It has been 20 years after Guitar Hero hit the market in North America, offering players everywhere the means to become a rock star. Figuratively speaking, though you'd be hard-pressed telling that someone who's mastered the epic lengthy guitar solo before a packed living-room audience.
Created by the developers, Guitar Hero provided users with a plastic guitar peripheral to follow coloured notes scrolling down the display in time with the music. Each riff corresponded to specific notes, creating the feel of a genuine performance.
Harmonix previously experimented with rhythm games prior to teaming up with the publisher, which was purchased by the gaming giant in 2006. Together, they established the foundations for an unlikely massively profitable series that had a remarkable impact for many musicians featured, introducing decades-old bands to a new generation of younger players.
Michael Dornbrook, ex-chief operating officer of Harmonix, recalls the initial budgetary hurdles of licensing the songs – despite the fact initial releases primarily featured cover versions.
“We reproduced every song because the cost prohibitive,” he says. “Despite having the necessary permissions by themselves, it was nearly impossible. We couldn’t get acts such as the Who – the publisher had virtually no money, and we were pretty convinced the project would flop. But once Guitar Hero took off, album purchases airtime increased, all artists desired to be in.”
He adds: “Among the remarkable aspects was how many mothers and fathers got in touch expressing gratitude for introducing their kids to the songs they loved. It became an intergenerational phenomenon.”
Timeless Music Gains Younger Fans
Irish blues-rock band one featured act had their track on the 2008 game Guitar Hero World Tour. Lead musician Paul Mahon remembers the way the game brought older hits back into vogue: “Guitar Hero offered a bigger, new demographic. Generally this had been seen as music that was past it, but then once it got included in the game young people discovered it, abruptly it was cool. That legitimised it, and got rid of the outdated tag. It gave all our music a new life.”
At that time, the Answer’s first record was still unreleased in the US, so Guitar Hero was a key medium for exposure for the group during their a North American tour supporting the rock giants. “Their crew were playing the song on the tour bus, and several knew us thanks to the game,” Mahon says.
Major Band Spin-offs Enduring Influence
Music's heavyweight names soon took advantage of the series’ popularity, with Aerosmith, Metallica and others featuring in specialized spin-off titles that focused on each band’s catalogue and related lore, imagery and legendary status. In the case of, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, reportedly to have made the band more money than any of their studio albums. It moved more than 500,000 units upon release, while sales of Aerosmith’s music saw an increase of up to 40% during an era as the industry was already collapsing.
Guitar Hero continues to inspire quick-handed dedication within the community. Recently, a streamer completed an impressive attempt featuring the challenging track – a notoriously difficult power-metal song popularized through Guitar Hero – using a fan-made version, a freeware game with similar gameplay but an array of personalization features. The song is challenging enough on the hardest setting, not to mention played at increased tempo while hitting a single one of the thousands of cues. The streamer claimed requiring months of practice to accomplish.
“The game is a fun, imaginary experience. If you play other games, that doesn’t mean you ought to use actual weapons and enlist,” says DragonForce guitarist Herman Li.
The band previously wrapped up a successful tour when their hit was featured on Guitar Hero III, but Li says it turned them into widely recognized. “I remember the record label informing us that our records were moving rapidly,” he says. “It exploded on the subsequent tour, and we performed just before top acts on the Mayhem festival.”
In fact, DragonForce’s exposure from Guitar Hero was so immense that it threatened to overshadow all other accomplishments. Last year, the song was used in a trailer for a major film. “Previously I thought differently, but now I accept it,” Li says. “If you only 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”.
Enduring Impact of a Plastic Guitar
The best marketing, be it for cars, apparel or games, extends beyond than selling something – it evokes a desire. Did Guitar Hero tap into that? “That’s exactly what we were aiming to achieve,” Dornbrook says. “That thrill 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 they wanted to use technology to allow people to participate”.
Most installments were released over a mere half-decade between 2005 and 2010, featuring derivative titles such as DJ Hero, including a turntable controller, and the band-focused game. After that, the publisher’s interest in plastic instruments died down, except for a brief comeback several years later.
Titles such as the fan project and newer releases have kept the scene alive, with set to be something from the original publisher on the way. A new studio has entered work on their first rhythm-based title. The initial creators are participating in advisory roles. Are gamers prepared to welcome another game following Guitar Hero?
“Our team believed those games could be like Madden where you can update every year,” he remarks. “There’s so much fresh tracks it could remain evergreen, so I’ve always been optimistic. It's entirely possible for it to continue for future fans.”
