It has been two decades after Guitar Hero debuted in North America, giving players everywhere the tools to become a rock star. Figuratively speaking, but try convincing 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 match on-screen cues moving along the display in time with the music. Each riff mimicked specific notes, producing the sensation of a genuine live show.
Harmonix had already experimented with rhythm games before partnering with the publisher, which was acquired by Activision during the mid-2000s. Together, they established the foundations for a surprising billion-dollar series which made a significant impact on numerous of the artists included, showcasing classic groups to a new generation of younger players.
Michael Dornbrook, ex-chief operating officer from the developer, recalls the initial financial challenges in securing the recordings – despite the fact the first two games mostly used rerecorded tracks.
“We rerecorded all the music because the cost was so high,” he explains. “Despite having the publishing rights alone, it proved extremely difficult. We failed to secure bands like legendary groups – RedOctane was operating on a shoestring budget, and we were fairly certain it would fail. However, when Guitar Hero became a hit, album purchases and radio play were going up, everyone wanted to participate.”
He continues: “Among the amazing things was the number of mothers and fathers reached out expressing gratitude for introducing their children to the music they loved. It evolved into an intergenerational phenomenon.”
Timeless Music Gains a New Audience
Northern Irish group the Answer had their track on the 2008 game the popular installment. Lead musician Paul Mahon remembers how the series revived older hits back into vogue: “The game offered a larger, younger audience. Generally such music was seen as music that was past it, but then once it got included in the game and teenagers were finding it, abruptly it was cool. This validated the genre, eliminating the ‘dad rock’ label. It provided all our music renewed popularity.”
At that time, the Answer’s first record remained not available stateside, so Guitar Hero was a key medium of discovery for the group as they went on a North American tour supporting the rock giants. “Their crew were playing the song during travel, and some of them recognized us thanks to the game,” Mahon says.
Rock’s Heavyweight Titles and Lasting Impact
Music's heavyweight names quickly took advantage of 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 lore, visuals and legendary status. In the case of, the Aerosmith edition, reportedly to have made the band greater revenue than any of their studio albums. It moved well over half a million units in its first week, and demand for Aerosmith’s music rose significantly at a time when the music business faced decline.
The series still motivates quick-handed dedication among its fans. Earlier this year, a streamer achieved a remarkable feat featuring the challenging track – an infamously tough anthem made popular by the game – on Clone Hero, a no-cost alternative with almost identical mechanics and extensive personalization features. The song is challenging even in expert mode, let alone played at increased tempo and without missing a single one of its near 4,000 notes. The streamer claimed it took months of practice of practice.
“The game is a fun, fantasy thing. If you play other games, that doesn’t mean you should use actual weapons and go to war,” notes DragonForce guitarist the artist.
DragonForce previously completed a successful tour before Through the Fire and Flames appeared on Guitar Hero III, yet he explains it turned them into widely recognized. “I recall our distributors calling to tell me that our selling albums like crazy,” he says. “Popularity surged when we next toured, and we performed just before the headliners at the event.”
Indeed, the band's visibility via the game was so immense that it threatened to eclipsing everything else accomplishments. Last year, the track was used in promotional material for Despicable Me 4. “In the past I felt differently, but now I accept it,” Li says. “Should you just hear a single track, that's fine – everyone’s got a unique musical journey and I'm pleased we played a role of people’s lives”.
Enduring Legacy of a Plastic Guitar
Top-tier promotion, whether it’s for automobiles, clothes or video games, goes further mere transactions – it evokes a longing. Did Guitar Hero harness this? “Precisely what we were trying to create,” he confirms. “That thrill of being a music icon on the stage. From day one, the co-founders felt that there’s an instinctive human desire to create songs, and they wanted to use technology to allow people to participate”.
The majority of Guitar Hero games came out over a mere half-decade from 2005 to 2010, featuring derivative titles such as the DJ version, including a spinning deck, and Band Hero. After that, the publisher’s interest in plastic instruments waned, except for a short-lived revival in 2015.
Titles such as the fan project and newer releases have maintained the community alive, and there’s expectations of a new product from the founders on the way. Recently formed developers has entered production on its debut rhythm-based title. The initial creators are both involved as special advisers. Is the world ready to embrace a new entry following Guitar Hero?
“Our team believed such titles could be like Madden where you can releases,” Dornbrook says. “With abundant new music it could remain evergreen, thus I remain hopeful. There’s no reason for it to persist with new generations.”
