Marking two decades since Guitar Hero hit the market across the Atlantic, giving everyday gamers the opportunity to become a rock star. Not in reality, but try telling that anyone who's nailed the epic four-minute instrumental break before a packed living-room audience.
Developed by Harmonix, the game provided users with a guitar-shaped controller to follow on-screen cues moving along the screen in time with a song. Each riff corresponded to specific notes, creating the sensation of an authentic performance.
Harmonix previously experimented in the music genre before partnering with RedOctane, later purchased by the gaming giant during the mid-2000s. Collaboratively, they established the foundations for an unlikely billion-dollar series that had a remarkable influence on numerous musicians included, introducing classic groups to millions of younger players.
A former executive, ex-chief operating officer from the developer, recalls the initial financial challenges in securing the songs – despite the fact the first two games mostly used cover versions.
“We reproduced every song since the cost was so high,” he explains. “Even with the publishing rights alone, it proved nearly impossible. We failed to secure acts such as legendary groups – RedOctane had virtually no money, and our team was pretty convinced the project would flop. However, when Guitar Hero became a hit, album purchases and radio play increased, all artists desired to participate.”
He adds: “Among the amazing things was the number of mothers and fathers reached out and thanked us for introducing their kids to the music they adored. It became a multigenerational phenomenon.”
Classic Rock Finds a New Audience
Irish group the Answer had Never Too Late on the 2008 game Guitar Hero World Tour. Lead musician Paul Mahon remembers the way the game brought older hits back into vogue: “Guitar Hero provided a bigger, younger audience. Generally such music was considered outdated material, but then once it got included in the game young people discovered it, suddenly it became trendy. That legitimised the genre, and got rid of the ‘dad rock’ tag. It gave all our music renewed popularity.”
At that time, the band's first record was still not available in the US, meaning the game served as a primary platform of discovery for the group during their US tour opening for the rock giants. “The roadies were playing Never Too Late on the tour bus, and several recognized us from Guitar Hero,” he notes.
Major Band Spin-offs Enduring Influence
Music's biggest acts quickly capitalised on the game's success, with Aerosmith, Metallica and others starring in dedicated spin-off titles that focused on their music collections and associated lore, visuals and rock’n’roll mythology. For example, the Aerosmith edition, it was said to have made the group greater revenue compared to their records. It sold more than half a million units in its first week, and sales of their songs rose significantly during an era when the music business faced decline.
Guitar Hero continues to inspire quick-handed dedication within the community. Recently, an online personality completed an impressive attempt featuring the challenging track – an infamously tough anthem made popular by the game – on Clone Hero, a freeware game with similar gameplay and extensive customisation options. This track is challenging even in expert mode, not to mention played at double speed while hitting a single one of the thousands of cues. They claimed requiring nine months to accomplish.
“The game is a fun, fantasy thing. If you play Call of Duty, that doesn’t mean you ought to pick up actual weapons and go to war,” notes musician Herman Li.
The band previously wrapped up a successful tour before their hit appeared in the third game, yet he explains it made them widely recognized. “I remember our distributors calling to tell me that our records were moving rapidly,” he says. “Popularity surged on the subsequent tour, and we performed right ahead of the headliners on the Mayhem festival.”
In fact, the band's visibility via the game proved so vast that it has risked eclipsing all other the band has done. Last year, the song was used in promotional material for a major film. “Previously I felt differently, but now I accept it,” he admits. “If you only hear a single track, it’s totally cool – each person has their own musical journey and I'm pleased we’ve been part in fans' experiences”.
Enduring Legacy from the Plastic Guitar
Top-tier marketing, whether it’s for automobiles, apparel or video games, extends beyond than selling something – it evokes a longing. Did Guitar Hero tap into that? “That’s exactly what our team trying to create,” he confirms. “That thrill of performing as a rock star in the spotlight. From day one, the creators felt that humans have a natural urge to make music, and their goal was to leverage innovation to enable everyone to do it”.
The majority of Guitar Hero games came out over a mere five-year period from 2005 to 2010, including spin-offs such as DJ Hero, including a spinning deck, and Band Hero. Subsequently, the publisher’s interest in plastic instruments waned, aside from a short-lived revival in 2015.
Titles like Clone Hero and Fortnite Festival have kept the community active, and there’s set to be something from the founders in development. Recently formed developers has begun production on its debut rhythm-based title. The initial creators are participating in advisory roles. Are gamers ready to embrace a new entry following Guitar Hero?
“Our team believed those games could be similar to sports games where you can update every year,” Dornbrook says. “With abundant new music that it could be perennially popular, so I’ve always been hopeful. There’s no reason for it to persist with new generations.”
