It has been 20 years since Guitar Hero debuted in North America, giving players everywhere the means to feel like rock legends. Figuratively speaking, but try convincing anyone who's mastered the epic lengthy instrumental break in front of an enthusiastic living-room audience.
Created by the developers, Guitar Hero gave players a plastic guitar peripheral to match on-screen cues scrolling down the display synchronized to a song. Each riff mimicked particular chords, producing the feel of a genuine live show.
Harmonix had already tried its hand in the music genre before partnering with RedOctane, which was acquired by Activision in 2006. Together, they laid the groundwork for an unlikely billion-dollar franchise that had a remarkable influence on numerous musicians included, introducing classic groups to millions of younger players.
A former executive, former COO from the developer, remembers the early budgetary hurdles of licensing the recordings – despite the fact initial releases primarily featured cover versions.
“We rerecorded all the music since the dollar figure prohibitive,” he explains. “Even with the necessary permissions alone, it proved extremely difficult. We failed to secure acts such as the Who – RedOctane was operating on a shoestring budget, and we were fairly certain it would fail. However, when Guitar Hero took off, album purchases and radio play increased, everyone wanted to participate.”
He continues: “Among the amazing things was how many parents got in touch and thanked us for exposing their kids to the music they adored. It became an intergenerational thing.”
Timeless Music Finds Younger Fans
Irish group the Answer included their track in the 2008 release the popular installment. Lead musician Paul Mahon remembers how the series revived classic rock back into vogue: “Guitar Hero offered a larger, younger audience. Generally this had been seen as music that was past it, however once it got featured on the title young people were finding it, abruptly it was cool. That legitimised the genre, and got rid of the ‘dad rock’ tag. It provided our catalog a new life.”
In 2008, the band's first record remained unreleased in the US, so Guitar Hero served as a primary platform of discovery for the group as they went on US tour supporting the rock giants. “The roadies had on Never Too Late on the tour bus, and several knew us from Guitar Hero,” Mahon says.
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 featuring in dedicated spin-off titles that focused on their music collections and associated lore, imagery and rock’n’roll mythology. In the case of, the Aerosmith edition, reportedly to have made the band more money compared to their studio albums. It moved more than half a million copies in its first week, while demand for their songs saw an increase significantly during an era as the industry was already collapsing.
The series still motivates quick-handed dedication among its fans. Recently, an online personality achieved an impressive attempt of DragonForce’s the challenging track – a notoriously difficult anthem made popular by the game – on Clone Hero, a no-cost alternative with similar mechanics but an array of customisation options. The song is challenging even in the hardest setting, let alone played at double speed and without missing every one of its near 4,000 notes. The streamer claimed it took months of practice to accomplish.
“The game is a fun, imaginary experience. Just as with Call of Duty, it doesn't imply you should pick up a real gun and enlist,” says DragonForce guitarist the artist.
DragonForce previously wrapped up a profitable run when Through the Fire and Flames appeared on Guitar Hero III, yet he explains it turned them into a household name. “I recall our distributors calling to tell me that our selling albums like crazy,” he shares. “Popularity surged when we next toured, and we performed just before the headliners on the Mayhem festival.”
In fact, DragonForce’s exposure from Guitar Hero was so immense that it has risked eclipsing everything else accomplishments. Last year, the track was used in promotional material for Despicable Me 4. “Previously I thought otherwise, but now I accept it,” Li says. “If you only hear one DragonForce song, that's fine – each person has their own musical journey and I’m glad we played a role of people’s lives”.
The Lasting Impact from the Plastic Guitar
Top-tier promotion, whether it’s for cars, clothes or video games, goes further mere transactions – it evokes a longing. Was the game able to tap into that? “That’s exactly what our team trying to create,” Dornbrook says. “The excitement of performing as a rock star in the spotlight. Since the beginning, the creators felt that humans have a natural urge to create songs, and their goal was to use technology to enable everyone to participate”.
The majority of Guitar Hero games came out in just a half-decade from 2005 to 2010, featuring derivative titles like DJ Hero, including a turntable controller, and Band Hero. Subsequently, the publisher’s interest in plastic instruments died down, except for a brief comeback in 2015.
Titles like the fan project and newer releases have kept the scene active, and there’s expectations of something from the original publisher on the way. Recently formed developers has entered work on its debut music game. The initial creators are participating as special advisers. Is the world prepared to welcome another game following the classic?
“Our team believed such titles might become like Madden where you can releases,” Dornbrook says. “There’s so much new music that it could be perennially popular, so I’ve always been hopeful. It's entirely possible why it can’t persist for future fans.”
