It has been 20 years after Guitar Hero debuted across the Atlantic, offering everyday gamers the opportunity to feel like rock legends. Figuratively speaking, but try convincing someone who has nailed the epic four-minute guitar solo before a packed crowd of friends.
Developed by the developers, Guitar Hero provided users with a plastic guitar peripheral to match coloured notes moving along the screen synchronized to a song. Every sequence mimicked specific notes, creating the feel of an authentic performance.
The studio previously 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 billion-dollar franchise that had a remarkable influence for many of the artists included, showcasing decades-old bands to a new generation of younger players.
Michael Dornbrook, former COO of Harmonix, recalls the early budgetary hurdles of licensing the songs – even though initial releases mostly used cover versions.
“We reproduced all the music because the cost was so high,” he says. “Even with the necessary permissions by themselves, it proved nearly impossible. We failed to secure bands like the Who – RedOctane had virtually no money, and our team was fairly certain the project would flop. But once the game took off, and record sales airtime increased, all artists desired to be in.”
He continues: “One of the remarkable aspects was how many mothers and fathers reached out and thanked us for introducing their kids to the songs they adored. It became a multigenerational phenomenon.”
Classic Rock Finds a New Audience
Irish group the Answer had Never Too Late on the 2008 game Guitar Hero World Tour. Lead musician Paul Mahon remembers how the series brought classic rock to the forefront: “Guitar Hero provided a bigger, new demographic. Generally such music was considered outdated material, but then once it got included in the game and teenagers discovered it, suddenly it became trendy. This validated the genre, and got rid of the outdated tag. It provided our catalog a new life.”
In 2008, the band's first record was still unreleased stateside, meaning Guitar Hero served as a primary platform of discovery for the band as they went on US tour opening for the rock giants. “Their crew were playing the song on the tour bus, and some of them recognized us from Guitar Hero,” Mahon says.
Major Band Titles Enduring Impact
Music's biggest acts quickly took advantage of the series’ popularity, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and others featuring in dedicated game editions that focused on each band’s catalogue and related stories, imagery and rock’n’roll mythology. In the case of, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, reportedly earned the group greater revenue than any of their studio albums. It moved well over half a million units upon release, and sales of Aerosmith’s music saw an increase significantly during an era when the music business was already collapsing.
The series continues to inspire nimble-fingered fanaticism among its fans. Earlier this year, a streamer achieved a remarkable feat featuring Through the Fire and Flames – a notoriously difficult power-metal song made popular by Guitar Hero – using a fan-made version, a freeware game with similar gameplay but an array of personalization features. The song is difficult even in expert mode, let alone played at double speed while hitting a single one of its near 4,000 notes. The streamer claimed requiring nine months to accomplish.
“The game is a fun, fantasy thing. Just as with other games, that doesn’t mean you ought to use a real gun and go to war,” notes musician Herman Li.
DragonForce previously wrapped up a successful tour when their hit was featured in the third game, but Li says it turned them into widely recognized. “I recall our distributors informing us that our records were moving rapidly,” he says. “Popularity surged on the subsequent tour, and we performed right ahead of the headliners on the Mayhem festival.”
In fact, the band's visibility via the game was so immense that it has threatened to overshadow all other the band has done. Last year, the track was used in a trailer for Despicable Me 4. “In the past I thought differently, but now I accept it,” he admits. “Should you just listen to a single track, that's fine – each person has a unique path in music and I’m glad we’ve been part of people’s lives”.
The Lasting Legacy of a Iconic Controller
The best promotion, whether it’s for cars, clothes or video games, extends beyond than selling something – it evokes a longing. 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 music icon on the stage. Since the beginning, the co-founders believed humans have a natural human desire to create songs, and their goal was to use technology to enable everyone to participate”.
Most of Guitar Hero games were released in just a five-year period from 2005 to 2010, including derivative titles like the DJ version, including a spinning deck, and Band Hero. Subsequently, corporate focus in plastic instruments died down, except for a brief comeback several years later.
Games like Clone Hero and newer releases have kept the community active, and there’s set to be a new product from the founders on the way. A new studio has begun production on their first music game. The initial creators are both involved as special advisers. Is the world ready to embrace another game in the spirit of Guitar Hero?
“We thought those games could be like Madden where you can update every year,” he remarks. “There’s so much new music it could remain evergreen, thus I remain hopeful. It's entirely possible why it can’t continue for future fans.”
