Marking two decades since the legendary game debuted in North America, offering everyday gamers the tools to become rock legends. Figuratively speaking, but try convincing anyone who has mastered the epic lengthy guitar solo before a packed crowd of friends.
Developed by the developers, Guitar Hero provided users with a plastic guitar peripheral to match on-screen cues moving along the display in time with a song. Every sequence corresponded to particular chords, producing the feel of a genuine live show.
Harmonix previously tried its hand in the music genre before partnering with the publisher, later acquired by Activision during the mid-2000s. Collaboratively, they established the foundations for a surprising massively profitable franchise that had a significant impact on numerous musicians included, showcasing classic bands to millions of younger players.
Michael Dornbrook, former COO from the developer, remembers the early financial challenges of licensing the recordings – even though the first two games primarily featured cover versions.
“We reproduced all the music since the dollar figure prohibitive,” he says. “Even with the publishing rights by themselves, it was nearly impossible. We failed to secure bands like legendary groups – RedOctane had virtually no money, and we were pretty convinced it would fail. But once Guitar Hero took off, and record sales airtime were going up, everyone wanted to participate.”
He continues: “One of the amazing things was the number of parents reached out expressing gratitude for introducing their children to the music they adored. It became a multigenerational phenomenon.”
Classic Rock Gains Younger Fans
Northern Irish blues-rock band the Answer had Never Too Late in the 2008 release Guitar Hero World Tour. Lead musician the artist remembers how the series revived older hits back into vogue: “Guitar Hero provided a bigger, new demographic. Generally this had been considered music that was past it, but then when it was featured on the title and teenagers were finding it, abruptly it was cool. That legitimised it, eliminating the ‘dad rock’ label. It provided all our music a new life.”
In 2008, the band's first record remained unreleased in the US, so the game served as a primary platform of discovery for the band as they went on US tour opening for the rock giants. “The roadies had on the song during travel, and some of them recognized us thanks to the game,” Mahon says.
Rock’s Heavyweight Spin-offs Enduring Influence
Music's biggest acts quickly capitalised on the game's success, with Aerosmith, Metallica and others featuring in specialized game editions that focused on their music collections and associated stories, visuals and legendary status. In the case of, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, it was said earned the band greater revenue compared to their records. It moved more than 500,000 units in its first week, while sales of their songs saw an increase significantly during an era when the music business was already collapsing.
The series continues to inspire quick-handed dedication within the community. Recently, an online personality completed a remarkable feat of DragonForce’s Through the Fire and Flames – an infamously tough power-metal song popularized through the game – on Clone Hero, a freeware game with almost identical mechanics and extensive personalization features. This track is challenging even in expert mode, let alone performed at increased tempo and without missing a single one of its near 4,000 notes. They stated it took nine months to accomplish.
“The game is a fun, imaginary experience. Just as with other games, that doesn’t mean you ought to pick up a real gun and go to war,” notes musician the artist.
DragonForce previously completed a profitable run when their hit appeared in the third game, but Li says it made them widely recognized. “I remember our distributors calling to tell me that our selling albums like crazy,” he shares. “Popularity surged when we next toured, and we performed just before the headliners at the event.”
In fact, the band's visibility from Guitar Hero was so immense that it has risked overshadow everything else the band has done. Last year, the track was used in a trailer for Despicable Me 4. “In the past I felt otherwise, but I’ve made peace with it,” he admits. “If you only listen to a single track, it’s totally cool – each person has their own musical journey and I’m glad we played a role of people’s lives”.
Enduring Impact from the Plastic Guitar
The best marketing, whether it’s for cars, clothes or video games, extends beyond mere transactions – it inspires a longing. Did Guitar Hero harness this? “Precisely what we were trying to create,” he confirms. “That thrill of being a music icon in the spotlight. Since the beginning, the co-founders believed humans have a natural human desire to create songs, and their goal was to leverage innovation to allow people to participate”.
Most of Guitar Hero games came out in just a five-year period between 2005 and 2010, including spin-offs like the DJ version, complete with a turntable controller, and the band-focused game. Subsequently, corporate focus in plastic instruments died down, except for a short-lived revival in 2015.
Games such as the fan project and newer releases have maintained the community active, and there’s set to be a new product from the founders in development. Recently formed developers has begun work on their first rhythm-based title. Original co-founders are both involved as special advisers. Are gamers prepared to welcome another game in the spirit of Guitar Hero?
“Our team believed such titles might become similar to sports games allowing annual releases,” Dornbrook says. “There’s so much new music that it could be evergreen, so I’ve always been optimistic. There’s no reason why it can’t continue with new generations.”
