It has been 20 years since Guitar Hero debuted across the Atlantic, giving everyday gamers the opportunity to feel like rock legends. Not in reality, but try telling that someone who has nailed the epic lengthy instrumental break before a packed living-room audience.
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, creating the feel of a genuine performance.
Harmonix had already tried its hand in the music genre prior to teaming up with RedOctane, which was acquired by Activision during the mid-2000s. Together, they laid the foundations for a surprising massively profitable series which made a significant influence for many musicians included, introducing classic bands to a new generation of gaming enthusiasts.
Michael Dornbrook, former COO from the developer, remembers the initial budgetary hurdles of licensing the recordings – despite the fact the first two games primarily featured rerecorded tracks.
“We reproduced all the music because the cost prohibitive,” he explains. “Even with the publishing rights alone, it proved nearly impossible. We couldn’t get acts such as the Who – the publisher was operating on a shoestring budget, and we were fairly certain the project would flop. But once Guitar Hero became a hit, album purchases airtime were going up, everyone wanted to be in.”
He adds: “One of the remarkable aspects was how many parents reached out and thanked us for introducing their children to the songs they adored. It became a multigenerational thing.”
Classic Rock Finds Younger Fans
Northern Irish blues-rock band the Answer had Never Too Late on the 2008 game the popular installment. Guitarist Paul Mahon recalls how the series revived older hits to the forefront: “The game offered a larger, younger audience. Generally this had been considered music that was past it, however once it got included in the title young people discovered it, abruptly it became trendy. This validated it, and got rid of the outdated label. It gave our catalog renewed popularity.”
In 2008, the Answer’s first record remained unreleased stateside, meaning Guitar Hero 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 during travel, and some of them recognized us from Guitar Hero,” he notes.
Rock’s Heavyweight Titles Enduring Impact
Rock’s heavyweight names soon capitalised on the game's success, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and others starring in specialized game editions centered around their music collections and related stories, visuals and rock’n’roll mythology. In the case of, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, it was said to have made the band more money than any of their studio albums. It sold more than half a million copies upon release, and demand for their songs rose significantly at a time when the music business faced decline.
Guitar Hero still motivates quick-handed fanaticism within the community. Recently, an online personality achieved a remarkable feat of DragonForce’s the challenging track – a notoriously difficult power-metal song made popular by the game – using a fan-made version, a freeware game with similar gameplay but an array of customisation options. The song is difficult even in expert mode, not to mention played at double speed while hitting a single one of the thousands of cues. They claimed it took nine months of practice.
“The game offers a, imaginary experience. Just as with other games, that doesn’t mean you should pick up a real gun and go to war,” says DragonForce guitarist the artist.
The band previously completed a profitable run before Through the Fire and Flames was featured on Guitar Hero III, but Li says it made them a household name. “I remember the record label calling to tell me that our records were moving like crazy,” he says. “It exploded when we next toured, and we were playing right ahead of top acts at the event.”
In fact, DragonForce’s exposure via the game proved so vast that it threatened to overshadow everything else accomplishments. Recently, the track was used in a trailer for Despicable Me 4. “In the past I felt differently, but now I accept it,” he admits. “If you only hear a single track, that's fine – everyone’s got their own musical journey and I’m glad we played a role of people’s lives”.
Enduring Impact of a Iconic Controller
The best marketing, whether it’s for cars, clothes or games, goes further than selling something – it evokes a desire. Was the game able to harness this? “That’s exactly what we were aiming to achieve,” Dornbrook says. “That thrill of being a rock star on the stage. Since the beginning, the co-founders felt that there’s an instinctive urge to make music, and their goal was to use technology to allow people to do it”.
The majority of Guitar Hero games were released in just a five-year period from 2005 to 2010, featuring spin-offs like DJ Hero, including a turntable controller, and Band Hero. Subsequently, the publisher’s interest in plastic instruments died down, aside from a brief comeback several years later.
Games like the fan project and Fortnite Festival have kept the scene alive, with set to be something from the founders on the way. Recently formed developers has begun work on their first rhythm-based title. Original co-founders are both involved in advisory roles. Are gamers prepared to welcome a new entry in the spirit of Guitar Hero?
“We thought such titles might become similar to sports games where you can releases,” Dornbrook says. “There’s so much new music it could remain perennially popular, so I’ve always been hopeful. There’s no reason for it to continue with new generations.”
