Marking 20 years after Guitar Hero hit the market in North America, giving everyday gamers the opportunity to become a rock star. Not in reality, but try convincing someone who's nailed 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 follow coloured notes moving along the display in time with the music. Each riff mimicked particular chords, creating the sensation of a genuine live show.
The studio had already experimented in the music genre prior to teaming up with the publisher, later purchased by the gaming giant during the mid-2000s. Collaboratively, they established the foundations for a surprising massively profitable franchise that had a remarkable impact for many of the artists featured, introducing classic groups to millions of gaming enthusiasts.
Michael Dornbrook, former COO of Harmonix, remembers the early budgetary hurdles in securing the recordings – even though the first two games mostly used cover versions.
“We rerecorded every song since the cost prohibitive,” he explains. “Even with the necessary permissions by themselves, it proved nearly impossible. We couldn’t get acts such as legendary groups – RedOctane had virtually no money, and we were fairly certain it would fail. But once Guitar Hero became a hit, and record sales and radio play increased, everyone wanted to participate.”
He adds: “Among the amazing things was how many parents got in touch and thanked us for introducing their kids to the music they adored. It evolved into a multigenerational thing.”
Classic Rock Gains Younger Fans
Northern Irish group the Answer included Never Too Late in the 2008 release Guitar Hero World Tour. Guitarist Paul Mahon recalls the way the game revived older hits to the forefront: “The game offered a bigger, younger audience. Typically this had been seen as outdated material, but then when it was featured on the game and teenagers were finding it, abruptly it was cool. This validated it, and got rid of the ‘dad rock’ tag. It provided all our music a new life.”
At that time, the band's first record remained unreleased in the US, so the game was a key medium of discovery for the group as they went on US tour opening for the rock giants. “Their crew had on Never Too Late on the tour bus, and several recognized us from Guitar Hero,” Mahon says.
Rock’s Heavyweight Titles and Lasting Influence
Music's biggest acts soon capitalised on the game's success, with Aerosmith, Metallica and others starring in dedicated spin-off titles that focused on each band’s catalogue and associated lore, visuals and rock’n’roll mythology. For example, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, it was said to have made the group greater revenue than any of their studio albums. It moved more than half a million copies in its first week, and demand for Aerosmith’s music saw an increase significantly during an era as the industry faced decline.
Guitar Hero still motivates nimble-fingered dedication within the community. Recently, a streamer achieved a remarkable feat of DragonForce’s Through the Fire and Flames – an infamously tough anthem popularized through Guitar Hero – on Clone Hero, a freeware game with similar gameplay and extensive customisation options. This track is challenging enough on the hardest setting, let alone performed at increased tempo and without missing a single one of the thousands of cues. They stated requiring nine months to accomplish.
“The game offers a, imaginary experience. Just as with other games, that doesn’t mean you ought to use a real gun and enlist,” says musician Herman Li.
DragonForce previously wrapped up a successful tour before their hit appeared on Guitar Hero III, yet he explains it made them widely recognized. “I remember the record label calling to tell me that our records were moving like crazy,” he says. “It exploded on the subsequent tour, and we performed right ahead of the headliners on the Mayhem festival.”
Indeed, the band's visibility via the game was so immense that it risked overshadow all other accomplishments. Recently, the track featured in promotional material for a major film. “Previously I thought otherwise, but now I accept it,” Li says. “Should you just hear one DragonForce song, that's fine – everyone’s got a unique path in music and I'm pleased we played a role in fans' experiences”.
The Lasting Impact of a Iconic Controller
The best promotion, be it for automobiles, apparel or games, extends beyond than selling something – it evokes a longing. Did Guitar Hero harness this? “That’s exactly what our team aiming to achieve,” he confirms. “The excitement of performing as a rock star in the spotlight. From day one, the creators felt that there’s an instinctive human desire to make music, and their goal was to use technology to allow people to do it”.
Most installments were released in just a five-year period between 2005 and 2010, including spin-offs like DJ Hero, complete with a turntable controller, and Band Hero. Subsequently, the publisher’s interest on peripherals waned, except for a short-lived revival in 2015.
Titles such as the fan project and newer releases have maintained the community active, with expectations of something from the founders on the way. Recently formed developers has begun work on their first music game. Original co-founders are both involved in advisory roles. Is the world prepared to welcome a new entry following the classic?
“We thought such titles might become like Madden where you can releases,” he remarks. “With abundant fresh tracks it could remain perennially popular, thus I remain hopeful. There’s no reason for it to persist with new generations.”
