It has been two decades after the legendary game debuted across the Atlantic, offering everyday gamers the opportunity to become a rock star. Not in reality, though you'd be hard-pressed convincing anyone who's mastered Free Bird’s lengthy instrumental break before a packed living-room audience.
Developed by Harmonix, Guitar Hero provided users with a plastic guitar peripheral to follow coloured notes moving along the display in time with the music. Each riff corresponded to specific notes, producing the feel of a genuine live show.
Harmonix previously experimented in the music genre prior to teaming up with the publisher, which was purchased by the gaming giant in 2006. Together, they established the groundwork for an unlikely billion-dollar series which made a significant impact for many of the artists featured, showcasing decades-old groups to a new generation of gaming enthusiasts.
Michael Dornbrook, former COO from the developer, remembers the initial budgetary hurdles in securing the songs – despite the fact initial releases primarily featured cover versions.
“We rerecorded every song because the dollar figure prohibitive,” he says. “Even with the necessary permissions by themselves, it proved extremely difficult. We couldn’t get bands like the Who – the publisher had virtually no money, and we were pretty convinced the project would flop. But once Guitar Hero became a hit, and record sales and radio play increased, everyone wanted to participate.”
He continues: “Among the amazing things was how many parents got in touch expressing gratitude for introducing their children to the music they loved. It became an intergenerational phenomenon.”
Timeless Music Gains a New Audience
Irish group the Answer included their track in the 2008 release the popular installment. Guitarist Paul Mahon recalls how the series brought older hits back into vogue: “Guitar Hero provided a larger, new demographic. Typically this had been seen as outdated material, however when it was included in the game and teenagers were finding it, suddenly it became trendy. This validated it, eliminating the ‘dad rock’ label. It gave our catalog a new life.”
In 2008, the band's debut album was still not available stateside, so the game served as a primary platform of discovery for the band as they went on a North American tour supporting the rock giants. “The roadies had on the song during travel, and some of them knew us from Guitar Hero,” Mahon says.
Rock’s Heavyweight Titles and Lasting Impact
Music's heavyweight names soon took advantage of the game's success, with Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen starring in specialized game editions centered around each band’s catalogue and associated lore, visuals and rock’n’roll mythology. In the case of, the Aerosmith edition, reportedly to have made the band more money than any of their records. It moved well over half a million units upon release, and demand for Aerosmith’s music rose significantly during an era when the music business faced decline.
Guitar Hero still motivates quick-handed dedication within the community. Recently, an online personality completed an impressive attempt of DragonForce’s Through the Fire and Flames – an infamously tough power-metal song popularized through Guitar Hero – using a fan-made version, a freeware game with almost identical mechanics but an array of personalization features. This track is difficult even in the hardest setting, let alone played at double speed while hitting a single one of the thousands of cues. They claimed it took nine months of practice.
“Guitar Hero is a fun, fantasy thing. Just as with Call of Duty, that doesn’t mean you should pick up actual weapons and enlist,” says DragonForce guitarist Herman Li.
The band previously completed a profitable run when their hit appeared on Guitar Hero III, but Li says it made them widely recognized. “I remember our distributors informing us that our records were moving rapidly,” he shares. “It exploded when we next toured, and we were playing right ahead of top acts at the event.”
Indeed, DragonForce’s exposure from Guitar Hero was so immense that it risked overshadow everything else the band has done. Last year, the song was used in a trailer for Despicable Me 4. “Previously I thought differently, but now I accept it,” Li says. “Should you just listen to 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 Legacy from the Plastic Guitar
The best marketing, be it for automobiles, apparel or video games, extends beyond mere transactions – it evokes a desire. Was the game able to tap into that? “Precisely what we were aiming to achieve,” Dornbrook says. “That thrill of being a rock star in the spotlight. From day one, the creators felt that humans have a natural human desire to make music, and their goal was to leverage innovation to enable everyone to participate”.
The majority of Guitar Hero games were released over a mere five-year period from 2005 to 2010, including derivative titles such as the DJ version, including a turntable controller, and Band Hero. Subsequently, corporate focus in plastic instruments died down, aside from a short-lived revival in 2015.
Titles such as Clone Hero and Fortnite Festival have kept the community active, and there’s set to be something from the founders in development. A new studio has begun work on its debut music game. The initial creators are participating as special advisers. Is the world prepared to welcome a new entry following the classic?
“We thought those games might become similar to sports games allowing annual update every year,” he remarks. “There’s so much fresh tracks it could remain evergreen, so I’ve always been hopeful. It's entirely possible why it can’t persist for future fans.”
