It has been two decades since Guitar Hero first launched across the Atlantic, offering everyday gamers the tools to feel like rock legends. Not literally, but try telling that someone who's mastered Free Bird’s lengthy guitar solo before an enthusiastic living-room audience.
Created by Harmonix, Guitar Hero gave players a plastic guitar peripheral to follow coloured notes moving along the screen in time with a song. Every sequence mimicked particular chords, producing the sensation of a genuine performance.
Harmonix had already experimented with rhythm games prior to teaming up with the publisher, which was acquired by the gaming giant in 2006. Collaboratively, they laid the foundations for an unlikely billion-dollar series which made a remarkable impact for many of the artists featured, showcasing classic groups to a new generation of younger players.
A former executive, ex-chief operating officer from the developer, remembers the early budgetary hurdles of licensing the recordings – even though the first two games primarily featured rerecorded tracks.
“We reproduced all the music because the dollar figure was so high,” he explains. “Despite having the necessary permissions by themselves, it proved extremely difficult. We failed to secure acts such as legendary groups – RedOctane was operating on a shoestring budget, and we were pretty convinced it would fail. But once the game took off, album purchases and radio play were going up, all artists desired to participate.”
He adds: “One of the amazing things was how many mothers and fathers reached out expressing gratitude for introducing their kids to the music they adored. It evolved into a multigenerational phenomenon.”
Classic Rock Finds Younger Fans
Irish blues-rock band one featured act included Never Too Late in the 2008 release the popular installment. Guitarist the artist recalls the way the game revived older hits to the forefront: “Guitar Hero provided a bigger, younger audience. Typically such music was seen as music that was past it, but then when it was included in the title young people discovered it, suddenly it was cool. That legitimised the genre, and got rid of the outdated label. It gave our catalog renewed popularity.”
At that time, the Answer’s first record remained unreleased stateside, meaning Guitar Hero served as a primary platform of discovery for the band as they went on a North American tour supporting the rock giants. “Their crew were playing the song during travel, and several knew us thanks to the game,” he notes.
Major Band Spin-offs Enduring Impact
Music's heavyweight names quickly capitalised on the series’ popularity, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen starring in dedicated spin-off titles that focused on their music collections and related stories, visuals and legendary status. For example, the Aerosmith edition, it was said earned the group greater revenue compared to their records. It sold more than half a million copies upon release, while demand for Aerosmith’s music saw an increase of up to 40% during an era when the music business was already collapsing.
Guitar Hero still motivates quick-handed dedication among its fans. Recently, a streamer completed an impressive attempt of DragonForce’s Through the Fire and Flames – an infamously tough power-metal song made popular by the game – using a fan-made version, a freeware game with almost identical mechanics and extensive customisation options. This track is difficult even in the hardest setting, not to mention performed at double speed while hitting a single one of the thousands of cues. They claimed requiring months of practice of practice.
“Guitar Hero is a fun, fantasy thing. Just as with Call of Duty, it doesn't imply you should use actual weapons and enlist,” notes DragonForce guitarist the artist.
DragonForce previously wrapped up a successful tour when Through the Fire and Flames was featured in the third game, yet he explains it made them a household name. “I recall the record label informing us that we were records were moving rapidly,” he shares. “Popularity surged when we next toured, and we were playing just before the headliners at the event.”
Indeed, the band's visibility from Guitar Hero was so immense that it risked overshadow everything else accomplishments. Recently, the song featured in a trailer for a major film. “In the past I felt otherwise, but now I accept it,” he admits. “If you only listen to a single track, that's fine – everyone’s got a unique path in music and I’m glad we’ve been part of people’s lives”.
Enduring Legacy from the Plastic Guitar
Top-tier marketing, be it for cars, clothes or games, extends beyond than selling something – it evokes a longing. Did Guitar Hero tap into that? “That’s exactly what we were aiming to achieve,” he confirms. “The excitement of being a music icon in the spotlight. From day one, the creators believed humans have a natural urge to make music, and their goal was to use technology to allow people to participate”.
The majority of Guitar Hero games came out in just a half-decade from 2005 to 2010, including derivative titles like the DJ version, complete with a spinning deck, and Band Hero. Subsequently, the publisher’s interest in plastic instruments died down, except for a brief comeback in 2015.
Games like Clone Hero and Fortnite Festival have kept the community active, with set to be something from the founders in development. Recently formed developers has entered production on their first music game. The initial creators are both involved in advisory roles. Are gamers prepared to welcome another game following the classic?
“We thought those games might become similar to sports games allowing annual update every year,” Dornbrook says. “There’s so much new music that it could be perennially popular, thus I remain hopeful. It's entirely possible why it can’t persist for future fans.”
