Marking 20 years since Guitar Hero first launched across the Atlantic, providing players everywhere the tools to feel like rock legends. Not literally, but try telling that someone who has nailed Free Bird’s four-minute guitar solo before an enthusiastic living-room audience.
Developed by Harmonix, Guitar Hero provided users with a plastic guitar peripheral to match on-screen cues scrolling down the screen in time with the music. Every sequence corresponded to specific notes, creating the feel of an authentic performance.
Harmonix had already experimented with rhythm games prior to teaming up with the publisher, later acquired by Activision in 2006. Collaboratively, they laid the groundwork for a surprising billion-dollar franchise which made a remarkable influence for many of the artists featured, showcasing classic bands to a new generation of younger players.
A former executive, ex-chief operating officer of Harmonix, remembers the early budgetary hurdles in securing the recordings – even though initial releases mostly used rerecorded tracks.
“We reproduced every song since the cost prohibitive,” he explains. “Even with the necessary permissions by themselves, it proved extremely difficult. We couldn’t get acts such as legendary groups – the publisher was operating on a shoestring budget, and we were pretty convinced the project would flop. But once Guitar Hero took off, album purchases airtime increased, all artists desired to be in.”
He adds: “Among the amazing things was how many mothers and fathers got in touch expressing gratitude for exposing their children to the songs they adored. It evolved into an intergenerational thing.”
Classic Rock Gains Younger Fans
Northern Irish group one featured act had their track on the 2008 game the popular installment. Guitarist the artist recalls the way the game revived classic rock to the forefront: “Guitar Hero provided a larger, younger audience. Typically such music was considered music that was past it, however once it got featured on the game and teenagers were finding it, abruptly it became trendy. That legitimised it, eliminating the outdated label. It provided our catalog a new life.”
In 2008, the Answer’s first record was still unreleased in the US, meaning Guitar Hero was a key medium for exposure for the band as they went on a North American tour opening for the rock giants. “The roadies were playing the song on the tour bus, and some of them recognized us from Guitar Hero,” he notes.
Rock’s Heavyweight Titles Enduring Impact
Music's heavyweight names quickly took advantage of the game's success, with Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen starring in dedicated spin-off titles centered around their music collections and related stories, imagery and rock’n’roll mythology. In the case of, the Aerosmith edition, reportedly to have made the group greater revenue compared to their records. It sold well over half a million copies in its first week, and sales of Aerosmith’s music saw an increase of up to 40% at a time when the music business was already collapsing.
Guitar Hero continues to inspire nimble-fingered fanaticism among its fans. Earlier this year, 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 no-cost alternative with similar gameplay but an array of personalization features. This track is challenging even in the hardest setting, not to mention played at increased tempo while hitting every one of the thousands of cues. The streamer claimed it took nine months of practice.
“Guitar Hero is a fun, imaginary experience. If you play Call of Duty, it doesn't imply you should pick up actual weapons and go to war,” notes DragonForce guitarist Herman Li.
DragonForce previously wrapped up a successful tour when Through the Fire and Flames was featured on Guitar Hero III, but Li says it made them widely recognized. “I recall the record label informing us that our selling albums rapidly,” he shares. “It exploded when we next toured, and we were playing right ahead of the headliners at the event.”
In fact, DragonForce’s exposure from Guitar Hero was so immense that it risked eclipsing all other the band has done. Last year, the song was used in a trailer for a major film. “Previously I felt otherwise, but now I accept it,” he admits. “If you only listen to one DragonForce song, it’s totally cool – each person has their own musical journey and I’m glad we’ve been part of people’s lives”.
The Lasting Legacy from the Plastic Guitar
The best promotion, whether it’s for automobiles, apparel or video games, extends beyond than selling something – it evokes a desire. Did Guitar Hero tap into that? “That’s exactly what we were aiming to achieve,” he confirms. “That thrill of being a rock star in the spotlight. From day one, the co-founders believed humans have a natural human desire to create songs, and they wanted to leverage innovation to enable everyone to do it”.
Most of Guitar Hero games were released over a mere five-year period from 2005 to 2010, including derivative titles like the DJ version, including a spinning deck, and Band Hero. After that, corporate focus on peripherals died down, aside from a short-lived revival in 2015.
Titles such as the fan project and newer releases have maintained the scene active, and there’s set to be a new product from the original publisher in development. A new studio has begun work on their first rhythm-based title. Original co-founders are participating in advisory roles. Is the world ready to embrace another game in the spirit of Guitar Hero?
“Our team believed those games might become like Madden where you can releases,” Dornbrook says. “There’s so much new music that it could be evergreen, thus I remain hopeful. It's entirely possible why it can’t persist for future fans.”
