It has been 20 years after Guitar Hero first launched across the Atlantic, giving everyday gamers the means to feel like a rock star. Figuratively speaking, though you'd be hard-pressed convincing someone who's mastered the epic lengthy guitar solo before an enthusiastic living-room audience.
Developed by the developers, Guitar Hero gave players a plastic guitar peripheral to match on-screen cues moving along the display in time with a song. Every sequence corresponded to particular chords, producing the feel of an authentic live show.
The studio had already tried its hand with rhythm games before partnering with the publisher, later acquired by Activision during the mid-2000s. Collaboratively, they laid the foundations for an unlikely billion-dollar series that had a remarkable influence for many of the artists featured, showcasing decades-old groups to a new generation of younger players.
Michael Dornbrook, ex-chief operating officer of Harmonix, remembers the early budgetary hurdles in securing the recordings – even though initial releases primarily featured cover versions.
“We reproduced every song because the dollar figure prohibitive,” he says. “Even with the necessary permissions by themselves, it was nearly impossible. We couldn’t get bands like legendary groups – the publisher was operating on a shoestring budget, and our team was pretty convinced it would fail. However, when Guitar Hero took off, and record sales and radio play were going up, all artists desired to be in.”
He adds: “One of the amazing things was the number of mothers and fathers reached out expressing gratitude for introducing their children to the music they loved. It became an intergenerational phenomenon.”
Timeless Music Gains a New Audience
Northern Irish blues-rock band one featured act had Never Too Late on the 2008 game the popular installment. Lead musician the artist remembers how the series brought older hits back into vogue: “Guitar Hero offered a bigger, younger audience. Generally this had been considered music that was past it, however once it got included in the game young people were finding it, abruptly it was cool. That legitimised it, and got rid of the ‘dad rock’ label. It provided our catalog renewed popularity.”
In 2008, the Answer’s first record remained not available stateside, meaning Guitar Hero served as a primary platform for exposure for the band as they went on US tour opening for AC/DC. “The roadies had on the song on the tour bus, and several recognized us from Guitar Hero,” Mahon says.
Rock’s Heavyweight Spin-offs and Lasting Influence
Music's heavyweight names soon capitalised on the game's success, with Aerosmith, Metallica and others featuring in dedicated spin-off titles that focused on each band’s catalogue and associated lore, imagery and rock’n’roll mythology. For example, the Aerosmith edition, reportedly to have made the group more money compared to their records. It moved well over 500,000 units in its first week, and demand for Aerosmith’s music saw an increase significantly at a time when the music business faced decline.
The series still motivates nimble-fingered fanaticism within the community. Recently, a streamer completed an impressive attempt of DragonForce’s the challenging track – a notoriously difficult power-metal song made popular by Guitar Hero – on Clone Hero, a no-cost alternative with almost identical mechanics but an array of customisation options. This track is difficult enough on expert mode, let alone performed at double speed and without missing every one of the thousands of cues. The streamer stated it took nine months of practice.
“The game offers a, imaginary experience. If you play other games, that doesn’t mean you ought to use a real gun and enlist,” notes DragonForce guitarist the artist.
The band previously completed a profitable run when Through the Fire and Flames was featured in the third game, but Li says it turned them into widely recognized. “I recall the record label informing us that we were selling albums rapidly,” he shares. “Popularity surged on the subsequent tour, and we were playing right ahead of the headliners on the Mayhem festival.”
In fact, the band's visibility via the game proved so vast that it threatened to overshadow everything else the band has done. Recently, the track featured in promotional material for a major film. “Previously I felt otherwise, but now I accept it,” Li says. “If you only hear one DragonForce song, that's fine – everyone’s got a unique musical journey and I'm pleased we’ve been part of people’s lives”.
Enduring Legacy from the Plastic Guitar
The best promotion, whether it’s for automobiles, apparel or video games, extends beyond than selling something – it inspires a longing. Was the game able to harness this? “Precisely what we were trying to create,” he confirms. “The excitement of being a music icon on the stage. Since the beginning, the co-founders believed there’s an instinctive human desire to make music, and their goal was to leverage innovation to allow people to do it”.
Most installments came out over a mere five-year period from 2005 to 2010, featuring derivative titles such as DJ Hero, complete with a spinning deck, and Band Hero. After that, corporate focus on peripherals died down, except for a brief comeback in 2015.
Titles such as the fan project and newer releases have kept the scene active, with expectations of something from the original publisher on the way. Recently formed developers has entered production on their first music game. The initial creators are both involved as special advisers. Is the world ready to embrace a new entry following Guitar Hero?
“Our team believed such titles could be similar to sports games allowing annual releases,” he remarks. “With abundant new music that it could be evergreen, so I’ve always been hopeful. There’s no reason why it can’t persist with new generations.”
