Marking two decades after Guitar Hero first launched across the Atlantic, offering everyday gamers the tools to become a rock star. Not in reality, though you'd be hard-pressed telling that someone who's nailed the epic lengthy guitar solo in front of an enthusiastic crowd of friends.
Created by the developers, the game gave players a guitar-shaped controller to match coloured notes scrolling down the display synchronized to the music. Each riff mimicked specific notes, creating the sensation of a genuine performance.
Harmonix previously experimented with rhythm games before partnering with the publisher, which was purchased by the gaming giant in 2006. Collaboratively, they laid the groundwork for a surprising massively profitable series which made a remarkable impact for many musicians included, introducing decades-old bands to millions of younger players.
A former executive, former COO from the developer, remembers the early budgetary hurdles of licensing the songs – even though initial releases primarily featured cover versions.
“We reproduced all the music because the cost prohibitive,” he says. “Even with the necessary permissions by themselves, it was nearly impossible. We couldn’t get acts such as the Who – the publisher had virtually no money, and we were pretty convinced the project would flop. However, when Guitar Hero took off, and record sales and radio play increased, everyone wanted to be in.”
He continues: “Among the remarkable aspects was how many parents got in touch expressing gratitude for exposing their children to the songs they adored. It became an intergenerational phenomenon.”
Timeless Music Finds a New Audience
Irish group one featured act included their track in the 2008 release Guitar Hero World Tour. Lead musician Paul Mahon remembers the way the game brought older hits to the forefront: “Guitar Hero provided a bigger, younger audience. Generally such music was considered outdated material, but then when it was included in the title young people discovered it, suddenly it became trendy. That legitimised the genre, and got rid of the ‘dad rock’ tag. It provided all our music renewed popularity.”
In 2008, the band's first record remained unreleased stateside, so Guitar Hero served as a primary platform of discovery for the band during their a North American tour supporting AC/DC. “Their crew were playing the song on the tour bus, and several knew us thanks to the game,” Mahon says.
Major Band Spin-offs Enduring Influence
Rock’s heavyweight names quickly capitalised on the series’ popularity, with Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen featuring in dedicated game editions that focused on their music collections and related lore, visuals and legendary status. For example, the Aerosmith edition, reportedly to have made the band more money compared to their records. It sold well over 500,000 units in its first week, and sales of Aerosmith’s music rose significantly during an era when the music business faced decline.
Guitar Hero continues to inspire quick-handed fanaticism within the community. Recently, an online personality achieved a remarkable feat of DragonForce’s Through the Fire and Flames – an infamously tough anthem popularized through the game – on Clone Hero, a freeware game with similar mechanics but an array of customisation options. This track is difficult even in expert mode, not to mention played at increased tempo while hitting a single one of the thousands of cues. The streamer claimed it took months of practice to accomplish.
“Guitar Hero offers a, imaginary experience. If you play other games, that doesn’t mean you should pick up actual weapons and enlist,” notes DragonForce guitarist the artist.
DragonForce had already completed a profitable run when Through the Fire and Flames was featured in the third game, but Li says it made them widely recognized. “I recall the record label calling to tell me that we were selling albums like crazy,” he says. “Popularity surged on the subsequent tour, and we were playing just before the headliners on the Mayhem festival.”
In fact, DragonForce’s exposure via the game proved so vast that it threatened to eclipsing everything else the band has done. Last year, the track was used in promotional material for a major film. “In the past I felt differently, but now I accept it,” Li says. “If you only hear one DragonForce song, it’s totally cool – everyone’s got their own path in music and I'm pleased we’ve been part in fans' experiences”.
Enduring Impact of a Iconic Controller
The best promotion, whether it’s for cars, clothes or games, extends beyond than selling something – it inspires a longing. Was the game able to harness this? “That’s exactly what our team aiming to achieve,” he confirms. “That thrill of performing as a rock star on the stage. From day one, the creators believed humans have a natural urge to make music, and they wanted to leverage innovation to allow people to participate”.
Most installments came out in just a half-decade from 2005 to 2010, featuring derivative titles such as the DJ version, including a spinning deck, and Band Hero. After that, corporate focus on peripherals died down, aside from a brief comeback several years later.
Titles such as the fan project and Fortnite Festival have kept the scene active, and there’s expectations of something from the founders in development. Recently formed developers has entered production on their first rhythm-based title. The initial creators are participating in advisory roles. Are gamers ready to embrace a new entry following the classic?
“We thought those games could be like Madden allowing annual releases,” Dornbrook says. “With abundant new music it could remain perennially popular, so I’ve always been optimistic. There’s no reason why it can’t persist with new generations.”
