It has been 20 years since the legendary game hit the market in North America, giving everyday gamers the tools to become rock legends. Not in reality, but try convincing anyone who has nailed the epic four-minute guitar solo in front of an enthusiastic crowd of friends.
Created by Harmonix, Guitar Hero gave players a guitar-shaped controller to follow on-screen cues moving along the display in time with a song. Every sequence corresponded to particular chords, creating the sensation of an authentic live show.
Harmonix previously experimented with rhythm games prior to teaming up with the publisher, which was purchased by Activision in 2006. Collaboratively, they established the groundwork for an unlikely massively profitable franchise that had a significant impact on numerous musicians featured, showcasing classic groups to millions of gaming enthusiasts.
Michael Dornbrook, ex-chief operating officer from the developer, remembers the initial budgetary hurdles in securing the recordings – even though the first two games mostly used cover versions.
“We reproduced all the music because the dollar figure prohibitive,” he says. “Despite having the necessary permissions by themselves, it proved extremely difficult. We failed to secure acts such as the Who – RedOctane had virtually no money, and our team was pretty convinced the project would flop. But once the game took off, and record sales and radio play were going up, all artists desired to be in.”
He adds: “One of the amazing things was the number of parents got in touch expressing gratitude for exposing their children to the songs they adored. It became an intergenerational thing.”
Classic Rock Finds a New Audience
Northern Irish group one featured act included Never Too Late on the 2008 game Guitar Hero World Tour. Guitarist the artist recalls how the series brought classic rock back into vogue: “The game offered a larger, younger audience. Typically this had been seen as music that was past it, but then once it got included in the title and teenagers were finding it, suddenly it became trendy. This validated the genre, eliminating the outdated label. It gave all our music a new life.”
In 2008, the Answer’s first record was still not available in the US, so the game was a key medium for exposure for the group as they went on a North American tour supporting AC/DC. “The roadies were playing the song during travel, and several knew us thanks to the game,” Mahon says.
Major Band Spin-offs Enduring Influence
Rock’s heavyweight names soon capitalised on the game's success, with Aerosmith, Metallica and others featuring in specialized game editions centered around each band’s catalogue and associated stories, visuals and rock’n’roll mythology. For example, the Aerosmith edition, reportedly to have made the group greater revenue compared to their studio albums. It moved well over 500,000 copies in its first week, and demand for Aerosmith’s music saw an increase of up to 40% at a time when the music business faced decline.
Guitar Hero continues to inspire nimble-fingered fanaticism among its fans. Earlier this year, a streamer completed a remarkable feat of DragonForce’s Through the Fire and Flames – a notoriously difficult anthem popularized through the game – using a fan-made version, a freeware game with similar mechanics but an array of personalization features. This track is challenging enough on the hardest setting, not to mention played at double speed while hitting a single one of the thousands of cues. The streamer claimed requiring months of practice of practice.
“The game offers a, fantasy thing. Just as with Call of Duty, that doesn’t mean you should use a real gun and enlist,” says DragonForce guitarist Herman Li.
The band previously completed a profitable run before Through the Fire and Flames was featured in the third game, but Li says it made them a household name. “I recall the record label calling to tell me that we were selling albums rapidly,” he shares. “Popularity surged on the subsequent tour, and we were playing just before top acts at the event.”
In fact, the band's visibility from Guitar Hero was so immense that it has threatened to eclipsing everything else the band has done. Last year, the song featured in promotional material for a major film. “In the past I felt otherwise, but now I accept it,” Li says. “If you only listen to a single track, that's fine – each person has their own musical journey and I’m glad we played a role in fans' experiences”.
Enduring Impact from the Iconic Controller
The best marketing, whether it’s for automobiles, clothes or games, goes further than selling something – it inspires a longing. Did Guitar Hero tap into that? “Precisely what our team aiming to achieve,” Dornbrook says. “That thrill of performing as a rock star in the spotlight. From day one, the co-founders believed there’s an instinctive urge to make music, and they wanted to leverage innovation to enable everyone to participate”.
The majority of Guitar Hero games came out in just a five-year period between 2005 and 2010, featuring derivative titles such as DJ Hero, complete with a spinning deck, and Band Hero. Subsequently, corporate focus on peripherals waned, except for a brief comeback in 2015.
Titles like the fan project and newer releases have kept the scene active, with set to be a new product from the original publisher on the way. Recently formed developers has begun production on its debut rhythm-based title. Original co-founders are participating as special advisers. Is the world ready to embrace a new entry in the spirit of Guitar Hero?
“Our team believed such titles might become like Madden allowing annual update every year,” he remarks. “There’s so much fresh tracks it could remain evergreen, thus I remain optimistic. There’s no reason for it to persist with new generations.”
