It has been 20 years after Guitar Hero debuted across the Atlantic, giving everyday gamers the means to become rock legends. Not literally, though you'd be hard-pressed telling that anyone who's mastered Free Bird’s lengthy guitar solo in front of a packed living-room audience.
Created by Harmonix, the game gave players a plastic guitar peripheral to match on-screen cues moving along the display in time with the music. Each riff mimicked particular chords, producing the sensation of a genuine live show.
The studio previously experimented in the music genre before partnering with RedOctane, later acquired by Activision in 2006. Collaboratively, they established the groundwork for an unlikely billion-dollar series which made a significant influence for many musicians included, introducing classic bands to a new generation of gaming enthusiasts.
Michael Dornbrook, former COO from the developer, remembers the initial budgetary hurdles in securing the recordings – even though the first two games mostly used cover versions.
“We rerecorded all the music since the dollar figure was so high,” he says. “Even with the necessary permissions alone, it was extremely difficult. We failed to secure acts such as the Who – RedOctane had virtually no money, and our team was pretty convinced the project would flop. But once Guitar Hero took off, and record sales and radio play increased, everyone wanted to participate.”
He adds: “One of the amazing things was how many mothers and fathers got in touch and thanked us for exposing their children to the songs they adored. It became an intergenerational thing.”
Classic Rock Gains a New Audience
Irish group the Answer included Never Too Late in the 2008 release Guitar Hero World Tour. Guitarist the artist remembers how the series brought older hits back into vogue: “Guitar Hero offered a bigger, younger audience. Generally such music was considered outdated material, but then when it was featured on the game young people were finding it, suddenly it was cool. This validated it, and got rid of the outdated label. It gave all our music a new life.”
At that time, the Answer’s debut album remained unreleased in the US, so Guitar Hero was a key medium for exposure for the group as they went on US tour supporting the rock giants. “The roadies were playing Never Too Late during travel, and several recognized us from Guitar Hero,” he notes.
Rock’s Heavyweight Spin-offs and Lasting Influence
Rock’s heavyweight names quickly capitalised on the game's success, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen starring in specialized spin-off titles that focused on their music collections and associated stories, visuals and legendary status. For example, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, it was said earned the group greater revenue than any of their records. It moved more than 500,000 units upon release, and demand for their songs rose significantly at a time as the industry was already collapsing.
The series continues to inspire nimble-fingered dedication among its fans. Recently, an online personality achieved an impressive attempt featuring the challenging track – a notoriously difficult anthem made popular by Guitar Hero – on Clone Hero, a freeware game with similar gameplay and extensive personalization features. The song is challenging even in the hardest setting, not to mention played at double speed while hitting every one of the thousands of cues. The streamer claimed requiring nine months to accomplish.
“Guitar Hero offers a, imaginary experience. If you play Call of Duty, it doesn't imply you should pick up actual weapons and enlist,” notes musician the artist.
The band previously wrapped up a successful tour when Through the Fire and Flames was featured on Guitar Hero III, yet he explains it made them a household name. “I remember our distributors informing us that we were selling albums rapidly,” he says. “Popularity surged when we next toured, and we performed right ahead of top acts at the event.”
In fact, the band's visibility from Guitar Hero was so immense that it has risked eclipsing everything else the band has done. Recently, the song was used in a trailer for Despicable Me 4. “In the past I felt otherwise, but I’ve made peace with it,” he admits. “Should you just listen to a single track, that's fine – each person has a unique musical journey and I’m glad we played a role in fans' experiences”.
Enduring Impact from the Plastic Guitar
Top-tier promotion, be it for automobiles, clothes or video games, extends beyond mere transactions – it inspires a longing. Was the game able to tap into that? “That’s exactly what we were trying to create,” he confirms. “That thrill of being a music icon in the spotlight. Since the beginning, the co-founders felt that humans have a natural urge to create songs, and their goal was to leverage innovation to enable everyone to do it”.
The majority installments came out over a mere five-year period from 2005 to 2010, featuring derivative titles such as the DJ version, including a spinning deck, and the band-focused game. Subsequently, corporate focus on peripherals waned, except for a short-lived revival in 2015.
Games like Clone Hero and Fortnite Festival have kept the scene active, and there’s set to be a new product from the original publisher on the way. Recently formed developers has entered work on their first music game. Original co-founders are both involved in advisory roles. Are gamers prepared to welcome a new entry in the spirit of Guitar Hero?
“We thought such titles could be like Madden where you can update every year,” Dornbrook says. “There’s so much fresh tracks it could remain perennially popular, so I’ve always been optimistic. There’s no reason for it to persist with new generations.”
