Marking two decades since Guitar Hero debuted across the Atlantic, offering players everywhere the tools to become a rock star. Figuratively speaking, but try telling that anyone who's nailed the epic four-minute instrumental break before a packed crowd of friends.
Created by Harmonix, Guitar Hero provided users with a guitar-shaped controller to match on-screen cues moving along the display in time with the music. Each riff mimicked particular chords, creating the feel of an authentic performance.
Harmonix previously tried its hand with rhythm games prior to teaming up with the publisher, later acquired by Activision during the mid-2000s. Together, they laid the groundwork for a surprising billion-dollar franchise which made a remarkable impact for many of the artists included, showcasing classic groups to a new generation of gaming enthusiasts.
Michael Dornbrook, former COO of Harmonix, remembers the early budgetary hurdles in securing the recordings – even though initial releases primarily featured cover versions.
“We rerecorded every song because the dollar figure was so high,” he explains. “Even with the necessary permissions by themselves, it was nearly impossible. We couldn’t get acts such as the Who – RedOctane was operating on a shoestring budget, and we were fairly certain the project would flop. However, when Guitar Hero took off, and record sales and radio play were going up, all artists desired to be in.”
He adds: “One of 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 evolved into an intergenerational thing.”
Classic Rock Finds a New Audience
Irish blues-rock band the Answer had Never Too Late on the 2008 game Guitar Hero World Tour. Guitarist the artist remembers how the series brought older hits to the forefront: “Guitar Hero offered a larger, younger audience. Typically such music was considered music that was past it, however once it got included in the game and teenagers were finding it, suddenly it became trendy. That legitimised the genre, and got rid of the outdated tag. It provided our catalog a new life.”
At that time, the band's first record was still unreleased stateside, so the game served as a primary platform for exposure for the band during their US tour opening for the rock giants. “Their crew were playing the song on the tour bus, and several knew us thanks to the game,” he notes.
Rock’s Heavyweight Titles Enduring Influence
Rock’s biggest acts soon capitalised on the series’ popularity, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen featuring in specialized spin-off titles that focused on their music collections and related stories, visuals and rock’n’roll mythology. For example, the Aerosmith edition, reportedly to have made the group greater revenue than any of their studio albums. It moved well over half a million units in its first week, and demand for their songs saw an increase significantly during an era when the music business faced decline.
Guitar Hero still motivates quick-handed dedication within the community. Recently, an online personality completed an impressive attempt featuring the challenging track – an infamously tough power-metal song popularized through the game – on Clone Hero, a freeware game with similar gameplay and extensive customisation options. This track is challenging enough on the hardest setting, let alone played at double speed and without missing every one of the thousands of cues. They claimed it took months of practice of practice.
“Guitar Hero is a fun, fantasy thing. If you play other games, that doesn’t mean you should pick up a real gun and go to war,” notes DragonForce guitarist the artist.
DragonForce had already completed a profitable run before their hit was featured on Guitar Hero III, but Li says it turned them into a household name. “I recall the record label informing us that our records were moving like crazy,” he says. “Popularity surged when we next toured, and we performed just before the headliners on the Mayhem festival.”
In fact, DragonForce’s exposure via the game proved so vast that it has threatened to overshadow everything else accomplishments. Recently, the track was used in a trailer for Despicable Me 4. “In the past I thought differently, but now I accept it,” Li says. “If you only hear a single track, that's fine – each person has their own path in music and I'm pleased we’ve been part of people’s lives”.
The Lasting Impact of a Plastic Guitar
The best marketing, be it for automobiles, clothes or video games, goes further than selling something – it inspires a desire. Did Guitar Hero harness this? “Precisely what we were aiming to achieve,” Dornbrook says. “The excitement of being a music icon in the spotlight. Since the beginning, the creators believed humans have a natural urge to create songs, and their goal was to use technology to allow people to do it”.
Most installments came out over a mere half-decade from 2005 to 2010, featuring spin-offs like DJ Hero, complete with a spinning deck, and Band Hero. After that, corporate focus on peripherals waned, except for a brief comeback in 2015.
Titles such as Clone Hero and newer releases have maintained the scene active, with set to be a new product from the original publisher in development. A new studio has begun production on its debut rhythm-based title. The initial creators are both involved in advisory roles. Is the world prepared to welcome another game in the spirit of Guitar Hero?
“We thought those games could be like Madden allowing annual releases,” Dornbrook says. “There’s so much fresh tracks that it could be evergreen, thus I remain optimistic. There’s no reason why it can’t continue with new generations.”
