Marking two decades since Guitar Hero hit the market across the Atlantic, giving everyday gamers the opportunity to feel like rock legends. Figuratively speaking, but try telling that someone who's mastered Free Bird’s four-minute instrumental break before an enthusiastic crowd of friends.
Created by Harmonix, the game gave players a plastic guitar peripheral to match on-screen cues scrolling down the screen in time with a song. Every sequence corresponded to specific notes, producing the sensation of a genuine live show.
The studio previously tried its hand in the music genre prior to teaming up with RedOctane, which was acquired by the gaming giant in 2006. Collaboratively, they laid the foundations for an unlikely massively profitable series which made a remarkable impact for many of the artists included, showcasing classic groups to millions of gaming enthusiasts.
Michael Dornbrook, ex-chief operating officer of Harmonix, recalls the early budgetary hurdles of licensing the songs – even though the first two games mostly used rerecorded tracks.
“We rerecorded all the music because the cost prohibitive,” he explains. “Despite having the necessary permissions by themselves, it proved extremely difficult. We couldn’t get acts such as the Who – RedOctane had virtually no money, and our team was pretty convinced it would fail. But once Guitar Hero became a hit, and record sales airtime increased, everyone wanted to participate.”
He continues: “Among the remarkable aspects was the number of parents reached out and thanked us for exposing their kids to the music they loved. It became an intergenerational thing.”
Classic Rock Finds Younger Fans
Irish group one featured act included Never Too Late on the 2008 game the popular installment. Lead musician Paul Mahon recalls how the series revived classic rock to the forefront: “The game offered a larger, younger audience. Typically this had been seen as music that was past it, but then once it got featured on the title and teenagers discovered it, suddenly it became trendy. This validated it, and got rid of the outdated tag. It provided our catalog a new life.”
At that time, the band's first record remained unreleased stateside, meaning the game was a key medium of discovery for the group during their US tour opening for AC/DC. “Their crew had on the song during travel, and some of them recognized us thanks to the game,” he notes.
Major Band Spin-offs and Lasting Impact
Music's biggest acts soon 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 stories, imagery and legendary status. For example, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, it was said earned the band greater revenue compared to their studio albums. It moved more than 500,000 units in its first week, while sales of their songs saw an increase of up to 40% during an era when the music business was already collapsing.
The series still motivates nimble-fingered fanaticism within the community. Recently, an online personality completed an impressive attempt featuring the challenging track – an infamously tough power-metal song made popular by the game – using a fan-made version, a freeware game with similar mechanics but an array of customisation options. The song is difficult enough on expert mode, let alone played at increased tempo while hitting every one of the thousands of cues. The streamer claimed requiring nine months of practice.
“Guitar Hero offers a, imaginary experience. If you play other games, it doesn't imply you should use a real gun and go to war,” notes musician the artist.
The band previously completed a profitable run before their hit was featured on Guitar Hero III, but Li says it made them a household name. “I remember our distributors informing us that we were records were moving like crazy,” he shares. “It exploded on the subsequent tour, and we performed just before top acts at the event.”
In fact, the band's visibility from Guitar Hero proved so vast that it risked eclipsing everything else accomplishments. Recently, the song was used in promotional material for a major film. “In the past I thought otherwise, but now I accept it,” Li says. “If you only hear one DragonForce song, that's fine – each person has a unique musical journey and I'm pleased we’ve been part of people’s lives”.
The Lasting Legacy from the Plastic Guitar
The best promotion, whether it’s for automobiles, clothes or games, goes further than selling something – it evokes a desire. Was the game able to tap into that? “That’s exactly what our team aiming to achieve,” Dornbrook says. “That thrill of being a music icon in the spotlight. From day one, the creators believed there’s an instinctive urge to create songs, and their goal was to use technology to enable everyone to do it”.
The majority installments came out in just a five-year period from 2005 to 2010, featuring spin-offs such as DJ Hero, including a turntable controller, and the band-focused game. After that, corporate focus in plastic instruments died down, aside from a short-lived revival in 2015.
Titles like the fan project and Fortnite Festival have kept 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. Is the world ready to embrace a new entry following the classic?
“Our team believed those games might become like Madden where you can releases,” he remarks. “There’s so much new music it could remain perennially popular, so I’ve always been optimistic. There’s no reason for it to continue for future fans.”
