Marking two decades since Guitar Hero debuted across the Atlantic, giving players everywhere the opportunity to feel like rock legends. Figuratively speaking, but try convincing anyone who's mastered the epic lengthy guitar solo in front of an enthusiastic crowd of friends.
Developed by Harmonix, Guitar Hero gave players a plastic guitar peripheral to follow on-screen cues moving along the display synchronized to the music. Each riff corresponded to particular chords, producing the feel of a genuine performance.
Harmonix had already experimented in the music genre before partnering with the publisher, later purchased by Activision during the mid-2000s. Collaboratively, they established the foundations for a surprising massively profitable series that had a significant impact for many of the artists included, showcasing classic bands to a new generation of younger players.
A former executive, former COO from the developer, remembers the early financial challenges in securing the recordings – despite the fact the first two games primarily featured cover versions.
“We rerecorded every song because the cost was so high,” he explains. “Even with the necessary permissions alone, it proved extremely difficult. We failed to secure bands like legendary groups – the publisher was operating on a shoestring budget, and we were fairly certain it would fail. However, when Guitar Hero became a hit, and record sales and radio play were going up, everyone wanted to be in.”
He continues: “One of the remarkable aspects was how many mothers and fathers reached out expressing gratitude for introducing their kids to the music they adored. It became an intergenerational phenomenon.”
Classic Rock Finds Younger Fans
Northern Irish blues-rock band the Answer had Never Too Late on the 2008 game the popular installment. Guitarist the artist recalls how the series brought older hits to the forefront: “Guitar Hero provided a larger, new demographic. Generally such music was seen as music that was past it, however when it was included in the title young people discovered it, abruptly it was cool. This validated the genre, eliminating the outdated tag. It provided all our music a new life.”
In 2008, the band's debut album was still not available stateside, meaning the game served as a primary platform of discovery for the band during their a North American tour supporting AC/DC. “Their crew were playing Never Too Late during travel, and some of them knew us thanks to the game,” he notes.
Major Band Spin-offs Enduring Influence
Rock’s biggest acts quickly took advantage of the series’ popularity, with Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen starring in dedicated spin-off titles that focused on their music collections and related lore, visuals and legendary status. For example, the Aerosmith edition, reportedly earned the band greater revenue compared to their records. It moved more than half a million units upon release, and sales of Aerosmith’s music saw an increase of up to 40% at a time as the industry faced decline.
The series still motivates quick-handed fanaticism among its fans. Earlier this year, an online personality completed an impressive attempt featuring the challenging track – an infamously tough power-metal song popularized through Guitar Hero – using a fan-made version, a freeware game with almost identical mechanics and extensive customisation options. This track is challenging even in expert mode, let alone performed at double speed while hitting a single one of its near 4,000 notes. They stated requiring nine months of practice.
“The game is a fun, fantasy thing. If you play other games, that doesn’t mean you should pick up actual weapons and enlist,” notes musician the artist.
DragonForce previously completed a profitable run before their hit was featured on Guitar Hero III, but Li says it turned them into widely recognized. “I remember our distributors informing us that we were records were moving rapidly,” he says. “It exploded on the subsequent tour, and we performed right ahead of the headliners on the Mayhem festival.”
In fact, the band's visibility via the game proved so vast that it has risked overshadow all other accomplishments. Recently, the song was used in a trailer for Despicable Me 4. “In the past I thought otherwise, but I’ve made peace with it,” he admits. “If you only listen to one DragonForce song, it’s totally cool – everyone’s got a unique musical journey and I’m glad we played a role of people’s lives”.
The Lasting Impact of a Plastic Guitar
The best marketing, whether it’s for cars, clothes or games, extends beyond than selling something – it inspires a longing. Was the game able to harness this? “That’s exactly what our team trying to create,” he confirms. “That thrill of performing as a rock star on the stage. From day one, the creators felt that there’s an instinctive urge to create songs, and they wanted to leverage innovation to allow people to do it”.
The majority installments came out over a mere half-decade from 2005 to 2010, featuring spin-offs such as DJ Hero, complete with a spinning deck, and the band-focused game. Subsequently, corporate focus in plastic instruments waned, except for a brief comeback in 2015.
Titles like Clone Hero and newer releases have kept the scene alive, and there’s expectations of something from the original publisher in development. A new studio has entered work on its debut rhythm-based title. The initial creators are both involved in advisory roles. Are gamers ready to embrace another game following Guitar Hero?
“Our team believed such titles could be 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. There’s no reason why it can’t persist for future fans.”
