It has been two decades after the legendary game debuted across the Atlantic, providing players everywhere the tools to feel like rock legends. Figuratively speaking, but try telling that anyone who's nailed Free Bird’s lengthy instrumental break in front of a packed crowd of friends.
Created by the developers, Guitar Hero gave players a guitar-shaped controller to follow coloured notes moving along the display in time with the music. Each riff mimicked particular chords, producing the feel of a genuine performance.
Harmonix previously tried its hand with rhythm games prior to teaming up with the publisher, which was purchased by Activision during the mid-2000s. Together, they laid the foundations for a surprising billion-dollar series which made a significant influence on numerous of the artists featured, introducing decades-old groups to a new generation of gaming enthusiasts.
Michael Dornbrook, ex-chief operating officer of Harmonix, remembers the early financial challenges in securing the recordings – despite the fact initial releases mostly used cover versions.
“We rerecorded every song since the dollar figure was so high,” he says. “Even with the necessary permissions alone, it was nearly impossible. We couldn’t get acts such as legendary groups – the publisher had virtually no money, and we were pretty convinced it would fail. But once the game took off, and record sales airtime increased, everyone wanted to participate.”
He adds: “Among the remarkable aspects was the number of mothers and fathers got in touch and thanked us for introducing their children to the music they loved. It became a multigenerational thing.”
Classic Rock Gains a New Audience
Northern Irish blues-rock band one featured act had their track on the 2008 game Guitar Hero World Tour. Guitarist the artist remembers the way the game brought older hits to the forefront: “The game provided a bigger, new demographic. Typically this had been seen as outdated material, but then when it was featured on the game and teenagers discovered it, suddenly it became trendy. That legitimised it, and got rid of the ‘dad rock’ label. It gave our catalog a new life.”
In 2008, the Answer’s debut album remained not available stateside, meaning Guitar Hero was a key medium of discovery for the group as they went on US tour opening for AC/DC. “The roadies were playing the song during travel, and several recognized us thanks to the game,” Mahon says.
Rock’s Heavyweight Titles and Lasting Influence
Music's heavyweight names soon took advantage of the game's success, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and others starring in dedicated game editions that focused on their music collections and associated lore, imagery and rock’n’roll mythology. For example, the Aerosmith edition, reportedly to have made the band greater revenue compared to their records. It sold well over 500,000 copies upon release, while sales of their songs rose significantly at a time when the music business faced decline.
The series continues to inspire quick-handed dedication within the community. Recently, an online personality achieved an impressive attempt featuring the challenging track – an infamously tough anthem made popular by Guitar Hero – on Clone Hero, a no-cost alternative with similar mechanics but an array of customisation options. The song is challenging even in the hardest setting, let alone played at increased tempo and without missing every one of its near 4,000 notes. They stated it took nine months of practice.
“The game offers a, fantasy thing. Just as with other games, that doesn’t mean you ought to pick up a real gun and enlist,” notes musician the artist.
The band had already wrapped up a profitable run when their hit appeared on Guitar Hero III, yet he explains it turned them into a household name. “I remember the record label calling to tell me that our records were moving rapidly,” he shares. “Popularity surged when we next toured, and we performed right ahead of top acts at the event.”
Indeed, the band's visibility via the game proved so vast that it has threatened to overshadow everything else the band has done. Last year, the song featured in promotional material for Despicable Me 4. “In the past I thought otherwise, but I’ve made peace with it,” Li says. “Should you just listen to a single track, it’s totally cool – everyone’s got a unique path in music and I'm pleased we played a role in fans' experiences”.
Enduring Legacy of a Plastic Guitar
Top-tier marketing, be it for cars, apparel or games, goes further than selling something – it evokes a longing. Did Guitar Hero tap into that? “Precisely what our team aiming to achieve,” he confirms. “The excitement of performing as a music icon in the spotlight. From day one, the co-founders believed humans have a natural urge to make music, and they wanted to leverage innovation to enable everyone to do it”.
Most of Guitar Hero games were released in just a half-decade between 2005 and 2010, featuring derivative titles like DJ Hero, including a spinning deck, and Band Hero. After that, corporate focus in plastic instruments waned, aside from a brief comeback in 2015.
Titles such as the fan project and Fortnite Festival have kept the scene active, with set to be something from the founders in development. Recently formed developers has begun work on their first rhythm-based title. The initial creators are participating in advisory roles. Are gamers prepared to welcome another game following Guitar Hero?
“Our team believed such titles might become like Madden where you can update every year,” Dornbrook says. “There’s so much new music that it could be perennially popular, so I’ve always been hopeful. It's entirely possible why it can’t continue with new generations.”
