It has been 20 years after Guitar Hero first launched across the Atlantic, providing everyday gamers the opportunity to feel like rock legends. Not in reality, though you'd be hard-pressed convincing anyone who's mastered the epic lengthy instrumental break before an enthusiastic living-room audience.
Created by the developers, the game gave players a plastic guitar peripheral to match on-screen cues scrolling down the display in time with a song. Each riff corresponded to specific notes, creating the sensation of an authentic performance.
The studio had already experimented in the music genre before partnering with the publisher, later purchased by Activision in 2006. Together, they laid the groundwork for a surprising billion-dollar series that had a significant influence on numerous musicians included, introducing decades-old bands to millions of gaming enthusiasts.
Michael Dornbrook, ex-chief operating officer of Harmonix, recalls the initial budgetary hurdles of licensing the songs – even though initial releases mostly used rerecorded tracks.
“We reproduced all the music since the cost was so high,” he explains. “Even with the publishing rights by themselves, it was nearly impossible. We couldn’t get acts such as legendary groups – RedOctane had virtually no money, and we were fairly certain it would fail. But once Guitar Hero became a hit, and record sales airtime were going up, all artists desired to be in.”
He adds: “Among the remarkable aspects was how many parents reached out expressing gratitude for exposing their children to the songs they adored. It evolved into an intergenerational phenomenon.”
Timeless Music Gains a New Audience
Irish blues-rock band one featured act included Never Too Late on the 2008 game Guitar Hero World Tour. Guitarist Paul Mahon remembers how the series revived classic rock to the forefront: “The game offered a bigger, new demographic. Generally this had been seen as music that was past it, however when it was featured on the title young people discovered it, suddenly it became trendy. That legitimised it, eliminating the ‘dad rock’ tag. It provided all our music a new life.”
In 2008, the Answer’s first record was still unreleased in the US, so the game was a key medium for exposure for the band during their US tour supporting AC/DC. “The roadies were playing the song during travel, and several recognized us thanks to the game,” Mahon says.
Major Band Spin-offs and Lasting Influence
Music's heavyweight names quickly capitalised on the series’ popularity, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and others featuring in dedicated spin-off titles that focused on their music collections and related lore, visuals and rock’n’roll mythology. For example, the Aerosmith edition, reportedly to have made the band more money than any of their records. It sold well over 500,000 units in its first week, and demand for Aerosmith’s music rose significantly at a time as the industry faced decline.
Guitar Hero still motivates nimble-fingered fanaticism among its fans. Recently, an online personality achieved an impressive attempt of DragonForce’s Through the Fire and Flames – an infamously tough anthem popularized through Guitar Hero – on Clone Hero, a no-cost alternative with almost identical gameplay but an array of personalization features. This track is challenging even in the hardest setting, not to mention performed at double speed while hitting every one of its near 4,000 notes. The streamer stated requiring nine months to accomplish.
“The game is a fun, fantasy thing. If you play Call of Duty, that doesn’t mean you ought to pick up a real gun and go to war,” says DragonForce guitarist Herman Li.
DragonForce previously completed a profitable run before Through the Fire and Flames was featured on Guitar Hero III, but Li says it made them widely recognized. “I remember our distributors informing us that we were records were moving like crazy,” he shares. “Popularity surged when we next toured, and we were playing just before top acts at the event.”
Indeed, DragonForce’s exposure from Guitar Hero was so immense that it has risked eclipsing everything else the band has done. Recently, the track was used in promotional material for Despicable Me 4. “Previously I thought differently, but now I accept it,” Li says. “If you only listen to one DragonForce song, it’s totally cool – each person has a unique musical journey and I’m glad we’ve been part of people’s lives”.
The Lasting Legacy of a Iconic Controller
The best marketing, whether it’s for cars, apparel or games, extends beyond than selling something – it inspires a desire. Was the game able to harness this? “That’s exactly what our team aiming to achieve,” he confirms. “The excitement of being a music icon on the stage. Since the beginning, the co-founders felt that 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 came out over a mere half-decade from 2005 to 2010, including spin-offs like DJ Hero, including a spinning deck, and the band-focused game. After that, the publisher’s interest on peripherals waned, except for a brief comeback several years later.
Titles like Clone Hero and newer releases have maintained the community alive, with set to be something from the original publisher in development. Recently formed developers has entered work on its debut rhythm-based title. The initial creators are both involved as special advisers. Are gamers ready to embrace a new entry in the spirit of the classic?
“We thought such titles could be similar to sports games allowing annual releases,” he remarks. “With abundant new music that it could be perennially popular, thus I remain hopeful. There’s no reason why it can’t persist for future fans.”
