Marking two decades since Guitar Hero first launched across the Atlantic, providing everyday gamers the opportunity to feel like a rock star. Not in reality, though you'd be hard-pressed telling that someone who's nailed the epic lengthy guitar solo before a packed crowd of friends.
Created by the developers, the game provided users with a guitar-shaped controller to follow coloured notes scrolling down the screen in time with a song. Each riff mimicked particular chords, producing the sensation of an authentic live show.
Harmonix previously experimented in the music genre before partnering with the publisher, which was purchased by Activision in 2006. Collaboratively, they established the foundations for a surprising billion-dollar franchise which made a remarkable impact for many of the artists featured, introducing decades-old bands to a new generation of younger players.
Michael Dornbrook, former COO of Harmonix, recalls the early budgetary hurdles of licensing the recordings – despite the fact initial releases mostly used cover versions.
“We rerecorded all the music since the dollar figure was so high,” he explains. “Even with the publishing rights 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. However, when the game took off, and record sales and radio play 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 an intergenerational phenomenon.”
Classic Rock Gains Younger Fans
Irish group the Answer had their track on the 2008 game Guitar Hero World Tour. Guitarist Paul Mahon recalls how the series brought older hits to the forefront: “The game provided a bigger, new demographic. Generally this had been seen as music that was past it, but then once it got included in the game young people discovered it, suddenly it was cool. This validated it, and got rid of the ‘dad rock’ label. It gave our catalog a new life.”
At that time, the band's debut album remained unreleased stateside, so Guitar Hero served as a primary platform for exposure for the group during their a North American tour supporting AC/DC. “Their crew were playing Never Too Late during travel, and some of them knew us thanks to the game,” Mahon says.
Rock’s Heavyweight Titles and Lasting Impact
Rock’s heavyweight names soon capitalised on the series’ popularity, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and others starring in specialized game editions centered around each band’s catalogue and related stories, imagery and rock’n’roll mythology. In the case of, the Aerosmith edition, reportedly earned the group more money than any of their studio albums. It moved more than half a million copies upon release, while demand for their songs saw an increase of up to 40% during an era as the industry was already collapsing.
Guitar Hero continues to inspire quick-handed dedication among its fans. Recently, an online personality completed a remarkable feat featuring the challenging track – an infamously tough anthem popularized through Guitar Hero – using a fan-made version, a freeware game with similar gameplay but an array of personalization features. The song is difficult enough on the hardest setting, let alone performed at increased tempo while hitting a single one of its near 4,000 notes. The streamer claimed requiring nine months to accomplish.
“Guitar Hero offers a, imaginary experience. Just as with other games, that doesn’t mean you ought to pick up actual weapons and enlist,” says DragonForce guitarist the artist.
DragonForce previously wrapped up a profitable run when Through the Fire and Flames appeared on Guitar Hero III, but Li says it turned them into widely recognized. “I remember the record label informing us that we were selling albums like crazy,” he shares. “Popularity surged on the subsequent tour, and we were playing just before top acts at the event.”
In fact, DragonForce’s exposure from Guitar Hero proved so vast that it risked overshadow everything else accomplishments. Last year, the song featured in promotional material for a major film. “In the past I thought otherwise, but now I accept it,” he admits. “If you only hear a single track, that's fine – each person has their own path in music and I’m glad we played a role of people’s lives”.
The Lasting Legacy from the Iconic Controller
The best marketing, be it for automobiles, apparel or games, goes further than selling something – it evokes a longing. Did Guitar Hero harness this? “Precisely what we were aiming to achieve,” he confirms. “The excitement of performing as a rock star in the spotlight. From day one, the co-founders believed humans have a natural urge to make music, and their goal was to use technology to enable everyone to participate”.
Most of Guitar Hero games came out in just a five-year period between 2005 and 2010, featuring spin-offs such as the DJ version, complete with a turntable controller, and Band Hero. Subsequently, the publisher’s interest in plastic instruments waned, except for a short-lived revival in 2015.
Games like Clone Hero and newer releases have kept the community active, and there’s set to be a new product from the original publisher on the way. A new studio has begun work on its debut music game. Original co-founders are participating as special advisers. Are gamers ready to embrace a new entry following Guitar Hero?
“Our team believed those games might become similar to sports games where you can releases,” Dornbrook says. “There’s so much new music it could remain perennially popular, thus I remain optimistic. There’s no reason for it to persist for future fans.”
