Marking 20 years after the legendary game debuted across the Atlantic, offering everyday gamers the means to feel like rock legends. Not literally, though you'd be hard-pressed telling that anyone who has mastered the epic four-minute instrumental break in front of a packed living-room audience.
Developed by the developers, Guitar Hero gave players a plastic guitar peripheral to match on-screen cues scrolling down the screen synchronized to a song. Every sequence mimicked specific notes, producing the sensation of a genuine performance.
Harmonix previously tried its hand in the music genre before partnering with RedOctane, later acquired by Activision in 2006. Together, they established the groundwork for a surprising billion-dollar series which made a remarkable impact for many of the artists featured, introducing decades-old bands to a new generation of gaming enthusiasts.
A former executive, ex-chief operating officer from the developer, recalls the initial budgetary hurdles in securing the songs – even though the first two games mostly used rerecorded tracks.
“We reproduced every song because the cost was so high,” he explains. “Even with the necessary permissions alone, it proved nearly impossible. We couldn’t get bands like the Who – the publisher had virtually no money, and we were fairly certain the project would flop. But once the game took off, album purchases airtime increased, all artists desired to be in.”
He adds: “One of the amazing things was how many mothers and fathers got in touch and thanked us for exposing their kids to the songs they loved. It evolved into an intergenerational phenomenon.”
Timeless Music Finds a New Audience
Irish blues-rock band the Answer had Never Too Late on the 2008 game Guitar Hero World Tour. Lead musician Paul Mahon recalls the way the game brought older hits back into vogue: “The game provided a bigger, younger audience. Typically this had been considered music that was past it, however when it was included in the title young people were finding it, abruptly it was cool. This validated the genre, and got rid of the outdated label. It provided all our music renewed popularity.”
At that time, the Answer’s first record was still unreleased in the US, so the game served as a primary platform of discovery for the band as they went on US tour supporting AC/DC. “Their crew were playing Never Too Late on the tour bus, and some of them recognized us thanks to the game,” Mahon says.
Rock’s Heavyweight Spin-offs Enduring Impact
Music's biggest acts quickly took advantage of the series’ popularity, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and others starring in specialized spin-off titles centered around each band’s catalogue and related stories, imagery and rock’n’roll mythology. In the case of, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, it was said to have made the band more money compared to their studio albums. It sold more than half a million copies in its first week, and sales of their songs saw an increase significantly at a time as the industry was already collapsing.
Guitar Hero still motivates quick-handed fanaticism among its fans. Recently, an online personality achieved a remarkable feat of DragonForce’s Through the Fire and Flames – an infamously tough power-metal song made popular by the game – using a fan-made version, a freeware game with similar mechanics and extensive personalization features. This track is difficult enough on expert mode, let alone played at double speed and without missing a single one of its near 4,000 notes. The streamer stated requiring months of practice of practice.
“Guitar Hero offers a, fantasy thing. If you play Call of Duty, that doesn’t mean you ought to pick up actual weapons and enlist,” notes DragonForce guitarist the artist.
DragonForce previously wrapped up a profitable run before their hit was featured on Guitar Hero III, yet he explains it made them a household name. “I remember our distributors informing us that our selling albums rapidly,” he shares. “Popularity surged when we next toured, and we performed right ahead of top acts on the Mayhem festival.”
In fact, the band's visibility via the game was so immense that it risked overshadow all other accomplishments. Recently, the song was used in a trailer for Despicable Me 4. “Previously I felt otherwise, but now I accept it,” Li says. “Should you just listen to one DragonForce song, it’s totally cool – everyone’s got their own musical journey and I'm pleased we’ve been part in fans' experiences”.
Enduring Impact from the Iconic Controller
Top-tier marketing, be it for automobiles, clothes or games, goes further mere transactions – it inspires a longing. Was the game able to tap into that? “Precisely what we were aiming to achieve,” he confirms. “The excitement of performing as a rock star on the stage. Since the beginning, the creators believed humans have a natural human desire to make music, and they wanted to use technology to allow people to do it”.
Most installments were released over a mere half-decade between 2005 and 2010, including derivative titles such as DJ Hero, including a spinning deck, and Band Hero. After that, the publisher’s interest on peripherals died down, except for a short-lived revival several years later.
Games like Clone Hero and newer releases have kept the scene active, with set to be something from the original publisher in development. Recently formed developers has begun work on their first music game. Original co-founders are both involved in advisory roles. Are gamers prepared to welcome a new entry following Guitar Hero?
“We thought those games might become similar to sports games where you can releases,” Dornbrook says. “With abundant fresh tracks it could remain evergreen, thus I remain hopeful. It's entirely possible for it to continue for future fans.”
