It has been 20 years since the legendary game hit the market in North America, giving everyday gamers the means to become a rock star. Not literally, though you'd be hard-pressed telling that anyone who's mastered Free Bird’s lengthy instrumental break in front of a packed crowd of friends.
Created 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 specific notes, producing the feel of a genuine performance.
The studio had already tried its hand in the music genre before partnering with the publisher, which was purchased by the gaming giant during the mid-2000s. Together, they laid the foundations for a surprising billion-dollar franchise that had a remarkable impact on numerous of the artists featured, showcasing decades-old groups to millions of younger players.
Michael Dornbrook, ex-chief operating officer from the developer, recalls the early financial challenges of licensing the recordings – even though initial releases primarily featured cover versions.
“We reproduced all the music since the dollar figure was so high,” he explains. “Despite having the necessary permissions by themselves, it was extremely difficult. We couldn’t get acts such as the Who – the publisher was operating on a shoestring budget, and our team was fairly certain it would fail. But once Guitar Hero took off, and record sales and radio play increased, everyone wanted to be in.”
He continues: “Among the amazing things was the number of parents reached out and thanked us for introducing their children to the music they loved. It became an intergenerational thing.”
Classic Rock Finds Younger Fans
Irish blues-rock band the Answer had their track on the 2008 game the popular installment. Lead musician the artist remembers the way the game brought classic rock back into vogue: “Guitar Hero offered a larger, new demographic. Typically such music was seen as music that was past it, but then once it got included in the title and teenagers were finding it, suddenly it became trendy. That legitimised it, and got rid of the outdated label. It gave our catalog a new life.”
In 2008, the Answer’s first record was still not available stateside, meaning the game served as a primary platform of discovery for the group during their a North American tour supporting the rock giants. “The roadies had on Never Too Late on the tour bus, and several recognized us thanks to the game,” Mahon says.
Rock’s Heavyweight Titles Enduring Impact
Music's heavyweight names quickly capitalised on the game's success, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen starring in dedicated game editions that focused on each band’s catalogue and associated stories, imagery and legendary status. For example, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, it was said to have made the band greater revenue than any of their studio albums. It moved well over 500,000 copies in its first week, and demand for their songs saw an increase of up to 40% during an era when the music business was already collapsing.
Guitar Hero continues to inspire quick-handed dedication within the community. Earlier this year, an online personality completed a remarkable feat of DragonForce’s the challenging track – an infamously tough anthem popularized through the game – using a fan-made version, a no-cost alternative with almost identical mechanics but an array of personalization features. The song is challenging even in expert mode, let alone played at double speed and without missing every one of its near 4,000 notes. They stated requiring nine months of practice.
“The game is a fun, imaginary experience. If you play Call of Duty, that doesn’t mean you should use actual weapons and go to war,” says musician Herman Li.
DragonForce previously wrapped up a profitable run when their hit appeared in the third game, yet he explains it made them a household name. “I recall the record label calling to tell me that we were selling albums rapidly,” he says. “Popularity surged on the subsequent tour, and we performed right ahead of top acts on the Mayhem festival.”
Indeed, DragonForce’s exposure via the game proved so vast that it has risked overshadow everything else the band has done. Last year, the track featured in a trailer for a major film. “In the past I thought differently, but I’ve made peace with it,” Li says. “If you only listen to one DragonForce song, it’s totally cool – everyone’s got a unique path in music and I'm pleased we played a role of people’s lives”.
The Lasting Impact from the Plastic Guitar
Top-tier marketing, be it for automobiles, clothes or video games, extends beyond mere transactions – it evokes a longing. Was the game able to tap into that? “Precisely what our team aiming to achieve,” he confirms. “That thrill of being a rock star in the spotlight. Since the beginning, the co-founders felt that there’s an instinctive human desire to create songs, and their goal was to use technology to enable everyone to participate”.
The majority of Guitar Hero games came out in just a five-year period between 2005 and 2010, featuring derivative titles such as the DJ version, complete with a spinning deck, and Band Hero. Subsequently, the publisher’s interest on peripherals died down, except for a short-lived revival several years later.
Games like the fan project and newer releases have kept the scene alive, and there’s set to be a new product 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 another game in the spirit of the classic?
“We thought those games might become like Madden allowing annual releases,” he remarks. “With abundant fresh tracks it could remain perennially popular, so I’ve always been optimistic. There’s no reason for it to continue for future fans.”
