It has been two decades after Guitar Hero first launched in North America, giving players everywhere the means to feel like rock legends. Figuratively speaking, but try telling that someone who has nailed the epic four-minute instrumental break in front of a packed living-room audience.
Created by the developers, the game gave players a plastic guitar peripheral to follow coloured notes scrolling down the display in time with a song. Every sequence mimicked specific notes, creating the sensation of a genuine live show.
Harmonix had already experimented with rhythm games prior to teaming up with the publisher, later purchased by Activision during the mid-2000s. Collaboratively, they laid the foundations for a surprising massively profitable franchise which made a remarkable impact for many musicians included, showcasing decades-old groups to millions of gaming enthusiasts.
Michael Dornbrook, former COO from the developer, remembers the early budgetary hurdles in securing the recordings – despite the fact the first two games mostly used rerecorded tracks.
“We rerecorded all the music since the dollar figure prohibitive,” he says. “Even with the necessary permissions alone, it proved extremely difficult. We failed to secure acts such as legendary groups – RedOctane was operating on a shoestring budget, and our team was fairly certain the project would flop. But once Guitar Hero took off, album purchases airtime were going up, all artists desired to be in.”
He continues: “Among the remarkable aspects was how many mothers and fathers reached out and thanked us for introducing their children to the music they loved. It became a multigenerational thing.”
Timeless Music Finds a New Audience
Irish blues-rock band one featured act had their track on the 2008 game Guitar Hero World Tour. Guitarist Paul Mahon recalls how the series revived older hits to the forefront: “Guitar Hero offered a bigger, new demographic. Generally this had been considered outdated material, however once it got included in the game and teenagers discovered it, suddenly it became trendy. That legitimised the genre, eliminating the ‘dad rock’ tag. It gave our catalog a new life.”
At that time, the Answer’s first record was still not available in the US, so Guitar Hero was a key medium for exposure for the band as they went on a North American tour supporting the rock giants. “The roadies had on Never Too Late on the tour bus, and several recognized us from Guitar Hero,” he notes.
Major Band Titles and Lasting Impact
Rock’s biggest acts soon capitalised on the series’ popularity, with Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen featuring in specialized game editions that focused on each band’s catalogue and related lore, imagery and legendary status. For example, the Aerosmith edition, reportedly to have made the band more money compared to their records. It sold well over 500,000 units upon release, and sales of their songs rose significantly during an era as the industry was already collapsing.
The series still motivates quick-handed fanaticism within the community. Recently, an online personality achieved a remarkable feat featuring the challenging track – a notoriously difficult anthem popularized through the game – on Clone Hero, a freeware game with similar gameplay but an array of personalization features. This track is challenging enough on the hardest setting, not to mention performed at double speed and without missing every one of the thousands of cues. The streamer stated requiring months of practice of practice.
“Guitar Hero offers a, imaginary experience. If you play other games, it doesn't imply you should use actual weapons and enlist,” notes DragonForce guitarist the artist.
DragonForce previously wrapped up a successful tour before their hit appeared in the third game, yet he explains it turned them into widely recognized. “I recall the record label calling to tell me that we were records were moving rapidly,” he shares. “It exploded on the subsequent tour, and we were playing right ahead of the headliners at the event.”
Indeed, DragonForce’s exposure via the game proved so vast that it has threatened to eclipsing all other accomplishments. Last year, the track was used in a trailer for Despicable Me 4. “Previously I felt differently, but I’ve made peace with it,” Li says. “Should you just hear a single track, it’s totally cool – everyone’s got a unique path in music and I'm pleased we’ve been part of people’s lives”.
Enduring Impact from the Plastic Guitar
Top-tier promotion, be it for cars, clothes or games, goes further than selling something – it evokes a desire. Was the game able to tap into that? “Precisely what we were trying to create,” he confirms. “The excitement of performing as a music icon on the stage. Since the beginning, the creators felt that there’s an instinctive human desire to make music, and their goal was to use technology to allow people to do it”.
Most of Guitar Hero games came out in just a half-decade from 2005 to 2010, featuring spin-offs like the DJ version, complete with a turntable controller, and the band-focused game. After that, corporate focus on peripherals died down, aside from a short-lived revival in 2015.
Games such as Clone Hero and newer releases have maintained the community alive, and there’s set to be something from the founders on the way. A new studio has begun work on their first rhythm-based title. Original co-founders are participating as special advisers. Is the world prepared to welcome another game in the spirit of the classic?
“We thought those games could be similar to sports games where you can releases,” he remarks. “With abundant new music it could remain evergreen, so I’ve always been hopeful. There’s no reason for it to continue for future fans.”
