Marking 20 years since Guitar Hero hit the market in North America, offering everyday gamers the means to become rock legends. Not in reality, though you'd be hard-pressed telling that anyone who's nailed the epic lengthy guitar solo before a packed living-room audience.
Developed by the developers, Guitar Hero gave players a guitar-shaped controller to follow on-screen cues scrolling down the display synchronized to the music. Each riff mimicked specific notes, creating the sensation of a genuine performance.
Harmonix had already experimented in the music genre before partnering with RedOctane, which was acquired by the gaming giant during the mid-2000s. Collaboratively, they established the groundwork for an unlikely billion-dollar series which made a significant influence for many of the artists included, introducing classic groups to a new generation of younger players.
Michael Dornbrook, former COO of Harmonix, recalls the early financial challenges of licensing the recordings – even though initial releases primarily featured rerecorded tracks.
“We rerecorded every song since the dollar figure prohibitive,” he explains. “Despite having the necessary permissions by themselves, it was extremely difficult. We failed to secure acts such as legendary groups – RedOctane had virtually no money, and our team was fairly certain it would fail. However, when the game took off, and record sales airtime increased, everyone wanted to participate.”
He continues: “One of the remarkable aspects was the number of parents reached out and thanked us for exposing their kids to the songs they adored. It became a multigenerational thing.”
Timeless Music Gains Younger Fans
Irish blues-rock band the Answer included Never Too Late in the 2008 release Guitar Hero World Tour. Guitarist the artist recalls how the series revived older hits back into vogue: “Guitar Hero provided a larger, new demographic. Generally this had been seen as music that was past it, however once it got included in the game and teenagers discovered it, suddenly it was cool. This validated the genre, eliminating the outdated label. It gave our catalog a new life.”
In 2008, the Answer’s first record was still not available stateside, so the game served as a primary platform for exposure for the group as they went on a North American tour opening for the rock giants. “Their crew had on Never Too Late during travel, and some of them knew us from Guitar Hero,” Mahon says.
Rock’s Heavyweight Spin-offs Enduring Influence
Music's heavyweight names quickly took advantage of the series’ popularity, with Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen starring in specialized spin-off titles that focused on their music collections and related lore, imagery and rock’n’roll mythology. For example, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, reportedly earned the group greater revenue than any of their studio albums. It moved well over 500,000 copies upon release, and demand for Aerosmith’s music rose significantly at a time when the music business faced decline.
Guitar Hero still motivates quick-handed dedication within the community. Recently, a streamer achieved an impressive attempt featuring the challenging track – an infamously tough power-metal song popularized through the game – on Clone Hero, a freeware game with almost identical mechanics and extensive customisation options. This track 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 months of practice of practice.
“The game offers a, imaginary experience. If you play Call of Duty, it doesn't imply you ought to pick up a real gun and go to war,” says musician the artist.
DragonForce previously completed a successful tour before their hit appeared in the third game, yet he explains it made them widely recognized. “I recall our distributors calling to tell me that our selling albums like crazy,” he says. “It exploded when we next toured, and we performed just before the headliners on the Mayhem festival.”
In fact, the band's visibility from Guitar Hero proved so vast that it has risked overshadow all other accomplishments. Last year, the track featured in a trailer for Despicable Me 4. “In the past I felt differently, but I’ve made peace with it,” Li says. “Should you just listen to a single track, it’s totally cool – each person has their own musical journey and I'm pleased we’ve been part of people’s lives”.
The Lasting Legacy of a Plastic Guitar
Top-tier promotion, whether it’s for cars, apparel or video games, extends beyond mere transactions – it inspires a desire. Was the game able to tap into that? “Precisely what our team trying to create,” Dornbrook says. “That thrill of performing as a rock star on the stage. From day one, the co-founders felt that humans have a natural urge to create songs, and their goal was to leverage innovation to enable everyone to do it”.
Most installments were released over a mere five-year period between 2005 and 2010, featuring derivative titles like DJ Hero, including a spinning deck, and the band-focused game. After that, 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 something from the original publisher in development. Recently formed developers has begun production on their first music game. Original co-founders are both involved in advisory roles. Is the world ready to embrace another game in the spirit of the classic?
“Our team believed those games could be similar to sports games allowing annual releases,” Dornbrook says. “With abundant fresh tracks it could remain evergreen, so I’ve always been optimistic. There’s no reason for it to continue for future fans.”
