Marking 20 years after Guitar Hero first launched in North America, giving everyday gamers the opportunity to feel like a rock star. Not literally, though you'd be hard-pressed convincing anyone who's mastered the epic four-minute guitar solo before an enthusiastic crowd of friends.
Created by Harmonix, the game provided users with a guitar-shaped controller to match coloured notes moving along the screen synchronized to the music. Every sequence mimicked specific notes, producing the feel of an authentic live show.
The studio had already experimented in the music genre prior to teaming up with the publisher, which was acquired by Activision during the mid-2000s. Together, they laid the groundwork for a surprising massively profitable series that had a remarkable influence on numerous of the artists featured, showcasing classic groups to millions of gaming enthusiasts.
Michael Dornbrook, former COO of Harmonix, remembers the early budgetary hurdles of licensing the recordings – despite the fact initial releases primarily featured rerecorded tracks.
“We reproduced all the music since the dollar figure prohibitive,” he says. “Even with the necessary permissions alone, it was nearly impossible. We couldn’t get acts such as legendary groups – RedOctane had virtually no money, and our team was fairly certain the project would flop. However, when 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 how many mothers and fathers got in touch expressing gratitude for exposing their kids to the songs they adored. It evolved into an intergenerational phenomenon.”
Classic Rock Gains a New Audience
Northern Irish blues-rock band the Answer included Never Too Late on the 2008 game the popular installment. Lead musician the artist remembers how the series revived older hits to the forefront: “Guitar Hero offered a larger, younger audience. Generally this had been considered music that was past it, but then when it was featured on the game young people discovered it, abruptly it became trendy. That legitimised the genre, eliminating the outdated tag. It gave all our music renewed popularity.”
In 2008, the Answer’s debut album remained not available in the US, meaning Guitar Hero was a key medium of discovery for the group during their US tour opening for AC/DC. “Their crew were playing the song on the tour bus, and several recognized us thanks to the game,” Mahon says.
Major Band Titles and Lasting Influence
Music's heavyweight names soon took advantage of the series’ popularity, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and others featuring in dedicated game editions that focused on their music collections and associated lore, imagery and rock’n’roll mythology. In the case of, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, reportedly to have made the group greater revenue compared to their records. It sold well over 500,000 copies upon release, while sales of Aerosmith’s music rose of up to 40% at a time when the music business was already collapsing.
The series still motivates quick-handed dedication within the community. Earlier this year, an online personality completed an impressive attempt featuring the challenging track – an infamously tough anthem made popular by the game – using a fan-made version, a no-cost alternative with similar mechanics but an array of customisation options. This track is difficult enough on the hardest setting, not to mention played at increased tempo and without missing every one of the thousands of cues. They stated it took nine months to accomplish.
“The game offers a, fantasy thing. If you play Call of Duty, it doesn't imply you should use a real gun and go to war,” says DragonForce guitarist Herman Li.
DragonForce had already wrapped up a successful tour when Through the Fire and Flames was featured on Guitar Hero III, yet he explains it made them widely recognized. “I remember our distributors calling to tell me that we were selling albums rapidly,” he shares. “Popularity surged on the subsequent tour, and we performed right ahead of the headliners on the Mayhem festival.”
Indeed, DragonForce’s exposure from Guitar Hero was so immense that it threatened to overshadow everything else the band has done. Recently, the track was used in a trailer for Despicable Me 4. “Previously I thought 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 of people’s lives”.
Enduring Legacy of a Iconic Controller
The best promotion, be it for cars, clothes or video games, goes further mere transactions – it inspires a desire. Was the game able to tap into that? “That’s exactly what our team trying to create,” Dornbrook says. “That thrill of performing as a rock star on the stage. Since the beginning, the creators felt that there’s an instinctive human desire to make music, and their goal was to leverage innovation to enable everyone to participate”.
The majority installments came out over a mere half-decade from 2005 to 2010, featuring 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 several years later.
Games like Clone Hero and newer releases have maintained the scene active, and there’s expectations of something from the founders on the way. Recently formed developers has begun work on its debut music game. Original co-founders are participating as special advisers. Are gamers prepared to welcome a new entry in the spirit of Guitar Hero?
“Our team believed such titles could be similar to sports games where you can update every year,” he remarks. “With abundant new music it could remain perennially popular, so I’ve always been optimistic. It's entirely possible for it to persist with new generations.”
