Marking 20 years after Guitar Hero debuted in North America, providing players everywhere the tools to feel like a rock star. Not in reality, though you'd be hard-pressed telling that someone who has nailed Free Bird’s four-minute instrumental break in front of an enthusiastic living-room audience.
Developed by Harmonix, the game gave players a guitar-shaped controller to match on-screen cues moving along the display in time with a song. Each riff corresponded to specific notes, producing the sensation of an authentic live show.
The studio had already tried its hand with rhythm games before partnering with the publisher, which was acquired by the gaming giant in 2006. Together, they established the groundwork for a surprising massively profitable series which made a significant influence for many of the artists included, showcasing decades-old groups to millions of younger players.
Michael Dornbrook, ex-chief operating officer from the developer, recalls the initial financial challenges of licensing the songs – even though the first two games mostly used cover versions.
“We reproduced all the music because the dollar figure prohibitive,” he says. “Despite having the necessary permissions by themselves, it was extremely difficult. We couldn’t get bands like legendary groups – the publisher was operating on a shoestring budget, and our team was pretty convinced the project would flop. But once the game took off, and record sales and radio play increased, everyone wanted to participate.”
He continues: “Among the remarkable aspects was how many parents reached out and thanked us for introducing their children to the music they adored. It evolved into an intergenerational phenomenon.”
Timeless Music Finds a New Audience
Irish group one featured act had Never Too Late on the 2008 game the popular installment. Lead musician Paul Mahon recalls how the series brought older hits back into vogue: “The game offered a larger, younger audience. Generally such music was seen as outdated material, but then once it got featured on the title and teenagers were finding it, abruptly it was cool. This validated the genre, eliminating the ‘dad rock’ label. It gave all our music renewed popularity.”
At that time, the band's debut album remained not available stateside, meaning the game was a key medium for exposure for the group as they went on a North American tour opening for the rock giants. “The roadies had on the song on the tour bus, and several knew us from Guitar Hero,” he notes.
Rock’s Heavyweight Spin-offs and Lasting Influence
Rock’s biggest acts soon took advantage of the game's success, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen starring in dedicated game editions that focused on their music collections and related lore, imagery and legendary status. For example, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, it was said earned the band greater revenue than any of their records. It moved well over 500,000 copies in its first week, and demand for Aerosmith’s music rose significantly at a time when the music business faced decline.
Guitar Hero still motivates quick-handed fanaticism among its fans. Earlier this year, a streamer achieved a remarkable feat of DragonForce’s Through the Fire and Flames – an infamously tough power-metal song made popular by the game – on Clone Hero, a no-cost alternative with almost identical gameplay and extensive customisation options. The song is difficult enough on expert mode, let alone performed at double speed while hitting a single one of the thousands of cues. They claimed requiring nine months of practice.
“The game is a fun, imaginary experience. Just as with other games, that doesn’t mean you ought to pick up a real gun and enlist,” notes DragonForce guitarist Herman Li.
DragonForce previously wrapped up a profitable run when Through the Fire and Flames appeared in the third game, but Li says it turned them into a household name. “I remember the record label calling to tell me that we were selling albums like crazy,” he shares. “Popularity surged when we next toured, and we were playing just before the headliners at the event.”
In fact, the band's visibility from Guitar Hero proved so vast that it has threatened to overshadow all other the band has done. Recently, the track featured in promotional material for a major film. “Previously I felt otherwise, but now I accept it,” he admits. “If you only hear a single track, it’s totally cool – each person has their own path in music and I’m glad we played a role in fans' experiences”.
Enduring Impact of a Plastic Guitar
Top-tier promotion, be it for automobiles, apparel or games, goes further than selling something – it inspires a longing. Did Guitar Hero tap into that? “Precisely what we were aiming to achieve,” he confirms. “The excitement of performing as a rock star on the stage. Since the beginning, the creators felt that there’s an instinctive urge to make music, and they wanted to use technology to enable everyone to participate”.
The majority of Guitar Hero games came out over a mere half-decade from 2005 to 2010, featuring derivative titles like the DJ version, complete with a turntable controller, and the band-focused game. Subsequently, corporate focus in plastic instruments died down, aside from a brief comeback several years later.
Games such as Clone Hero and Fortnite Festival have maintained the community alive, and there’s expectations of a new product from the original publisher on the way. Recently formed developers has begun work on its debut rhythm-based title. The initial creators are participating in advisory roles. Is the world prepared to welcome another game in the spirit of Guitar Hero?
“Our team believed such titles could be similar to sports games where you can update every year,” Dornbrook says. “With abundant new music that it could be evergreen, so I’ve always been optimistic. There’s no reason why it can’t persist with new generations.”
