Marking 20 years since Guitar Hero hit the market across the Atlantic, providing everyday gamers the tools to become a rock star. Figuratively speaking, though you'd be hard-pressed telling that anyone who has mastered Free Bird’s four-minute guitar solo before a packed living-room audience.
Created by Harmonix, the game provided users with a plastic guitar peripheral to follow coloured notes moving along the display in time with the music. Every sequence mimicked particular chords, producing the feel of an authentic live show.
The studio previously experimented with rhythm games before partnering with RedOctane, later purchased by the gaming giant in 2006. Collaboratively, they laid the foundations for an unlikely massively profitable series which made a significant influence on numerous musicians featured, showcasing classic groups to millions of younger players.
A former executive, ex-chief operating officer from the developer, recalls the initial budgetary hurdles of licensing the songs – even though initial releases mostly used rerecorded tracks.
“We rerecorded all the music because the cost prohibitive,” he explains. “Despite having the necessary permissions alone, it was nearly impossible. We couldn’t get bands like the Who – the publisher had virtually no money, and our team was pretty convinced it would fail. However, when Guitar Hero became a hit, album purchases airtime were going up, everyone wanted to be in.”
He adds: “Among the remarkable aspects was the number of mothers and fathers reached out and thanked us for exposing their children to the music they adored. It evolved into an intergenerational phenomenon.”
Timeless Music Finds a New Audience
Irish group one featured act included their track in the 2008 release Guitar Hero World Tour. Lead musician Paul Mahon remembers how the series revived older hits back into vogue: “The game offered a larger, new demographic. Generally this had been considered music that was past it, however when it was included in the title young people were finding it, suddenly it was cool. This validated it, and got rid of the outdated tag. It provided all our music a new life.”
In 2008, the Answer’s first record remained not available stateside, so the game served as a primary platform for exposure for the group during their US tour opening for the rock giants. “The roadies were playing the song during travel, and some of them recognized us from Guitar Hero,” he notes.
Rock’s Heavyweight Titles and Lasting Influence
Music's biggest acts soon took advantage of the game's success, with Aerosmith, Metallica and others starring in dedicated spin-off titles that focused on their music collections and associated lore, imagery and legendary status. For example, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, reportedly earned the band more money than any of their records. It sold more than half a million copies in its first week, and demand for Aerosmith’s music saw an increase significantly during an era as the industry was already collapsing.
The series still motivates nimble-fingered fanaticism among its fans. Recently, an online personality completed an impressive attempt of DragonForce’s Through the Fire and Flames – an infamously tough anthem made popular by Guitar Hero – using a fan-made version, a freeware game with similar gameplay and extensive personalization features. This track is difficult enough on expert mode, not to mention performed at increased tempo and without missing a single one of its near 4,000 notes. The streamer claimed requiring nine months to accomplish.
“Guitar Hero offers a, fantasy thing. If you play other games, that doesn’t mean you should use a real gun and go to war,” notes musician the artist.
The band had already completed a successful tour before their hit appeared on Guitar Hero III, yet he explains it turned them into widely recognized. “I remember our distributors informing us that we were selling albums like crazy,” he shares. “It exploded on the subsequent tour, and we performed right ahead of top acts on the Mayhem festival.”
In fact, the band's visibility via the game was so immense that it threatened to overshadow all other the band has done. Last year, the track featured in a trailer for a major film. “Previously I thought otherwise, but now I accept it,” he admits. “Should you just listen to a single track, it’s totally cool – everyone’s got their own musical journey and I’m glad we played a role in fans' experiences”.
The Lasting Legacy of a Plastic Guitar
Top-tier marketing, be it for automobiles, apparel or games, extends beyond than selling something – it inspires a desire. Was the game able to tap into that? “That’s exactly what our team trying to create,” Dornbrook says. “The excitement of performing as a rock star on the stage. Since the beginning, the co-founders believed humans have a natural human desire to make music, and their goal was to leverage innovation to enable everyone to do it”.
Most installments came out in just a half-decade from 2005 to 2010, including spin-offs such as the DJ version, complete with a turntable controller, and Band Hero. Subsequently, corporate focus on peripherals died down, except for a brief comeback several years later.
Games such as Clone Hero and newer releases have maintained the community active, and there’s expectations of something from the founders in development. Recently formed developers has begun work on their first rhythm-based title. The initial creators are participating as special advisers. Are gamers prepared to welcome a new entry following Guitar Hero?
“We thought those games could be similar to sports games allowing annual releases,” Dornbrook says. “With abundant new music it could remain evergreen, so I’ve always been optimistic. It's entirely possible why it can’t persist for future fans.”
