It has been 20 years since Guitar Hero debuted across the Atlantic, giving players everywhere the opportunity to feel like a rock star. Figuratively speaking, but try telling that anyone who has nailed Free Bird’s lengthy guitar solo in front of an enthusiastic crowd of friends.
Developed by Harmonix, Guitar Hero gave players a plastic guitar peripheral to match on-screen cues scrolling down the display synchronized to a song. Every sequence mimicked particular chords, producing the feel of a genuine live show.
The studio previously experimented in the music genre before partnering with RedOctane, later purchased by Activision during the mid-2000s. Together, they laid the foundations for a surprising massively profitable franchise that had a remarkable impact on numerous of the artists included, showcasing decades-old bands to millions of younger players.
A former executive, former COO from the developer, recalls the early budgetary hurdles in securing the recordings – even though initial releases primarily featured rerecorded tracks.
“We reproduced all the music because the cost prohibitive,” he says. “Even with the publishing rights alone, it was extremely difficult. We couldn’t get bands like the Who – RedOctane was operating on a shoestring budget, and we were pretty convinced it would fail. However, when Guitar Hero took off, and record sales airtime increased, everyone wanted to participate.”
He adds: “One of the amazing things was how many mothers and fathers got in touch expressing gratitude for exposing their children to the songs they adored. It became an intergenerational thing.”
Classic Rock Finds a New Audience
Irish blues-rock band the Answer included their track in the 2008 release the popular installment. Lead musician the artist remembers how the series revived older hits to the forefront: “Guitar Hero provided a bigger, new demographic. Generally such music was considered music that was past it, but then once it got featured on the title young people discovered it, suddenly it was cool. That legitimised it, eliminating the outdated label. It gave all our music a new life.”
In 2008, the band's first record was still unreleased stateside, so the game served as a primary platform of discovery for the group as they went on a North American tour supporting AC/DC. “The roadies had on Never Too Late during travel, and several recognized us thanks to the game,” he notes.
Rock’s Heavyweight Spin-offs and Lasting Impact
Rock’s biggest acts soon capitalised on the series’ popularity, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and others featuring in dedicated spin-off titles that focused on each band’s catalogue 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 more than 500,000 copies upon release, while demand for their songs saw an increase of up to 40% at a time as the industry was already collapsing.
Guitar Hero still motivates quick-handed dedication within the community. Recently, an online personality completed an impressive attempt featuring the challenging track – a notoriously difficult anthem made popular by Guitar Hero – using a fan-made version, a no-cost alternative with similar mechanics and extensive personalization features. The song is difficult enough on expert mode, let alone played at increased tempo while hitting every one of its near 4,000 notes. They stated requiring nine months to accomplish.
“Guitar Hero is a fun, fantasy thing. If you play Call of Duty, it doesn't imply you ought to use actual weapons and go to war,” notes DragonForce guitarist the artist.
DragonForce previously completed a successful tour when their hit appeared on Guitar Hero III, yet he explains it turned them into widely recognized. “I recall our distributors calling to tell me that our records were moving rapidly,” he says. “Popularity surged when we next toured, and we performed right ahead of the headliners on the Mayhem festival.”
In fact, the band's visibility from Guitar Hero was so immense that it threatened to overshadow all other accomplishments. Last year, the track featured in a trailer for Despicable Me 4. “In the past I felt otherwise, but now I accept it,” he admits. “If you only hear one DragonForce song, that's fine – each person has a unique musical journey and I'm pleased we played a role in fans' experiences”.
The Lasting Legacy from the Iconic Controller
The best promotion, whether it’s for automobiles, clothes or games, extends beyond than selling something – it inspires a desire. Did Guitar Hero tap into that? “Precisely what we were aiming to achieve,” he confirms. “The excitement of being a music icon in the spotlight. From day one, the co-founders felt that humans have a natural human desire to make music, and their goal was to leverage innovation to allow people to do it”.
The majority installments came out in just a half-decade between 2005 and 2010, including spin-offs such as DJ Hero, complete with a turntable controller, and the band-focused game. After that, the publisher’s interest on peripherals died down, aside from a brief comeback in 2015.
Games such as Clone Hero and Fortnite Festival have maintained the community alive, and there’s set to be something from the original publisher on the way. Recently formed developers has entered production on its debut rhythm-based title. Original co-founders are both involved as special advisers. Are gamers ready to embrace a new entry following Guitar Hero?
“We thought such titles could be like Madden allowing annual update every year,” Dornbrook says. “With abundant new music that it could be evergreen, so I’ve always been optimistic. It's entirely possible for it to continue for future fans.”
