It has been 20 years after the legendary game first launched across the Atlantic, providing everyday gamers the tools to feel like a rock star. Not in reality, but try telling that anyone who's mastered Free Bird’s four-minute instrumental break before a packed living-room audience.
Created by the developers, Guitar Hero provided users with a guitar-shaped controller to follow coloured notes scrolling down the display synchronized to a song. Every sequence corresponded to particular chords, producing the sensation of an authentic performance.
Harmonix previously tried its hand with rhythm games prior to teaming up with the publisher, later acquired by the gaming giant in 2006. Collaboratively, they established the foundations for an unlikely massively profitable series which made a remarkable influence on numerous musicians featured, introducing decades-old bands to a new generation of gaming enthusiasts.
Michael Dornbrook, ex-chief operating officer of Harmonix, recalls the initial budgetary hurdles in securing the songs – despite the fact the first two games mostly used rerecorded tracks.
“We reproduced all the music since the dollar figure was so high,” he says. “Despite having the publishing rights by themselves, it was extremely difficult. We failed to secure bands like the Who – RedOctane had virtually no money, and our team was fairly certain the project would flop. However, when Guitar Hero became a hit, album purchases airtime increased, all artists desired to be in.”
He adds: “One of the remarkable aspects was the number of parents got in touch expressing gratitude for introducing their kids to the songs they adored. It evolved into a multigenerational phenomenon.”
Classic Rock Gains Younger Fans
Irish blues-rock band the Answer included Never Too Late in the 2008 release Guitar Hero World Tour. Lead musician the artist recalls the way the game revived older hits to the forefront: “Guitar Hero provided a bigger, younger audience. Generally such music was seen as music that was past it, however once it got included in the game young people were finding it, suddenly it was cool. This validated it, eliminating the ‘dad rock’ tag. It gave all our music a new life.”
In 2008, the Answer’s debut album remained unreleased in the US, meaning the game was a key medium of discovery for the group as they went on US tour opening for AC/DC. “The roadies had on the song during travel, and some of them recognized us thanks to the game,” Mahon says.
Rock’s Heavyweight Titles and Lasting Impact
Rock’s biggest acts soon took advantage of the series’ popularity, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen starring in specialized game editions that focused on their music collections and associated stories, visuals and rock’n’roll mythology. In the case of, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, reportedly to have made the group greater revenue than any of their studio albums. It sold well over half a million units upon release, while sales of their songs saw an increase of up to 40% at a time when the music business faced decline.
The series still motivates nimble-fingered fanaticism within the community. Earlier this year, a streamer achieved an impressive attempt featuring Through the Fire and Flames – a notoriously difficult power-metal song popularized through the game – on Clone Hero, a freeware game with almost identical mechanics and extensive customisation options. The song is challenging enough on expert mode, let alone performed at double speed while hitting every one of its near 4,000 notes. They stated requiring months of practice to accomplish.
“The game is a fun, imaginary experience. If you play Call of Duty, it doesn't imply you ought to pick up actual weapons and go to war,” says musician Herman Li.
The band had already completed a profitable run when their hit appeared on Guitar Hero III, but Li says it turned them into a household name. “I recall the record label calling to tell me that we were selling albums like crazy,” he shares. “Popularity surged on the subsequent tour, and we were playing right ahead of the headliners at the event.”
In fact, the band's visibility via the game proved so vast that it risked eclipsing all other the band has done. Last year, the song featured in a trailer for a major film. “Previously I thought differently, but I’ve made peace with it,” Li says. “If you only listen to a single track, that's fine – everyone’s got a unique path in music and I'm pleased we played a role in fans' experiences”.
Enduring Impact from the Plastic Guitar
The best marketing, be it for automobiles, apparel or video games, extends beyond than selling something – it inspires a longing. Was the game able to harness this? “Precisely what we were aiming to achieve,” Dornbrook says. “That thrill of being a music icon on the stage. Since the beginning, the creators believed humans have a natural human desire to create songs, and they wanted to leverage innovation to enable everyone to participate”.
Most of Guitar Hero games were released in just a five-year period from 2005 to 2010, featuring spin-offs such as the DJ version, complete with a turntable controller, and Band Hero. Subsequently, corporate focus in plastic instruments died down, aside from a short-lived revival several years later.
Games such as the fan project and Fortnite Festival have kept the community active, with set to be something from the founders in development. A new studio has entered work on its debut music game. Original co-founders are participating as special advisers. Is the world ready to embrace a new entry following Guitar Hero?
“Our team believed those games might become like Madden allowing annual update every year,” he remarks. “There’s so much fresh tracks that it could be perennially popular, thus I remain optimistic. There’s no reason for it to persist for future fans.”
