Marking 20 years since Guitar Hero first launched across the Atlantic, providing players everywhere the opportunity to feel like rock legends. Figuratively speaking, but try telling that someone who's mastered Free Bird’s lengthy guitar solo before an enthusiastic crowd of friends.
Developed by Harmonix, Guitar Hero gave players a plastic guitar peripheral to follow on-screen cues scrolling down the screen synchronized to the music. Each riff mimicked specific notes, producing the sensation of a genuine live show.
Harmonix had already tried its hand in the music genre before partnering with the publisher, which was acquired by Activision during the mid-2000s. Collaboratively, they established the groundwork for a surprising massively profitable franchise which made a significant impact on numerous musicians included, showcasing classic groups to a new generation of gaming enthusiasts.
A former executive, former COO of Harmonix, recalls the initial financial challenges in securing the songs – even though the first two games mostly used cover versions.
“We reproduced every song since the dollar figure was so high,” 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 we were fairly certain it would fail. But once Guitar Hero took off, and record sales airtime increased, all artists desired to participate.”
He adds: “One of the remarkable aspects was how many parents reached out expressing gratitude for exposing their children to the songs they loved. It evolved into a multigenerational thing.”
Classic Rock Gains Younger Fans
Northern Irish group the Answer had their track on the 2008 game the popular installment. Lead musician Paul Mahon recalls how the series revived older hits back into vogue: “The game provided a bigger, younger audience. Typically this had been considered music that was past it, but then once it got included in the title young people discovered it, abruptly it became trendy. That legitimised the genre, eliminating the ‘dad rock’ tag. It gave our catalog renewed popularity.”
In 2008, the band's debut album was still not available in the US, so Guitar Hero was a key medium of discovery for the band during their US tour supporting the rock giants. “The roadies had on the song during travel, and some of them knew us from Guitar Hero,” Mahon says.
Major Band Titles and Lasting Influence
Music's heavyweight names soon took advantage of the series’ popularity, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and others featuring in dedicated game editions that focused on their music collections and related lore, visuals and rock’n’roll mythology. In the case of, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, it was said earned the group greater revenue compared to their studio albums. It sold well over half a million units in its first week, while sales of their songs rose of up to 40% during an era when the music business was already collapsing.
The series continues to inspire nimble-fingered fanaticism within the community. Recently, a streamer completed an impressive attempt featuring the challenging track – a notoriously difficult power-metal song made popular by Guitar Hero – using a fan-made version, a freeware game with almost identical gameplay but an array of personalization features. The song is challenging even in expert mode, not to mention played at increased tempo while hitting every one of its near 4,000 notes. They stated it took nine months of practice.
“Guitar Hero offers a, fantasy thing. Just as with other games, that doesn’t mean you ought to use a real gun and enlist,” says musician the artist.
The band previously completed a successful tour before Through the Fire and Flames appeared in the third game, but Li says it made them widely recognized. “I remember our distributors calling to tell me that we were records were moving rapidly,” he says. “Popularity surged when we next toured, and we performed just before the headliners on the Mayhem festival.”
In fact, the band's visibility via the game was so immense that it threatened to overshadow everything else the band has done. Recently, the song featured in a trailer for Despicable Me 4. “Previously I felt differently, but I’ve made peace with it,” he admits. “If you only hear a single track, that's fine – everyone’s got a unique musical journey and I'm pleased we’ve been part of people’s lives”.
Enduring Legacy from the Plastic Guitar
The best promotion, whether it’s for cars, apparel or games, extends beyond than selling something – it inspires a longing. Was the game able to harness this? “Precisely what we were trying to create,” he confirms. “The excitement of being a music icon on the stage. Since the beginning, the co-founders felt that humans have a natural urge to make music, and they wanted to leverage innovation 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 waned, except for a brief comeback in 2015.
Titles such as the fan project and Fortnite Festival have kept the community active, and there’s expectations of something from the founders in development. Recently formed developers has entered production on their first rhythm-based title. Original co-founders are both involved in advisory roles. Is the world ready to embrace another game following the classic?
“We thought such titles could be like Madden where you can releases,” Dornbrook says. “There’s so much fresh tracks that it could be evergreen, so I’ve always been hopeful. There’s no reason for it to continue for future fans.”
