Marking two decades since Guitar Hero debuted in North America, providing players everywhere the tools to become rock legends. Not in reality, though you'd be hard-pressed convincing anyone who's nailed the epic four-minute instrumental break before an enthusiastic crowd of friends.
Created by Harmonix, Guitar Hero gave players a plastic guitar peripheral to follow on-screen cues moving along the screen synchronized to a song. Every sequence mimicked specific notes, creating the sensation of an authentic performance.
The studio had already experimented with rhythm games before partnering with RedOctane, later acquired by the gaming giant during the mid-2000s. Collaboratively, they laid the foundations for a surprising massively profitable franchise which made a remarkable influence on numerous musicians featured, introducing classic bands to a new generation of gaming enthusiasts.
Michael Dornbrook, ex-chief operating officer of Harmonix, recalls the early financial challenges in securing the songs – despite the fact the first two games mostly used cover versions.
“We rerecorded every song because the dollar figure prohibitive,” he says. “Despite having the publishing rights alone, it proved extremely difficult. We failed to secure acts such as the Who – RedOctane was operating on a shoestring budget, and our team was pretty convinced the project would flop. But once the game became a hit, album purchases and radio play increased, all artists desired to be in.”
He adds: “Among the remarkable aspects was how many mothers and fathers got in touch expressing gratitude for exposing their kids to the songs they adored. It evolved into a multigenerational thing.”
Classic Rock Gains Younger Fans
Irish blues-rock band one featured act included Never Too Late in the 2008 release Guitar Hero World Tour. Guitarist Paul Mahon recalls the way the game revived classic rock back into vogue: “Guitar Hero offered a larger, new demographic. Generally such music was seen as outdated material, but then when it was featured on the game and teenagers were finding it, abruptly it became trendy. This validated the genre, and got rid of the ‘dad rock’ label. It gave our catalog a new life.”
In 2008, the band's debut album remained unreleased in the US, meaning Guitar Hero was a key medium of discovery for the group as they went on US tour supporting the rock giants. “Their crew were playing the song on the tour bus, and some of them knew us thanks to the game,” Mahon says.
Major Band Titles Enduring Influence
Rock’s heavyweight names quickly capitalised on the game's success, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and others starring in dedicated game editions that focused on their music collections and associated stories, visuals and legendary status. For example, the Aerosmith edition, reportedly earned the band more money compared to their studio albums. It moved more than half a million copies upon release, and sales of their songs saw an increase of up to 40% at a time when the music business faced decline.
Guitar Hero still motivates quick-handed fanaticism among its fans. Recently, a streamer completed a remarkable feat of DragonForce’s Through the Fire and Flames – an infamously tough anthem made popular by Guitar Hero – on Clone Hero, a freeware game with almost identical gameplay but an array of customisation options. The song is challenging even in the hardest setting, let alone played at increased tempo and without missing a single one of its near 4,000 notes. The streamer claimed requiring months of practice to accomplish.
“Guitar Hero is a fun, fantasy thing. If you play Call of Duty, that doesn’t mean you ought to pick up actual weapons and go to war,” says musician Herman Li.
DragonForce had already wrapped up a successful tour before their hit appeared in the third game, but Li says it made them widely recognized. “I remember our distributors informing us that our selling albums rapidly,” he says. “Popularity surged on the subsequent tour, and we performed just before the headliners on the Mayhem festival.”
In fact, the band's visibility via the game was so immense that it has risked overshadow all other the band has done. Last year, the track featured in promotional material for a major film. “In the past I felt otherwise, but I’ve made peace with it,” Li says. “Should you just hear a single track, it’s totally cool – everyone’s got a unique path in music and I'm pleased we played a role of people’s lives”.
Enduring Legacy from the Iconic Controller
The best promotion, be it for cars, apparel or games, goes further mere transactions – it evokes a longing. Was the game able to harness this? “Precisely what our team trying to create,” he confirms. “That thrill of being a music icon in the spotlight. From day one, the creators believed there’s an instinctive human desire to create songs, and they wanted to leverage innovation to enable everyone to do it”.
The majority installments were released in just a five-year period between 2005 and 2010, featuring spin-offs such as the DJ version, including a spinning deck, and the band-focused game. After that, corporate focus in plastic instruments died down, aside from a brief comeback in 2015.
Games such as the fan project and Fortnite Festival have maintained the community active, with set to be something from the original publisher on the way. Recently formed developers has begun work on its debut music game. Original co-founders are both involved as special advisers. Are gamers prepared to welcome another game following Guitar Hero?
“We thought such titles could be like Madden where you can update every year,” he remarks. “With abundant fresh tracks it could remain evergreen, thus I remain optimistic. There’s no reason why it can’t persist with new generations.”
