friends.
Created by Harmonix, Guitar Hero provided users with a guitar-shaped controller to follow on-screen cues moving along the display synchronized to a song. Each riff mimicked particular chords, producing the sensation of an authentic performance.
The studio previously experimented in the music genre before partnering with the publisher, which was acquired by the gaming giant during the mid-2000s. Together, they laid the groundwork for a surprising massively profitable series which made a significant impact on numerous musicians featured, introducing classic groups to a new generation of younger players.
Michael Dornbrook, former COO of Harmonix, remembers the initial budgetary hurdles in securing the recordings – even though initial releases primarily featured rerecorded tracks.
“We reproduced every song because the cost prohibitive,” he says. “Even with the necessary permissions by themselves, it proved nearly impossible. We failed to secure acts such as legendary groups – the publisher had virtually no money, and we were fairly certain the project would flop. But once Guitar Hero took off, album purchases airtime were going up, everyone wanted to participate.”
He continues: “Among the amazing things was the number of mothers and fathers reached out expressing gratitude for introducing their children to the music they loved. It became an intergenerational phenomenon.”
Timeless Music Gains Younger Fans
Irish blues-rock band one featured act included their track in the 2008 release Guitar Hero World Tour. Guitarist Paul Mahon remembers the way the game revived older hits back into vogue: “The game provided a larger, younger audience. Typically such music was seen as music that was past it, however when it was included in the game and teenagers were finding it, suddenly it was cool. That legitimised it, eliminating the outdated label. It gave all our music a new life.”
In 2008, the Answer’s debut album remained not available stateside, meaning the game was a key medium of discovery for the group during their a North American tour supporting AC/DC. “Their crew were playing the song during travel, and several knew us from Guitar Hero,” Mahon says.
Rock’s Heavyweight Titles Enduring Influence
Rock’s biggest acts quickly took advantage of the series’ popularity, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and others featuring in dedicated game editions that focused on their music collections and related stories, visuals and rock’n’roll mythology. For example, the Aerosmith edition, reportedly earned the band more money than any of their records. It moved more than half a million copies upon release, and demand for their songs rose significantly during an era as the industry faced decline.
Guitar Hero still motivates quick-handed fanaticism within the community. Earlier this year, an online personality completed an impressive attempt of DragonForce’s Through the Fire and Flames – a notoriously difficult power-metal song popularized through Guitar Hero – on Clone Hero, a freeware game with almost identical mechanics but an array of customisation options. The song is difficult enough on expert mode, not to mention performed at double speed and without missing every one of its near 4,000 notes. The streamer claimed requiring nine months to accomplish.
“Guitar Hero offers a, imaginary experience. If you play Call of Duty, that doesn’t mean you should use actual weapons and enlist,” notes musician the artist.
DragonForce previously completed a profitable run when Through the Fire and Flames appeared in the third game, but Li says it turned them into a household name. “I recall the record label calling to tell me that our records were moving rapidly,” he says. “It exploded when we next toured, and we performed 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 everything else the band has done. Recently, the track was used in promotional material for a major film. “Previously I thought differently, but now I accept it,” Li says. “Should you just hear a single track, that's fine – each person has a unique musical journey and I'm pleased we played a role of people’s lives”.
The Lasting Impact of a Plastic Guitar
The best promotion, whether it’s for cars, apparel or video games, goes further than selling something – it evokes a longing. Did Guitar Hero tap into that? “That’s exactly what we were trying to create,” Dornbrook says. “That thrill of being a music icon in the spotlight. From day one, the creators believed there’s an instinctive human desire to create songs, and they wanted to use technology to allow people to do it”.
The majority of Guitar Hero games were released in just a half-decade from 2005 to 2010, featuring spin-offs such as DJ Hero, including a spinning deck, and Band Hero. After that, corporate focus on peripherals died down, aside from a short-lived revival in 2015.
Titles like the fan project and Fortnite Festival have maintained the community active, with set to be something from the original publisher in development. A new studio has entered work on their first rhythm-based title. The initial creators are both involved in advisory roles. Are gamers ready to embrace a new entry in the spirit of Guitar Hero?
“Our team believed such titles could be like Madden where you can update every year,” Dornbrook says. “With abundant new music that it could be evergreen, thus I remain optimistic. It's entirely possible why it can’t continue with new generations.”
