It has been 20 years since Guitar Hero debuted in North America, offering players everywhere the opportunity to feel like rock legends. Not literally, though you'd be hard-pressed telling that someone who's mastered the epic lengthy instrumental break before an enthusiastic crowd of friends.
Created by the developers, the game gave players a plastic guitar peripheral to match coloured notes scrolling down the screen in time with a song. Every sequence mimicked particular chords, producing the sensation of an authentic performance.
Harmonix had already tried its hand with rhythm games prior to teaming up with the publisher, later acquired by Activision in 2006. Collaboratively, they established the groundwork for a surprising billion-dollar franchise that had a significant impact on numerous musicians included, showcasing decades-old groups to millions of gaming enthusiasts.
A former executive, ex-chief operating officer from the developer, recalls the early budgetary hurdles of licensing the recordings – despite the fact the first two games mostly used cover versions.
“We rerecorded every song since the cost prohibitive,” he says. “Even with the necessary permissions by themselves, it proved nearly impossible. We couldn’t get bands like the Who – RedOctane was operating on a shoestring budget, and our team was fairly certain it would fail. However, when the game became a hit, album purchases and radio play increased, all artists desired to participate.”
He continues: “Among the amazing things was how many mothers and fathers got in touch expressing gratitude for introducing their kids to the music they adored. It evolved into a multigenerational phenomenon.”
Classic Rock Gains a New Audience
Northern Irish blues-rock band one featured act included Never Too Late on the 2008 game the popular installment. Lead musician Paul Mahon recalls how the series revived older hits to the forefront: “The game offered a larger, new demographic. Generally such music was seen as outdated material, however when it was featured on the title and teenagers were finding it, suddenly it became trendy. That legitimised it, eliminating the ‘dad rock’ tag. It provided our catalog a new life.”
At that time, the band's debut album was still unreleased in the US, meaning Guitar Hero was a key medium for exposure for the band during their a North American tour supporting AC/DC. “The roadies were playing Never Too Late on the tour bus, and several knew us thanks to the game,” Mahon says.
Major Band Titles Enduring Influence
Rock’s biggest acts quickly capitalised on the game's success, with Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen featuring in dedicated game editions that focused on each band’s catalogue and associated stories, visuals and legendary status. In the case of, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, reportedly to have made the band greater revenue than any of their studio albums. It sold more than 500,000 copies upon release, while demand for Aerosmith’s music saw an increase of up to 40% at a time as the industry faced decline.
Guitar Hero continues to inspire quick-handed fanaticism within the community. Earlier this year, a streamer completed a remarkable feat of DragonForce’s Through the Fire and Flames – a notoriously difficult anthem made popular by Guitar Hero – on Clone Hero, a no-cost alternative with almost identical gameplay but an array of customisation options. The song is difficult even in expert mode, let alone played at double speed and without missing every one of the thousands of cues. The streamer stated it took nine months to accomplish.
“Guitar Hero offers a, fantasy thing. If you play other games, that doesn’t mean you ought to use actual weapons and go to war,” says musician the artist.
DragonForce had already wrapped up a profitable run before their hit appeared in the third game, but Li says it turned them into a household name. “I remember our distributors calling to tell me that we were selling albums rapidly,” he shares. “It exploded when we next toured, and we were playing right ahead of top acts at the event.”
In fact, the band's visibility from Guitar Hero was so immense that it has risked overshadow everything else accomplishments. Last year, the song featured in a trailer for a major film. “In the past I felt otherwise, 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 musical journey and I'm pleased we’ve been part in fans' experiences”.
Enduring Legacy from the Plastic Guitar
The best promotion, whether it’s for automobiles, apparel or games, goes further than selling something – it evokes a longing. Did Guitar Hero tap into that? “Precisely what our team trying to create,” Dornbrook says. “The excitement of performing as a rock star in the spotlight. From day one, the creators felt that there’s an instinctive urge to create songs, and their goal was to leverage innovation to enable everyone to do it”.
Most installments were released in just a half-decade from 2005 to 2010, featuring spin-offs like the DJ version, including a spinning deck, and Band Hero. Subsequently, corporate focus in plastic instruments waned, aside from a short-lived revival several years later.
Games such as Clone Hero and Fortnite Festival have kept the scene active, with set to be something from the original publisher in development. Recently formed developers has entered work on their first rhythm-based title. The initial creators are participating as special advisers. Is the world ready to embrace another game following the classic?
“We thought such titles could be like Madden allowing annual releases,” he remarks. “With abundant fresh tracks it could remain perennially popular, thus I remain optimistic. It's entirely possible why it can’t persist with new generations.”
