It has been 20 years after Guitar Hero debuted across the Atlantic, offering players everywhere the means to become rock legends. Not in reality, though you'd be hard-pressed telling that anyone who's nailed Free Bird’s lengthy guitar solo in front of an enthusiastic living-room audience.
Developed by the developers, the game provided users with a plastic guitar peripheral to follow coloured notes moving along the screen in time with the music. Each riff mimicked specific notes, producing the feel of an authentic performance.
Harmonix had already experimented in the music genre before partnering with RedOctane, later acquired by the gaming giant in 2006. Collaboratively, they established the foundations for an unlikely billion-dollar franchise that had a remarkable impact on numerous musicians included, showcasing decades-old groups to millions of gaming enthusiasts.
A former executive, ex-chief operating officer from the developer, remembers the early budgetary hurdles of licensing the recordings – even though initial releases mostly used rerecorded tracks.
“We reproduced all the music since the cost prohibitive,” he explains. “Even with the publishing rights alone, it proved nearly impossible. We failed to secure bands like the Who – RedOctane had virtually no money, and our team was fairly certain the project would flop. But once the game took off, album purchases airtime increased, all artists desired to participate.”
He continues: “Among the amazing things was the number of mothers and fathers got in touch and thanked us for introducing their children to the music they loved. It became an intergenerational phenomenon.”
Classic Rock Gains Younger Fans
Northern Irish blues-rock band the Answer included their track on the 2008 game Guitar Hero World Tour. Lead musician Paul Mahon remembers how the series brought older hits to the forefront: “Guitar Hero provided a larger, younger audience. Typically this had been seen as outdated material, however once it got included in the title and teenagers discovered it, suddenly it became trendy. This validated it, eliminating the outdated label. It provided our catalog renewed popularity.”
In 2008, the Answer’s debut album remained unreleased stateside, so Guitar Hero was a key medium of discovery for the band as they went on a North American tour opening for the rock giants. “Their crew had on the song on the tour bus, and some of them recognized us thanks to the game,” Mahon says.
Major Band Spin-offs and Lasting Influence
Music's heavyweight names soon took advantage of the game's success, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen featuring in specialized game editions that focused on each band’s catalogue and related lore, imagery and rock’n’roll mythology. For example, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, reportedly earned the band greater revenue compared to their records. It sold well over 500,000 copies upon release, and demand for Aerosmith’s music rose of up to 40% at a time as the industry was already collapsing.
Guitar Hero still motivates quick-handed dedication among its fans. Earlier this year, an online personality achieved a remarkable feat featuring the challenging track – an infamously tough anthem popularized through the game – on Clone Hero, a no-cost alternative with almost identical gameplay but an array of personalization features. The song is difficult even in expert mode, not to mention played at double speed and without missing a single one of its near 4,000 notes. The streamer claimed it took months of practice to accomplish.
“The game offers a, imaginary experience. Just as with other games, it doesn't imply you should pick up a real gun and go to war,” notes DragonForce guitarist Herman Li.
The band previously wrapped up a profitable run before Through the Fire and Flames appeared on Guitar Hero III, yet he explains it turned them into a household name. “I remember the record label calling to tell me that we were records were moving like crazy,” he shares. “Popularity surged on the subsequent tour, and we were playing right ahead of the headliners on the Mayhem festival.”
In fact, DragonForce’s exposure from Guitar Hero proved so vast that it has risked eclipsing all other the band has done. Recently, the track featured in a trailer for a major film. “Previously I felt differently, but now I accept it,” he admits. “If you only hear one DragonForce song, it’s totally cool – each person has their own musical journey and I'm pleased we’ve been part of people’s lives”.
The Lasting Legacy from the Plastic Guitar
Top-tier marketing, whether it’s for automobiles, clothes or video games, extends beyond than selling something – it inspires a longing. Did Guitar Hero harness this? “Precisely what we were trying to create,” Dornbrook says. “That thrill of being a rock star on the stage. Since the beginning, the co-founders felt that there’s an instinctive urge to make music, and they wanted to use technology to allow people to participate”.
The majority of Guitar Hero games came out over a mere five-year period between 2005 and 2010, including spin-offs such as DJ Hero, complete with a spinning deck, and the band-focused game. After that, corporate focus on peripherals waned, except for a brief comeback in 2015.
Games such as Clone Hero and newer releases have kept the community active, with set to be a new product from the founders on the way. Recently formed developers has begun work on its debut rhythm-based title. The initial creators are participating in advisory roles. Are gamers ready to embrace another game in the spirit of Guitar Hero?
“Our team believed those games could be similar to sports games where you can releases,” Dornbrook says. “With abundant new music it could remain evergreen, thus I remain optimistic. It's entirely possible for it to persist with new generations.”
