It has been 20 years after Guitar Hero first launched in North America, giving everyday gamers the means to feel like a rock star. Not in reality, though you'd be hard-pressed convincing anyone who has nailed Free Bird’s lengthy instrumental break in front of an enthusiastic crowd of friends.
Created by Harmonix, the game gave players a plastic guitar peripheral to follow coloured notes moving along the screen synchronized to a song. Each riff corresponded to specific notes, creating the feel of a genuine performance.
Harmonix had already experimented with rhythm games before partnering with the publisher, which was acquired by the gaming giant during the mid-2000s. Collaboratively, they established the groundwork for an unlikely massively profitable series which made a remarkable influence on numerous of the artists included, showcasing decades-old groups to a new generation of gaming enthusiasts.
Michael Dornbrook, ex-chief operating officer of Harmonix, remembers the early budgetary hurdles of licensing the recordings – despite the fact initial releases primarily featured cover versions.
“We reproduced every song since the cost was so high,” he explains. “Even with the publishing rights alone, it proved nearly impossible. We failed to secure bands like the Who – the publisher had virtually no money, and we were pretty convinced it would fail. But once Guitar Hero became a hit, album purchases airtime increased, everyone wanted to be in.”
He adds: “Among the remarkable aspects was how many parents got in touch and thanked us for introducing their children to the music they adored. It became a multigenerational thing.”
Classic Rock Finds a New Audience
Northern Irish blues-rock band one featured act included their track in the 2008 release the popular installment. Guitarist the artist recalls the way the game revived classic rock back into vogue: “The game provided a bigger, new demographic. Typically such music was considered outdated material, but then once it got included in the title and teenagers were finding it, abruptly it became trendy. This validated it, and got rid of the ‘dad rock’ tag. It gave all our music a new life.”
At that time, the Answer’s first record was still not available in the US, meaning the game served as a primary platform for exposure for the band during their US tour opening for the rock giants. “Their crew had on Never Too Late during travel, and several recognized us thanks to the game,” Mahon says.
Major Band Spin-offs Enduring Impact
Rock’s heavyweight names soon took advantage of the series’ popularity, with Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen featuring in dedicated game editions centered around each band’s catalogue and related lore, visuals and rock’n’roll mythology. For example, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, it was said to have made the band more money compared to their records. It sold well over half a million copies upon release, while sales of their songs saw an increase significantly during an era as the industry was already collapsing.
Guitar Hero still motivates nimble-fingered dedication among its fans. Earlier this year, an online personality 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 no-cost alternative with almost identical mechanics and extensive personalization features. The song is challenging enough on the hardest setting, not to mention performed at increased tempo while hitting every one of its near 4,000 notes. They claimed it took nine months to accomplish.
“The game offers a, imaginary experience. If you play Call of Duty, it doesn't imply you should use actual weapons and enlist,” notes musician Herman Li.
DragonForce had already completed a profitable run before Through the Fire and Flames was featured in the third game, yet he explains it turned them into a household name. “I recall our distributors calling to tell me that we were selling albums like crazy,” he shares. “Popularity surged on the subsequent tour, and we were playing just before top acts at the event.”
Indeed, DragonForce’s exposure via the game proved so vast that it has threatened to eclipsing everything else accomplishments. Recently, the song featured in promotional material for a major film. “In the past I thought differently, but now I accept it,” he admits. “Should you just hear a single track, it’s totally cool – everyone’s got their own path in music and I'm pleased we played a role of people’s lives”.
The Lasting Impact from the Plastic Guitar
The best marketing, whether it’s for cars, apparel or games, goes further mere transactions – it inspires a longing. Did Guitar Hero tap into that? “That’s exactly what we were trying to create,” he confirms. “That thrill of performing as a music icon on the stage. From day one, the creators believed there’s an instinctive urge to make music, and their goal was to use technology to allow people to do it”.
The majority of Guitar Hero games were released in just a half-decade from 2005 to 2010, featuring spin-offs like the DJ version, including a turntable controller, and Band Hero. After that, corporate focus in plastic instruments died down, aside from a short-lived revival several years later.
Titles such as the fan project and newer releases have maintained the community active, with expectations of a new product from the founders on the way. Recently formed developers has begun production on their first rhythm-based title. The initial creators are both involved as special advisers. Is the world prepared to welcome another game following Guitar Hero?
“Our team believed those games could be similar to sports games allowing annual update every year,” Dornbrook says. “With abundant fresh tracks that it could be evergreen, thus I remain hopeful. There’s no reason why it can’t persist with new generations.”
