Marking 20 years since Guitar Hero first launched across the Atlantic, providing everyday gamers the means to feel like rock legends. Not literally, but try convincing someone who has nailed the epic lengthy instrumental break before a packed living-room audience.
Developed by the developers, Guitar Hero gave players a plastic guitar peripheral to match coloured notes scrolling down the display in time with a song. Each riff corresponded to specific notes, creating the feel of an authentic live show.
Harmonix had already experimented in the music genre prior to teaming up with RedOctane, which was purchased by the gaming giant during the mid-2000s. Together, they laid the foundations for an unlikely massively profitable franchise that had a significant impact for many of the artists featured, introducing decades-old groups to millions of gaming enthusiasts.
Michael Dornbrook, ex-chief operating officer from the developer, remembers the early budgetary hurdles of licensing the recordings – despite the fact initial releases mostly used cover versions.
“We reproduced all the music since the cost prohibitive,” he says. “Even with the necessary permissions alone, it proved extremely difficult. We couldn’t get bands like the Who – RedOctane had virtually no money, and our team was fairly certain the project would flop. But once Guitar Hero took off, and record sales airtime increased, everyone wanted to be in.”
He continues: “Among the remarkable aspects was how many mothers and fathers got in touch expressing gratitude for introducing their kids to the songs they adored. It became a multigenerational phenomenon.”
Classic Rock Gains Younger Fans
Northern Irish blues-rock band the Answer had Never Too Late on the 2008 game the popular installment. Lead musician the artist recalls how the series brought older hits back into vogue: “The game offered a bigger, new demographic. Generally this had been seen as music that was past it, but then once it got included in the game and teenagers discovered it, suddenly it was cool. That legitimised the genre, and got rid of the outdated label. It gave all our music renewed popularity.”
In 2008, the band's first record remained not available in the US, so the game served as a primary platform of discovery for the group as they went on US tour supporting the rock giants. “Their crew had on the song on the tour bus, and several recognized us thanks to the game,” Mahon says.
Rock’s Heavyweight Titles Enduring Impact
Rock’s heavyweight names soon took advantage of the series’ popularity, with Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen starring in dedicated spin-off titles centered around each band’s catalogue and associated lore, visuals and legendary status. In the case of, the Aerosmith edition, reportedly to have made the band greater revenue than any of their studio albums. It sold more than half a million units in its first week, and demand for their songs rose significantly at a time when the music business faced decline.
The series continues to inspire nimble-fingered dedication among its fans. Earlier this year, a streamer 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 similar gameplay but an array of personalization features. This track is difficult even in the hardest setting, let alone played at double speed while hitting every one of the thousands of cues. They claimed requiring months of practice of practice.
“Guitar Hero offers a, fantasy thing. If you play Call of Duty, it doesn't imply you should use a real gun and enlist,” notes musician the artist.
The band had already completed a profitable run when their hit was featured in the third game, yet he explains it turned them into a household name. “I remember our distributors calling to tell me that we were records were moving rapidly,” he shares. “It exploded when we next toured, and we performed just before the headliners on the Mayhem festival.”
In fact, the band's visibility via the game proved so vast that it risked overshadow everything else the band has done. Recently, the song featured in a trailer for a major film. “In the past I felt differently, but now I accept 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’ve been part of people’s lives”.
Enduring Legacy from the Plastic Guitar
The best promotion, be it for cars, clothes or games, goes further than selling something – it inspires a longing. Did Guitar Hero tap into that? “That’s exactly what our team trying to create,” Dornbrook says. “The excitement of being a rock star in the spotlight. From day one, the co-founders believed humans have a natural human desire to create songs, and their goal was to use technology to enable everyone to participate”.
The majority installments came out in just a five-year period between 2005 and 2010, featuring spin-offs such as the DJ version, including a turntable controller, and the band-focused game. After that, corporate focus on peripherals died down, except for a brief comeback several years later.
Titles like Clone Hero and newer releases have maintained the community alive, and there’s set to be a new product from the founders on the way. Recently formed developers has entered work on their first music game. The initial creators are both involved in advisory roles. Is the world ready to embrace a new entry following the classic?
“Our team believed those games might become like Madden allowing annual releases,” he remarks. “With abundant new music it could remain evergreen, thus I remain hopeful. There’s no reason why it can’t persist for future fans.”
