It has been 20 years after Guitar Hero debuted in North America, offering everyday gamers the means to become rock legends. Not literally, but try telling that someone who's nailed Free Bird’s lengthy instrumental break in front of a packed crowd of friends.
Developed by Harmonix, the game gave players a plastic guitar peripheral to match coloured notes moving along the screen in time with the music. Every sequence corresponded to specific notes, producing the feel of an authentic performance.
Harmonix had already tried its hand in the music genre prior to teaming up with the publisher, which was purchased by Activision in 2006. Together, they laid the groundwork for an unlikely billion-dollar franchise which made a significant influence for many musicians included, introducing decades-old groups to millions of younger players.
Michael Dornbrook, ex-chief operating officer from the developer, remembers the early budgetary hurdles in securing the songs – even though initial releases primarily featured cover versions.
“We rerecorded every song since the cost prohibitive,” he explains. “Despite having the necessary permissions alone, it was extremely difficult. We couldn’t get acts such as legendary groups – RedOctane had virtually no money, and our team was pretty convinced it would fail. But once Guitar Hero became a hit, album purchases airtime were going up, everyone wanted to be in.”
He continues: “One of the amazing things was how many mothers and fathers reached out expressing gratitude for exposing their kids to the music they loved. It became a multigenerational phenomenon.”
Classic Rock Finds Younger Fans
Irish blues-rock band the Answer included Never Too Late on the 2008 game the popular installment. Lead musician the artist remembers how the series brought older hits to the forefront: “Guitar Hero offered a bigger, younger audience. Typically such music was seen as outdated material, but then once it got included in the title young people were finding it, suddenly it became trendy. That legitimised it, eliminating the outdated label. It gave our catalog a new life.”
In 2008, the band's debut album was still unreleased in the US, meaning the game served as a primary platform of discovery for the group as they went on US tour opening for AC/DC. “The roadies were playing the song during travel, and several knew us from Guitar Hero,” Mahon says.
Rock’s Heavyweight Titles and Lasting Influence
Music's heavyweight names soon took advantage of the game's success, with Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen starring in specialized spin-off titles that focused on their music collections and related lore, imagery and rock’n’roll mythology. For example, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, it was said earned the group more money than any of their records. It sold well over half a million units upon release, and demand for their songs saw an increase of up to 40% at a time when the music business faced decline.
The series continues to inspire quick-handed dedication within the community. Recently, an online personality completed an impressive attempt featuring Through the Fire and Flames – a notoriously difficult anthem popularized through Guitar Hero – using a fan-made version, a freeware game with similar mechanics but an array of personalization features. The song is difficult enough on the hardest setting, not to mention performed at increased tempo and without missing a single one of its near 4,000 notes. They claimed it took nine months of practice.
“Guitar Hero is a fun, imaginary experience. Just as with other games, that doesn’t mean you ought to use a real gun and go to war,” says DragonForce guitarist the artist.
The band previously completed a profitable run when their hit was featured in the third game, yet he explains it made them a household name. “I remember our distributors calling to tell me that we were selling albums rapidly,” he shares. “Popularity surged on the subsequent tour, and we were playing right ahead of top acts at the event.”
Indeed, DragonForce’s exposure from Guitar Hero proved so vast that it has risked eclipsing everything else accomplishments. Last year, the track featured in promotional material for Despicable Me 4. “In the past I felt differently, but I’ve made peace with it,” he admits. “If you only listen to a single track, that's fine – each person has their own musical journey and I'm pleased we’ve been part in fans' experiences”.
Enduring Legacy from the Plastic Guitar
The best marketing, be it for cars, clothes or games, goes further mere transactions – it inspires a longing. Did Guitar Hero harness this? “Precisely what we were aiming to achieve,” Dornbrook says. “That thrill of performing as a music icon in the spotlight. Since the beginning, the co-founders felt that there’s an instinctive urge to make music, and their goal was to use technology to allow people to do it”.
Most of Guitar Hero games were released over a mere five-year period from 2005 to 2010, featuring spin-offs like the DJ version, including a turntable controller, and the band-focused game. After that, corporate focus in plastic instruments died down, aside from a brief comeback several years later.
Games like the fan project and Fortnite Festival have kept the community active, with expectations of a new product from the original publisher in development. A new studio has entered production on its debut rhythm-based title. Original co-founders are participating in advisory roles. Is the world prepared to welcome another game following Guitar Hero?
“We thought those games might become similar to sports games allowing annual update every year,” Dornbrook says. “There’s so much fresh tracks that it could be perennially popular, thus I remain optimistic. It's entirely possible why it can’t continue for future fans.”
