It has been 20 years after Guitar Hero debuted across the Atlantic, offering players everywhere the means to become rock legends. Figuratively speaking, though you'd be hard-pressed telling that someone who has mastered Free Bird’s lengthy guitar solo in front of a packed crowd of friends.
Created by the developers, the game provided users with a plastic guitar peripheral to follow coloured notes scrolling down the display synchronized to a song. Each riff corresponded to specific notes, creating the sensation of an authentic live show.
Harmonix previously experimented in the music genre prior to teaming up with the publisher, which was acquired by Activision during the mid-2000s. Collaboratively, they laid the groundwork for an unlikely billion-dollar series that had a remarkable influence for many of the artists included, introducing decades-old bands to millions of younger players.
Michael Dornbrook, ex-chief operating officer from the developer, remembers the early budgetary hurdles in securing the recordings – despite the fact the first two games primarily featured rerecorded tracks.
“We reproduced every song because the dollar figure prohibitive,” he explains. “Despite having the publishing rights by themselves, it proved extremely difficult. We failed to secure bands like the Who – the publisher was operating on a shoestring budget, and our team was fairly certain it would fail. But once the game became a hit, album purchases airtime increased, all artists desired to be in.”
He continues: “Among the remarkable aspects was how many mothers and fathers reached out and thanked us for exposing their kids to the songs they adored. It evolved into an intergenerational thing.”
Classic Rock Gains a New Audience
Northern Irish blues-rock band one featured act included their track in the 2008 release Guitar Hero World Tour. Guitarist the artist remembers how the series revived older hits back into vogue: “Guitar Hero offered a larger, new demographic. Generally this had been seen as outdated material, however when it was included in the title young people discovered it, abruptly it became trendy. That legitimised the genre, and got rid of the ‘dad rock’ tag. It gave our catalog renewed popularity.”
At that time, the band's debut album remained unreleased stateside, meaning Guitar Hero was a key medium for exposure for the group during their US tour opening for AC/DC. “Their crew were playing Never Too Late on the tour bus, and several knew us from Guitar Hero,” he notes.
Rock’s Heavyweight Spin-offs Enduring Influence
Rock’s heavyweight names soon capitalised on the series’ popularity, with Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen starring in dedicated game editions that focused on each band’s catalogue and associated lore, imagery and rock’n’roll mythology. For example, the Aerosmith edition, it was said earned the group more money than any of their records. It sold more than half a million copies in its first week, while demand for their songs saw an increase significantly during an era when the music business was already collapsing.
Guitar Hero still motivates quick-handed dedication within the community. Earlier this year, an online personality achieved an impressive attempt featuring the challenging track – an infamously tough power-metal song popularized through the game – using a fan-made version, a no-cost alternative with almost identical gameplay but an array of personalization features. The song is challenging even in the hardest setting, not to mention played at double speed and without missing a single one of the thousands of cues. The streamer stated it took months of practice to accomplish.
“Guitar Hero is a fun, fantasy thing. If you play Call of Duty, it doesn't imply you ought to pick up actual weapons and go to war,” notes DragonForce guitarist Herman Li.
The band previously wrapped up a profitable run when their hit was featured on Guitar Hero III, but Li says it turned them into widely recognized. “I remember our distributors calling to tell me that our records were moving like crazy,” he shares. “It exploded when we next toured, and we performed right ahead of top acts at the event.”
In fact, the band's visibility from Guitar Hero proved so vast that it has risked eclipsing everything else accomplishments. Recently, the track featured in a trailer for a major film. “Previously I thought differently, but now I accept it,” he admits. “Should you just listen to a single track, it’s totally cool – each person has a unique path in music and I’m glad we’ve been part of people’s lives”.
Enduring Legacy of a Iconic Controller
Top-tier marketing, whether it’s for cars, clothes or video games, goes further mere transactions – it inspires a longing. Was the game able to tap into that? “Precisely what our team aiming to achieve,” Dornbrook says. “That thrill of being a rock star in the spotlight. Since the beginning, the creators believed humans have a natural urge to make music, and they wanted to leverage innovation to allow people to participate”.
Most of Guitar Hero games were released over a mere half-decade from 2005 to 2010, including derivative titles such as the DJ version, complete with a turntable controller, and the band-focused game. Subsequently, the publisher’s interest in plastic instruments died down, except for a brief comeback in 2015.
Titles like the fan project and Fortnite Festival have maintained the community active, with set to be a new product from the founders in development. Recently formed developers has begun production on its debut music game. The initial creators are both involved as special advisers. Are gamers prepared to welcome a new entry in the spirit of Guitar Hero?
“Our team believed such titles could be similar to sports games allowing annual update every year,” he remarks. “There’s so much new music that it could be evergreen, so I’ve always been hopeful. It's entirely possible for it to persist for future fans.”
