It has been two decades since Guitar Hero debuted in North America, giving everyday gamers the opportunity to become a rock star. Figuratively speaking, but try convincing someone who has nailed the epic four-minute instrumental break before a packed crowd of friends.
Created by the developers, the game gave players a plastic guitar peripheral to match on-screen cues moving along the display synchronized to the music. Every sequence mimicked particular chords, creating the sensation of a genuine live show.
Harmonix had already tried its hand in the music genre prior to teaming up with the publisher, later acquired by Activision during the mid-2000s. Collaboratively, they established the foundations for an unlikely billion-dollar franchise which made a significant influence on numerous of the artists featured, showcasing decades-old groups to millions of younger players.
Michael Dornbrook, ex-chief operating officer of Harmonix, recalls the early financial challenges in securing the recordings – despite the fact initial releases mostly used rerecorded tracks.
“We rerecorded every song because the dollar figure prohibitive,” he explains. “Even with the necessary permissions by themselves, it proved nearly impossible. We failed to secure bands like the Who – the publisher was operating on a shoestring budget, and we were fairly certain the project would flop. But once the game became a hit, album purchases and radio play were going up, everyone wanted to participate.”
He continues: “One of the remarkable aspects was how many parents reached out expressing gratitude for exposing their children to the music they loved. It evolved into a multigenerational thing.”
Timeless Music Gains a New Audience
Irish blues-rock band the Answer had Never Too Late on the 2008 game Guitar Hero World Tour. Guitarist Paul Mahon recalls the way the game revived classic rock to the forefront: “The game provided a larger, younger audience. Generally this had been considered outdated material, however once it got included in the title and teenagers discovered it, suddenly it became trendy. That legitimised the genre, eliminating the ‘dad rock’ tag. It provided our catalog a new life.”
In 2008, the band's first record was still unreleased stateside, so Guitar Hero was a key medium for exposure for the band during their a North American tour opening for the rock giants. “The roadies had on Never Too Late on the tour bus, and several recognized us from Guitar Hero,” Mahon says.
Major Band Titles Enduring Impact
Music's biggest acts soon capitalised on the game's success, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen featuring in specialized game editions centered around their music collections and related stories, imagery and rock’n’roll mythology. For example, the Aerosmith edition, it was said to have made the band more money than any of their records. It moved more than half a million units upon release, while sales of Aerosmith’s music saw an increase of up to 40% at a time as the industry was already collapsing.
The series continues to inspire quick-handed fanaticism within the community. Recently, a streamer completed a remarkable feat featuring the challenging track – an infamously tough anthem made popular by the game – using a fan-made version, a freeware game with almost identical gameplay but an array of personalization features. This track is difficult enough on expert mode, not to mention played at increased tempo while hitting a single one of its near 4,000 notes. They claimed requiring months of practice of practice.
“The game offers a, fantasy thing. If you play Call of Duty, it doesn't imply you should pick up a real gun and enlist,” notes DragonForce guitarist the artist.
DragonForce previously wrapped up a profitable run before their hit was featured on Guitar Hero III, yet he explains it turned them into a household name. “I remember the record label calling to tell me that we were records were moving rapidly,” he shares. “It exploded on the subsequent tour, and we were playing right ahead of top acts on the Mayhem festival.”
Indeed, the band's visibility from Guitar Hero proved so vast that it has risked overshadow all other the band has done. Recently, the song was used in a trailer for a major film. “Previously I thought differently, but now I accept it,” he admits. “Should you just hear one DragonForce song, it’s totally cool – everyone’s got a unique musical journey and I’m glad we’ve been part in fans' experiences”.
The Lasting Legacy of a Plastic Guitar
The best marketing, be it for cars, clothes or games, goes further than selling something – it evokes a desire. Was the game able to harness this? “That’s exactly what we were aiming to achieve,” Dornbrook says. “The excitement of being a music icon on the stage. From day one, the creators felt that there’s an instinctive human desire to make music, and their goal was to leverage innovation to enable everyone to participate”.
Most of Guitar Hero games came out in just a half-decade between 2005 and 2010, including derivative titles like DJ Hero, complete with a spinning deck, and Band Hero. After that, corporate focus in plastic instruments waned, aside from a brief comeback several years later.
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 entered work on its debut rhythm-based title. The initial creators are participating in advisory roles. Is the world ready to embrace another game in the spirit of the classic?
“We thought those games could be similar to sports games allowing annual update every year,” Dornbrook says. “With abundant fresh tracks that it could be perennially popular, so I’ve always been optimistic. It's entirely possible why it can’t persist with new generations.”
