It has been 20 years since Guitar Hero debuted in North America, providing players everywhere the means to feel like rock legends. Figuratively speaking, though you'd be hard-pressed telling that anyone who has mastered the epic four-minute guitar solo before an enthusiastic living-room audience.
Developed by Harmonix, the game gave players a plastic guitar peripheral to match coloured notes scrolling down the screen synchronized to a song. Every sequence corresponded to particular chords, creating the sensation of an authentic performance.
The studio had already experimented in the music genre prior to teaming up with the publisher, later purchased by the gaming giant in 2006. Together, they laid the foundations for a surprising billion-dollar franchise that had a remarkable impact on numerous musicians included, showcasing classic groups to a new generation of gaming enthusiasts.
A former executive, ex-chief operating officer from the developer, recalls the early budgetary hurdles in securing the recordings – even though 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 was extremely difficult. We couldn’t get bands like the Who – the publisher was operating on a shoestring budget, and we were pretty convinced it would fail. But once Guitar Hero took off, album purchases and radio play increased, all artists desired to participate.”
He adds: “Among the amazing things was the number of mothers and fathers got in touch expressing gratitude for exposing their children to the music they adored. It evolved into an intergenerational thing.”
Timeless Music Gains Younger Fans
Irish group one featured act had their track in the 2008 release Guitar Hero World Tour. Guitarist Paul Mahon recalls how the series revived older hits back into vogue: “Guitar Hero provided a larger, younger audience. Generally this had been considered outdated material, however once it got featured on the game young people were finding it, suddenly it became trendy. That legitimised it, eliminating the ‘dad rock’ tag. It gave all our music a new life.”
In 2008, the band's first record remained unreleased in the US, meaning the game served as a primary platform for exposure for the band as they went on a North American tour opening for AC/DC. “Their crew were playing Never Too Late on the tour bus, and some of them recognized us thanks to the game,” he notes.
Rock’s Heavyweight Titles and Lasting Impact
Music's heavyweight names quickly took advantage of the series’ popularity, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and others featuring in specialized spin-off titles that focused on each band’s catalogue and associated stories, visuals and rock’n’roll mythology. For example, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, it was said earned the band more money compared to their studio albums. It sold more than half a million copies upon release, while sales of Aerosmith’s music rose significantly during an era as the industry was already collapsing.
The series continues to inspire quick-handed dedication within the community. Earlier this year, a streamer completed an impressive attempt featuring the challenging track – an infamously tough power-metal song made popular by the game – using a fan-made version, a freeware game with similar mechanics but an array of customisation options. This track is challenging enough on the hardest setting, let alone performed at double speed while hitting every one of its near 4,000 notes. They claimed it took nine months to accomplish.
“Guitar Hero offers a, imaginary experience. Just as with other games, that doesn’t mean you ought to pick up actual weapons and enlist,” says musician the artist.
The band previously completed a successful tour before Through the Fire and Flames was featured on Guitar Hero III, yet he explains it made them widely recognized. “I recall our distributors calling to tell me that our selling albums like crazy,” he says. “Popularity surged when we next toured, and we were playing right ahead of the headliners at the event.”
In fact, the band's visibility from Guitar Hero was so immense that it has risked eclipsing everything else accomplishments. Last year, the track was used in a trailer for a major film. “Previously I felt differently, but I’ve made peace with it,” he admits. “Should you just hear one DragonForce song, that's fine – everyone’s got their own musical journey and I’m glad we played a role of people’s lives”.
The Lasting Impact of a Plastic Guitar
Top-tier marketing, whether it’s for cars, clothes or games, extends beyond mere transactions – it evokes a desire. Did Guitar Hero tap into that? “Precisely what our team trying to create,” Dornbrook says. “The excitement of being a music icon in the spotlight. From day one, the co-founders believed there’s an instinctive human desire to make music, and their goal was to leverage innovation to enable everyone to participate”.
Most installments came out in just a five-year period from 2005 to 2010, including derivative titles like DJ Hero, including a spinning deck, and Band Hero. Subsequently, the publisher’s interest in plastic instruments died down, except for a brief comeback several years later.
Titles like the fan project and newer releases have kept the scene alive, and there’s set to be a new product from the founders on the way. Recently formed developers has entered production on its debut rhythm-based title. Original co-founders are participating as special advisers. Is the world ready to embrace a new entry following the classic?
“We thought those games could be similar to sports games allowing annual update every year,” he remarks. “With abundant new music it could remain evergreen, so I’ve always been hopeful. There’s no reason why it can’t persist for future fans.”
