It has been 20 years since Guitar Hero debuted in North America, giving players everywhere the means to feel like a rock star. Not literally, though you'd be hard-pressed convincing anyone who has mastered Free Bird’s four-minute instrumental break before a packed living-room audience.
Created by Harmonix, Guitar Hero gave players a plastic guitar peripheral to match on-screen cues scrolling down the display synchronized to the music. Every sequence mimicked particular chords, creating the feel of a genuine live show.
The studio previously experimented in the music genre before partnering with RedOctane, which was acquired by Activision in 2006. Collaboratively, they established the foundations for a surprising massively profitable franchise which made a remarkable influence on numerous musicians featured, introducing decades-old bands to a new generation of younger players.
A former executive, former COO from the developer, recalls the early financial challenges in securing the songs – even though initial releases mostly used cover versions.
“We rerecorded all the music since the dollar figure prohibitive,” he explains. “Even with the publishing rights alone, it was extremely difficult. We failed to secure bands like the Who – RedOctane had virtually no money, and our team was fairly certain the project would flop. But once the game became a hit, album purchases airtime increased, everyone wanted to be in.”
He adds: “Among the amazing things was the number of parents reached out and thanked us for exposing their kids to the music they loved. It evolved into an intergenerational phenomenon.”
Classic Rock Gains Younger Fans
Northern Irish blues-rock band the Answer included Never Too Late in the 2008 release the popular installment. Guitarist Paul Mahon recalls how the series revived older hits to the forefront: “Guitar Hero offered a bigger, new demographic. Typically this had been considered outdated material, however once it got included in the title young people discovered it, suddenly it became trendy. That legitimised the genre, eliminating the outdated label. It gave all our music renewed popularity.”
In 2008, the band's debut album was still not available in the US, meaning Guitar Hero served as a primary platform for exposure for the group during their US tour opening for the rock giants. “Their crew were playing Never Too Late on the tour bus, and some of them recognized us from Guitar Hero,” he notes.
Major Band Spin-offs Enduring Impact
Rock’s biggest acts soon took advantage of the series’ popularity, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and others featuring in specialized game editions centered around each band’s catalogue and associated lore, visuals and legendary status. In the case of, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, it was said earned the band greater revenue than any of their studio albums. It moved more than half a million units in its first week, and demand for Aerosmith’s music rose of up to 40% during an era when the music business was already collapsing.
Guitar Hero continues to inspire quick-handed fanaticism among its fans. Recently, an online personality completed a remarkable feat featuring Through the Fire and Flames – an infamously tough anthem popularized through Guitar Hero – using a fan-made version, a no-cost alternative with almost identical mechanics and extensive personalization features. This track is challenging enough on the hardest setting, let alone played at double speed and without missing every one of the thousands of cues. They stated requiring months of practice to accomplish.
“Guitar Hero is a fun, imaginary experience. If you play other games, that doesn’t mean you ought to pick up a real gun and go to war,” notes DragonForce guitarist Herman Li.
DragonForce 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 our distributors calling to tell me that our records were moving rapidly,” he says. “Popularity surged when we next toured, and we were playing right ahead of top acts on the Mayhem festival.”
In fact, DragonForce’s exposure from Guitar Hero was so immense that it threatened to overshadow everything else the band has done. Last year, the song featured in a trailer for Despicable Me 4. “Previously I felt otherwise, but I’ve made peace with it,” he admits. “If you only listen to one DragonForce song, that's fine – each person has a unique musical journey and I’m glad we played a role in fans' experiences”.
Enduring Legacy from the Plastic Guitar
The best marketing, be it for cars, clothes or video games, extends beyond mere transactions – it evokes a longing. Did Guitar Hero tap into that? “Precisely what our team aiming to achieve,” Dornbrook says. “The excitement of being a rock star on the stage. Since the beginning, the co-founders believed humans have a natural human desire to create songs, and they wanted to use technology to allow people to participate”.
The majority installments came out over a mere five-year period from 2005 to 2010, including derivative titles like DJ Hero, complete with a turntable controller, and Band Hero. After that, corporate focus on peripherals waned, except for a brief comeback several years later.
Titles like Clone Hero and newer releases have maintained the community active, with set to be a new product from the founders in development. A new studio has begun work on their first rhythm-based title. Original co-founders are participating in advisory roles. Are gamers prepared to welcome a new entry in the spirit of Guitar Hero?
“Our team believed such titles might become similar to sports games allowing annual update every year,” Dornbrook says. “With abundant new music that it could be perennially popular, thus I remain hopeful. There’s no reason why it can’t continue for future fans.”
