It has been 20 years since Guitar Hero hit the market across the Atlantic, offering everyday gamers the opportunity to feel like a rock star. Figuratively speaking, though you'd be hard-pressed convincing someone who's nailed the epic lengthy guitar solo in front of a packed living-room audience.
Developed by Harmonix, the game provided users with a plastic guitar peripheral to match on-screen cues scrolling down the screen synchronized to the music. Every sequence mimicked specific notes, creating the feel of an authentic live show.
The studio previously experimented with rhythm games before partnering with the publisher, later acquired by the gaming giant in 2006. Collaboratively, they laid the groundwork for an unlikely billion-dollar franchise which made a remarkable impact on numerous musicians included, introducing decades-old bands to a new generation of gaming enthusiasts.
A former executive, ex-chief operating officer of Harmonix, recalls the initial financial challenges of licensing the recordings – even though initial releases mostly used cover versions.
“We reproduced every song since the cost was so high,” he says. “Despite having the necessary permissions by themselves, it was extremely difficult. We failed to secure bands like legendary groups – the publisher was operating on a shoestring budget, and we were pretty convinced it would fail. However, when the game became a hit, album purchases and radio play were going up, all artists desired to participate.”
He adds: “One of the remarkable aspects was the number of parents got in touch expressing gratitude for introducing their children to the songs they loved. It evolved into an intergenerational thing.”
Classic Rock Finds a New Audience
Irish group the Answer had Never Too Late on the 2008 game Guitar Hero World Tour. Lead musician the artist recalls how the series brought older hits back into vogue: “The game offered a bigger, new demographic. Typically this had been considered music that was past it, however once it got featured on the title young people were finding it, abruptly it became trendy. That legitimised it, and got rid of the outdated label. It provided our catalog renewed popularity.”
In 2008, the band's first record was still unreleased stateside, so the game was a key medium of discovery for the group during their US tour supporting AC/DC. “The roadies had on the song during travel, and several recognized us from Guitar Hero,” he notes.
Major Band Titles and Lasting Impact
Music's heavyweight names quickly capitalised on the game's success, with Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen featuring in dedicated spin-off titles that focused on each band’s catalogue and associated lore, visuals and legendary status. In the case of, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, reportedly earned the band greater revenue than any of their records. It moved well over half a million copies upon release, and demand for Aerosmith’s music saw an increase significantly at a time as the industry was already collapsing.
The series continues to inspire quick-handed fanaticism within the community. Earlier this year, a streamer achieved an impressive attempt of DragonForce’s Through the Fire and Flames – an infamously tough anthem made popular by the game – using a fan-made version, a no-cost alternative with similar mechanics but an array of personalization features. The song is difficult enough on the hardest setting, let alone played at increased tempo and without missing a single one of the thousands of cues. The streamer stated it took nine months of practice.
“The game is a fun, fantasy thing. Just as with Call of Duty, it doesn't imply you should pick up a real gun and go to war,” says musician Herman Li.
The band previously completed a successful tour before their hit appeared in the third game, but Li says it made them a household name. “I remember the record label informing us that we were selling albums like crazy,” he says. “Popularity surged on the subsequent tour, and we performed just before top acts at the event.”
In fact, the band's visibility from Guitar Hero proved so vast that it has threatened to overshadow everything else accomplishments. Last year, the track featured in a trailer for Despicable Me 4. “Previously I thought differently, but now I accept it,” Li says. “Should you just hear a single track, it’s totally cool – each person has a unique path in music and I'm pleased we’ve been part of people’s lives”.
The Lasting Legacy of a Plastic Guitar
The best marketing, be it for cars, clothes or games, extends beyond than selling something – it inspires a longing. Did Guitar Hero harness this? “Precisely what we were trying to create,” he confirms. “The excitement of being a rock star on the stage. From day one, the co-founders felt that there’s an instinctive urge to create songs, and their goal was to use technology to enable everyone to do it”.
Most installments were released in just a half-decade from 2005 to 2010, including derivative titles such as DJ Hero, complete with a turntable controller, and Band Hero. After that, the publisher’s interest in plastic instruments waned, aside from a brief comeback several years later.
Titles such as the fan project and newer releases have maintained the community alive, and there’s expectations of something from the founders on the way. A new studio has begun work on their first music game. Original co-founders are participating in advisory roles. Is the world ready to embrace another game in the spirit of Guitar Hero?
“Our team believed those games might become similar to sports games where you can update every year,” Dornbrook says. “With abundant fresh tracks it could remain evergreen, so I’ve always been hopeful. There’s no reason why it can’t persist for future fans.”