It has been 20 years since Guitar Hero first launched across the Atlantic, providing everyday gamers the tools to become a rock star. Not literally, but try telling that someone who has nailed the epic lengthy guitar solo in front of an enthusiastic living-room audience.
Developed by Harmonix, the game gave players a plastic guitar peripheral to match coloured notes moving along the screen in time with the music. Each riff mimicked particular chords, creating the sensation of an authentic performance.
Harmonix had already experimented in the music genre before partnering with RedOctane, which was purchased by Activision in 2006. Together, they laid the foundations for a surprising billion-dollar series which made a significant influence on numerous musicians featured, introducing classic groups to a new generation of younger players.
Michael Dornbrook, ex-chief operating officer of Harmonix, recalls the initial financial challenges in securing the recordings – despite the fact initial releases primarily featured cover versions.
“We rerecorded every song since the cost was so high,” he explains. “Even with the publishing rights alone, it proved nearly impossible. We failed to secure bands like legendary groups – the publisher had virtually no money, and our team was pretty convinced the project would flop. However, when Guitar Hero took off, album purchases airtime increased, all artists desired to participate.”
He adds: “Among the remarkable aspects was how many mothers and fathers reached out expressing gratitude for exposing their children to the music they adored. It evolved into a multigenerational thing.”
Classic Rock Gains Younger Fans
Northern Irish blues-rock band one featured act included Never Too Late in the 2008 release the popular installment. Lead musician the artist recalls the way the game brought classic rock back into vogue: “The game provided a bigger, younger audience. Generally such music was considered outdated material, however when it was featured on the game and teenagers were finding it, suddenly it was cool. That legitimised it, eliminating the ‘dad rock’ tag. It gave our catalog a new life.”
In 2008, the band's first record was still not available stateside, meaning the game was a key medium of discovery for the band as they went on US tour opening for AC/DC. “The roadies were playing the song on the tour bus, and some of them recognized us thanks to the game,” he notes.
Major Band Spin-offs Enduring Impact
Rock’s heavyweight names quickly took advantage of the series’ popularity, with Aerosmith, Metallica and others featuring in dedicated game editions centered around their music collections and associated stories, visuals and legendary status. In the case of, the Aerosmith edition, reportedly earned the group greater revenue than any of their records. It sold well over 500,000 copies upon release, while demand for their songs saw an increase significantly during an era as the industry was already collapsing.
Guitar Hero still motivates nimble-fingered dedication within the community. Earlier this year, an online personality completed a remarkable feat featuring the challenging track – an infamously tough anthem made popular by the game – on Clone Hero, a freeware game with similar gameplay and extensive customisation options. The song is difficult enough on the hardest setting, let alone played at double speed and without missing a single one of its near 4,000 notes. They claimed requiring nine months to accomplish.
“Guitar Hero offers a, imaginary experience. Just as with other games, that doesn’t mean you ought to use actual weapons and enlist,” says DragonForce guitarist the artist.
DragonForce had already completed a profitable run before their hit appeared on Guitar Hero III, but Li says it made them widely recognized. “I recall the record label informing us that our selling albums like crazy,” he says. “It exploded when we next toured, and we were playing right ahead of top acts on the Mayhem festival.”
In fact, DragonForce’s exposure from Guitar Hero proved so vast that it has threatened to overshadow all other the band has done. Last year, the track was used in a trailer for a major film. “Previously I thought differently, but now I accept it,” Li says. “Should you just listen to one DragonForce song, that's fine – everyone’s got their own musical journey and I'm pleased we played a role of people’s lives”.
Enduring Impact of a Plastic Guitar
Top-tier marketing, whether it’s for automobiles, apparel or games, goes further than selling something – it evokes a longing. Did Guitar Hero harness this? “Precisely what we were aiming to achieve,” Dornbrook says. “The excitement of being a music icon on the stage. Since the beginning, the co-founders felt that there’s an instinctive urge to make music, and their goal was to use technology to allow people to do it”.
Most installments were released in just a half-decade from 2005 to 2010, featuring derivative titles such as DJ Hero, complete with a turntable controller, and the band-focused game. Subsequently, corporate focus in plastic instruments waned, aside from a short-lived revival in 2015.
Games like Clone Hero and newer releases have maintained the scene alive, with set to be something from the founders in development. A new studio has entered production on its debut music game. Original co-founders are participating in advisory roles. Are gamers prepared to welcome another game in the spirit of the classic?
“We thought those games could be similar to sports games allowing annual releases,” Dornbrook says. “There’s so much new music it could remain evergreen, thus I remain hopeful. There’s no reason why it can’t continue with new generations.”
