Marking 20 years after Guitar Hero first launched in North America, giving everyday gamers the opportunity to become a rock star. Not literally, but try telling that anyone who's mastered Free Bird’s lengthy guitar solo in front of a packed crowd of friends.
Created by the developers, Guitar Hero gave players a guitar-shaped controller to follow coloured notes scrolling down the display synchronized to a song. Every sequence corresponded to specific notes, producing the sensation of an authentic live show.
Harmonix previously experimented with rhythm games before partnering with RedOctane, which was acquired by Activision in 2006. Collaboratively, they established the groundwork for an unlikely massively profitable series which made a significant impact on numerous of the artists featured, showcasing decades-old groups to a new generation of younger players.
Michael Dornbrook, ex-chief operating officer from the developer, remembers the early budgetary hurdles in securing the songs – even though the first two games primarily featured cover versions.
“We rerecorded every song because the dollar figure was so high,” he says. “Even with the necessary permissions by themselves, it was nearly impossible. We failed to secure acts such as the Who – the publisher had virtually no money, and our team was pretty convinced the project would flop. However, when Guitar Hero took off, album purchases and radio play increased, all artists desired to be in.”
He continues: “Among the amazing things was the number of parents got in touch and thanked us for exposing their children to the songs they adored. It evolved into an intergenerational thing.”
Timeless Music Finds Younger Fans
Northern Irish blues-rock band one featured act included their track on the 2008 game Guitar Hero World Tour. Guitarist the artist recalls how the series brought classic rock to the forefront: “The game provided a bigger, new demographic. Generally this had been considered outdated material, but then once it got featured on the title young people discovered it, abruptly it was cool. That legitimised the genre, and got rid of the ‘dad rock’ tag. It provided our catalog renewed popularity.”
At that time, the Answer’s debut album was still unreleased in the US, so the game served as a primary platform of discovery for the band as they went on US tour supporting AC/DC. “The roadies had on the song on the tour bus, and several knew us from Guitar Hero,” Mahon says.
Rock’s Heavyweight Spin-offs Enduring Influence
Rock’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 related lore, imagery and legendary status. For example, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, reportedly to have made the group greater revenue than any of their studio albums. It sold well over 500,000 units in its first week, while demand for Aerosmith’s music rose of up to 40% at a time when the music business was already collapsing.
Guitar Hero continues to inspire quick-handed fanaticism within the community. Earlier this year, an online personality completed a remarkable feat of DragonForce’s Through the Fire and Flames – a notoriously difficult anthem popularized through the game – using a fan-made version, a freeware game with similar gameplay but an array of customisation options. The song is challenging enough on the hardest setting, let alone performed at increased tempo while hitting a single one of the thousands of cues. The streamer claimed requiring months of practice of practice.
“The game offers a, fantasy thing. Just as with other games, it doesn't imply you should pick up actual weapons and enlist,” says musician Herman Li.
DragonForce had already completed a successful tour when their hit appeared on Guitar Hero III, but Li says it made them a household name. “I remember our distributors informing us that our selling albums like crazy,” he says. “Popularity surged when we next toured, and we performed right ahead of the headliners at the event.”
Indeed, the band's visibility via the game proved so vast that it risked eclipsing all other accomplishments. Last year, the song featured in a trailer for Despicable Me 4. “Previously I thought otherwise, but I’ve made peace with it,” Li says. “If you only hear one DragonForce song, it’s totally cool – everyone’s got a unique path in music and I'm pleased we’ve been part of people’s lives”.
Enduring Impact from the Iconic Controller
Top-tier promotion, whether it’s for cars, apparel or video games, extends beyond mere transactions – it evokes a desire. Did Guitar Hero harness this? “That’s exactly what we were aiming to achieve,” Dornbrook says. “That thrill of performing as a music icon on the stage. Since the beginning, the co-founders felt that there’s an instinctive urge to create songs, and they wanted to leverage innovation to allow people to participate”.
Most installments came out over a mere half-decade from 2005 to 2010, including spin-offs such as DJ Hero, including a spinning deck, and the band-focused game. Subsequently, corporate focus in plastic instruments waned, aside from a short-lived revival several years later.
Titles such as the fan project and newer releases have kept the community active, with expectations of a new product from the founders on the way. Recently formed developers has entered work on their first rhythm-based title. Original co-founders are both involved as special advisers. Are gamers ready to embrace a new entry following Guitar Hero?
“We thought those games could be like Madden where you can releases,” Dornbrook says. “There’s so much fresh tracks that it could be evergreen, so I’ve always been optimistic. It's entirely possible why it can’t continue with new generations.”
