Marking 20 years after Guitar Hero first launched across the Atlantic, providing everyday gamers the opportunity to become rock legends. Figuratively speaking, but try telling that someone who's mastered the epic lengthy guitar solo before an enthusiastic crowd of friends.
Created by the developers, Guitar Hero gave players a plastic guitar peripheral to match coloured notes moving along the display synchronized to the music. Each riff mimicked particular chords, producing the sensation of an authentic live show.
Harmonix had already tried its hand with rhythm games prior to teaming up with the publisher, which was purchased by Activision during the mid-2000s. Collaboratively, they established the groundwork for a surprising massively profitable franchise that had a significant impact on numerous musicians featured, introducing decades-old groups to a new generation of younger players.
A former executive, former COO of Harmonix, recalls the initial budgetary hurdles in securing the songs – even though the first two games mostly used rerecorded tracks.
“We reproduced every song because the cost was so high,” he says. “Despite having the publishing rights by themselves, it proved nearly impossible. We couldn’t get acts such as legendary groups – the publisher was operating on a shoestring budget, and our team was pretty convinced the project would flop. However, when Guitar Hero took off, album purchases and radio play were going up, all artists desired to participate.”
He adds: “One of the remarkable aspects was the number of parents reached out and thanked us for introducing their kids to the music they loved. It evolved into a multigenerational thing.”
Timeless Music Gains Younger Fans
Northern Irish group the Answer had their track in the 2008 release the popular installment. Lead musician Paul Mahon remembers the way the game revived older hits to the forefront: “The game provided a bigger, younger audience. Generally this had been seen as outdated material, however when it was featured on the game young people were finding it, abruptly it was cool. This validated the genre, eliminating the outdated label. It gave all our music a new life.”
At that time, the Answer’s first record remained unreleased in the US, meaning the game served as a primary platform of discovery for the group as they went on a North American tour opening for AC/DC. “The roadies were playing Never Too Late during travel, and some of them knew us thanks to the game,” Mahon says.
Rock’s Heavyweight Spin-offs and Lasting Impact
Rock’s biggest acts quickly capitalised on the game's success, with Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen featuring in specialized spin-off titles that focused on their music collections and related stories, visuals and rock’n’roll mythology. In the case of, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, it was said earned the band greater revenue than any of their studio albums. It sold well over 500,000 units upon release, while demand for their songs rose of up to 40% during an era as the industry faced decline.
Guitar Hero still motivates quick-handed dedication among its fans. Earlier this year, a streamer achieved an impressive attempt featuring the challenging track – an infamously tough anthem popularized through the game – on Clone Hero, a freeware game with similar gameplay but an array of customisation options. The song is challenging enough on expert mode, not to mention performed at double speed and without missing a single one of the thousands of cues. The streamer claimed it took nine months of practice.
“The game is a fun, fantasy thing. Just as with other games, it doesn't imply you should use a real gun and enlist,” notes DragonForce guitarist Herman Li.
The band had already wrapped up a successful tour when Through the Fire and Flames appeared on Guitar Hero III, but Li says it made them widely recognized. “I recall our distributors calling to tell me that we were records were moving like crazy,” he shares. “It exploded when we next toured, and we were playing just before top acts on the Mayhem festival.”
In fact, DragonForce’s exposure from Guitar Hero was so immense that it has risked eclipsing all other the band has done. Recently, the song was used in a trailer for Despicable Me 4. “In the past I thought otherwise, but now I accept it,” Li says. “Should you just 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 from the Iconic Controller
Top-tier promotion, be it for cars, clothes or games, goes further mere transactions – it inspires a longing. Was the game able to harness this? “Precisely what we were trying to create,” Dornbrook says. “That thrill of performing as a music icon on the stage. From day one, the creators believed humans have a natural human desire to create songs, and their goal was to leverage innovation to enable everyone to participate”.
Most of Guitar Hero games were released over a mere half-decade between 2005 and 2010, including derivative titles like the DJ version, including a spinning deck, and Band Hero. After that, corporate focus on peripherals died down, except for a brief comeback in 2015.
Games such as the fan project and newer releases have kept the scene active, with expectations of a new product from the founders in development. Recently formed developers has entered work on its debut music game. Original co-founders are both involved in advisory roles. Is the world ready to embrace another game following the classic?
“Our team believed such titles might become like Madden where you can releases,” he remarks. “With abundant new music it could remain evergreen, so I’ve always been hopeful. There’s no reason why it can’t persist for future fans.”
