Marking 20 years after Guitar Hero first launched in North America, providing players everywhere the tools to become rock legends. Not literally, though you'd be hard-pressed telling that anyone who has mastered Free Bird’s lengthy guitar solo before an enthusiastic living-room audience.
Developed by the developers, the game provided users with a plastic guitar peripheral to follow coloured notes scrolling down the screen in time with a song. Every sequence mimicked particular chords, producing the feel of a genuine performance.
Harmonix had already tried its hand with rhythm games prior to teaming up with RedOctane, later acquired by Activision during the mid-2000s. Collaboratively, they laid the foundations for an unlikely massively profitable franchise that had a remarkable influence on numerous musicians featured, introducing decades-old groups to a new generation of younger players.
A former executive, former COO from the developer, remembers the early budgetary hurdles in securing the songs – even though the first two games mostly used cover versions.
“We reproduced every song since the cost prohibitive,” he explains. “Despite having the necessary permissions alone, it proved nearly impossible. We failed to secure bands like the Who – the publisher had virtually no money, and we were fairly certain it would fail. However, when the game became a hit, album purchases and radio play increased, all artists desired to participate.”
He continues: “One of the remarkable aspects was how many parents reached out and thanked us for exposing their kids to the music they adored. It became an intergenerational phenomenon.”
Timeless Music Gains Younger Fans
Northern Irish blues-rock band one featured act had Never Too Late on the 2008 game Guitar Hero World Tour. Guitarist Paul Mahon remembers how the series brought older hits to the forefront: “The game provided a larger, new demographic. Typically this had been considered music that was past it, however once it got included in the game and teenagers discovered it, suddenly it was cool. That legitimised the genre, and got rid of the outdated tag. It gave our catalog a new life.”
At that time, the band's first record remained not available stateside, meaning Guitar Hero was a key medium of discovery for the band as they went on a North American tour supporting the rock giants. “The roadies had on the song on the tour bus, and several 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 featuring in specialized game editions centered around their music collections and associated lore, imagery and legendary status. For example, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, reportedly to have made the band more money than any of their records. It moved well over half a million units in its first week, while sales of Aerosmith’s music saw an increase of up to 40% at a time as the industry was already collapsing.
Guitar Hero still motivates nimble-fingered fanaticism among its fans. Earlier this year, a streamer achieved an impressive attempt of DragonForce’s the challenging track – a notoriously difficult power-metal song made popular by Guitar Hero – on Clone Hero, a freeware game with similar mechanics but an array of personalization features. The song is challenging enough on the hardest setting, not to mention performed at double speed and without missing every one of the thousands of cues. The streamer claimed requiring months of practice to accomplish.
“The game is a fun, fantasy thing. Just as with other games, it doesn't imply you should pick up actual weapons and enlist,” notes musician the artist.
The band previously wrapped up a profitable run when their hit appeared in the third game, yet he explains it turned them into widely recognized. “I remember the record label informing us that we were records were moving rapidly,” he shares. “Popularity surged on the subsequent tour, and we were playing right ahead of the headliners at the event.”
Indeed, the band's visibility via the game proved so vast that it risked overshadow everything else the band has done. Last year, the song was used in promotional material for a major film. “Previously I felt otherwise, but now I accept it,” he admits. “Should you just listen to one DragonForce song, that's fine – each person has their own musical journey and I'm pleased we’ve been part of people’s lives”.
The Lasting Impact from the Plastic Guitar
The best marketing, be it for automobiles, clothes or games, extends beyond than selling something – 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 in the spotlight. Since the beginning, the co-founders felt that humans have a natural urge to make music, and their goal was to leverage innovation to allow people to participate”.
Most installments were released over a mere half-decade from 2005 to 2010, featuring spin-offs such as DJ Hero, complete with a turntable controller, and Band Hero. After that, the publisher’s interest in plastic instruments waned, except for a brief comeback in 2015.
Titles such as Clone Hero and newer releases have maintained the community alive, and there’s expectations of something from the founders on the way. Recently formed developers has entered work on their first music game. The initial creators are both involved in advisory roles. Are gamers ready to embrace another game in the spirit of the classic?
“Our team believed those games could be like Madden allowing annual releases,” Dornbrook says. “With abundant fresh tracks that it could be evergreen, thus I remain hopeful. It's entirely possible for it to continue with new generations.”
