It has been 20 years after Guitar Hero hit the market in North America, giving everyday gamers the tools to feel like rock legends. Not in reality, but try convincing someone who has nailed Free Bird’s four-minute instrumental break before a packed living-room audience.
Created by the developers, the game gave players a guitar-shaped controller to match on-screen cues moving along the display in time with a song. Each riff corresponded to particular chords, creating the feel of an authentic performance.
The studio previously experimented with rhythm games before partnering with the publisher, later purchased by the gaming giant in 2006. Together, they established the foundations for an unlikely massively profitable series which made a remarkable impact for many of the artists included, introducing decades-old bands to millions of younger players.
A former executive, ex-chief operating officer of Harmonix, remembers the early financial challenges in securing the recordings – even though initial releases mostly used rerecorded tracks.
“We reproduced all the music because the cost was so high,” he says. “Despite having the necessary permissions alone, it proved extremely difficult. We couldn’t get bands like the Who – the publisher had virtually no money, and our team was pretty convinced it would fail. But once Guitar Hero took off, and record sales and radio play increased, everyone wanted to be in.”
He continues: “One of the amazing things was how many mothers and fathers got in touch and thanked us for exposing their kids to the music they adored. It evolved into a multigenerational phenomenon.”
Timeless Music Gains a New Audience
Irish group one featured act had their track in the 2008 release Guitar Hero World Tour. Guitarist the artist recalls how the series revived classic rock to the forefront: “Guitar Hero offered a larger, new demographic. Generally this had been seen as outdated material, however when it was included in the title young people discovered it, suddenly it was cool. That legitimised it, and got rid of 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 was a key medium of discovery for the band as they went on US tour supporting the rock giants. “The roadies were playing Never Too Late during travel, and several recognized us from Guitar Hero,” he notes.
Rock’s Heavyweight Spin-offs and Lasting Impact
Music's biggest acts quickly capitalised on the series’ popularity, with Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen starring in specialized game editions centered around their music collections and related stories, imagery and legendary status. For example, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, it was said to have made the group greater revenue than any of their records. It sold more than half a million units upon release, and demand for Aerosmith’s music rose significantly during an era when the music business faced decline.
The series still motivates nimble-fingered fanaticism among its fans. Earlier this year, an online personality achieved an impressive attempt of DragonForce’s the challenging track – a notoriously difficult power-metal song made popular by the game – on Clone Hero, a freeware game with almost identical mechanics and extensive personalization features. This track is challenging even in the hardest setting, let alone played at double speed and without missing every one of its near 4,000 notes. They claimed 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 use a real gun and go to war,” says DragonForce guitarist Herman Li.
The band had already completed a profitable run before their hit was featured in the third game, yet he explains it turned them into a household name. “I recall the record label calling to tell me that we were selling albums rapidly,” he shares. “It exploded on the subsequent tour, and we were playing right ahead of top acts on the Mayhem festival.”
In fact, DragonForce’s exposure via the game proved so vast that it has threatened to eclipsing all other the band has done. Recently, the track featured in promotional material for a major film. “Previously I thought differently, but I’ve made peace with it,” he admits. “Should you just listen to one DragonForce song, that's fine – each person has their own path in music and I’m glad we played a role of people’s lives”.
Enduring Legacy of a Plastic Guitar
The best promotion, be it for cars, clothes or video games, goes further than selling something – it evokes a desire. Was the game able to tap into that? “Precisely what our team trying to create,” Dornbrook says. “The excitement of performing as a music icon on the stage. Since the beginning, the co-founders believed there’s an instinctive urge to create songs, and they wanted to use technology to allow people to participate”.
Most installments were released in just a five-year period from 2005 to 2010, featuring derivative titles such as DJ Hero, including a spinning deck, and the band-focused game. After that, the publisher’s interest in plastic instruments died down, aside from a brief comeback in 2015.
Games such as the fan project and newer releases have maintained the community alive, with set to be a new product from the founders in development. A new studio has begun work on its debut rhythm-based title. The initial creators are participating as special advisers. Are gamers prepared to welcome another game following the classic?
“We thought such titles could be like Madden allowing annual releases,” Dornbrook says. “With abundant fresh tracks that it could be evergreen, so I’ve always been optimistic. There’s no reason why it can’t continue for future fans.”
