Marking 20 years since Guitar Hero debuted in North America, offering players everywhere the means to feel like a rock star. Figuratively speaking, though you'd be hard-pressed convincing anyone who has mastered Free Bird’s four-minute instrumental break before a packed living-room audience.
Created by Harmonix, Guitar Hero provided users with a plastic guitar peripheral to match coloured notes scrolling down the screen in time with a song. Each riff mimicked specific notes, producing the sensation of an authentic live show.
The studio previously tried its hand in the music genre before partnering with RedOctane, which was acquired by the gaming giant in 2006. Collaboratively, they established the groundwork for an unlikely billion-dollar franchise that had a remarkable influence for many musicians included, showcasing classic bands to millions of younger players.
Michael Dornbrook, former COO from the developer, recalls the early budgetary hurdles in securing the recordings – even though initial releases mostly used cover versions.
“We rerecorded every song because the cost was so high,” he explains. “Despite having the publishing rights alone, it proved nearly impossible. We couldn’t get bands like the Who – RedOctane was operating on a shoestring budget, and we were fairly certain it would fail. However, when Guitar Hero became a hit, and record sales airtime were going up, everyone wanted to be in.”
He continues: “One of the amazing things was the number of mothers and fathers got in touch expressing gratitude for exposing their kids to the songs they adored. It evolved into a multigenerational thing.”
Classic Rock Finds Younger Fans
Irish blues-rock band the Answer included Never Too Late on the 2008 game the popular installment. Lead musician the artist recalls how the series revived older hits to the forefront: “Guitar Hero offered a bigger, new demographic. Generally such music was considered outdated material, but then when it was included in the title and teenagers were finding it, abruptly it was cool. That legitimised it, eliminating the ‘dad rock’ tag. It gave our catalog a new life.”
At that time, the Answer’s first record was still not available stateside, meaning the game served as a primary platform for exposure for the group during their US tour supporting the rock giants. “Their crew had on Never Too Late during travel, and some of them recognized us thanks to the game,” he notes.
Rock’s Heavyweight Titles and Lasting Influence
Rock’s heavyweight names quickly capitalised on the game's success, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and others starring in specialized spin-off titles centered around each band’s catalogue and related lore, imagery and rock’n’roll mythology. For example, the Aerosmith edition, it was said earned the group more money compared to their records. It sold more than half a million copies upon release, and demand for their songs saw an increase of up to 40% during an era when the music business was already collapsing.
The series still motivates nimble-fingered dedication among its fans. Recently, a streamer completed a remarkable feat featuring the challenging track – a notoriously difficult power-metal song made popular by the game – using a fan-made version, a no-cost alternative with almost identical mechanics and extensive personalization features. This track is difficult even in the hardest setting, not to mention performed at double speed while hitting every one of the thousands of cues. They stated it took months of practice of practice.
“Guitar Hero is a fun, imaginary experience. Just as with Call of Duty, it doesn't imply you should use a real gun and enlist,” says DragonForce guitarist the artist.
The band previously completed a profitable run when Through the Fire and Flames appeared on Guitar Hero III, but Li says it made them a household name. “I remember our distributors calling to tell me that our records were moving rapidly,” he shares. “Popularity surged when we next toured, and we were playing right ahead of top acts on the Mayhem festival.”
Indeed, the band's visibility from Guitar Hero was so immense that it threatened to eclipsing all other the band has done. Last year, the song was used in a trailer for Despicable Me 4. “Previously I thought otherwise, but I’ve made peace with it,” Li says. “If you only hear a single track, that's fine – everyone’s got a unique path in music and I’m glad we played a role in fans' experiences”.
The Lasting Impact of a Plastic Guitar
The best marketing, be it for automobiles, apparel or games, goes further mere transactions – it inspires a longing. Did Guitar Hero harness this? “Precisely what we were trying to create,” Dornbrook says. “The excitement of being a rock star in the spotlight. From day one, the co-founders believed there’s an instinctive urge to create songs, and their goal was to use technology to enable everyone to participate”.
The majority of Guitar Hero games were released over a mere half-decade between 2005 and 2010, including derivative titles like DJ Hero, complete with a turntable controller, and the band-focused game. After that, the publisher’s interest in plastic instruments died down, aside from a brief comeback in 2015.
Titles such as the fan project and newer releases have kept the scene active, and there’s expectations of something from the founders in development. Recently formed developers has entered production on its debut rhythm-based title. The initial creators are both involved as special advisers. Is the world ready to embrace a new entry following Guitar Hero?
“We thought those games could be similar to sports games where you can releases,” he remarks. “With abundant new music that it could be evergreen, thus I remain hopeful. There’s no reason why it can’t persist with new generations.”
