It has been 20 years since Guitar Hero debuted across the Atlantic, offering everyday gamers the means to become rock legends. Not literally, but try telling that someone who has nailed the epic lengthy guitar solo before a packed crowd of friends.
Created by Harmonix, Guitar Hero provided users with a guitar-shaped controller to match on-screen cues moving along the screen in time with the music. Every sequence corresponded to particular chords, creating the feel of a genuine performance.
The studio previously experimented in the music genre before partnering with RedOctane, later purchased by the gaming giant in 2006. Together, they established the foundations for a surprising massively profitable franchise which made a significant influence for many musicians featured, showcasing decades-old bands to a new generation of younger players.
Michael Dornbrook, former COO from the developer, recalls the early budgetary hurdles of licensing the recordings – despite the fact the first two games primarily featured cover versions.
“We reproduced every song because the dollar figure was so high,” he explains. “Despite having the publishing rights by themselves, it proved nearly impossible. We failed to secure acts such as the Who – RedOctane had virtually no money, and our team was pretty convinced the project would flop. However, when the game took off, album purchases airtime were going up, all artists desired to participate.”
He continues: “One of the amazing things was the number of parents got in touch expressing gratitude for introducing their children to the songs they loved. It became an intergenerational phenomenon.”
Classic Rock Finds a New Audience
Irish blues-rock band one featured act had their track on the 2008 game the popular installment. Lead musician Paul Mahon recalls how the series revived older hits back into vogue: “Guitar Hero offered a bigger, younger audience. Typically this had been seen as music that was past it, however once it got featured on the title young people were finding it, abruptly it was cool. That legitimised the genre, eliminating the outdated tag. It provided our catalog a new life.”
In 2008, the Answer’s debut album was still unreleased in the US, so Guitar Hero served as a primary platform for exposure for the band as they went on US tour supporting the rock giants. “The roadies had on Never Too Late during travel, and some of them knew us thanks to the game,” Mahon says.
Major Band Spin-offs Enduring Influence
Rock’s heavyweight names soon capitalised on the game's success, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen featuring in dedicated game editions that focused on their music collections and related stories, visuals and rock’n’roll mythology. For example, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, it was said to have made the group more money than any of their studio albums. It sold well over half a million units in its first week, while sales of their songs saw an increase of up to 40% at a time when the music business faced decline.
Guitar Hero still motivates nimble-fingered dedication among its fans. Recently, a streamer completed an impressive attempt featuring the challenging track – a notoriously difficult power-metal song popularized through the game – using a fan-made version, a freeware game with similar mechanics and extensive personalization features. This track is difficult even in expert mode, let alone played at increased tempo and without missing a single one of its near 4,000 notes. They stated requiring nine months 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 enlist,” notes DragonForce guitarist the artist.
DragonForce previously completed a successful tour when Through the Fire and Flames was featured in the third game, but Li says it made them widely recognized. “I recall our distributors calling to tell me that our selling albums rapidly,” he says. “Popularity surged on the subsequent tour, and we performed just before the headliners on the Mayhem festival.”
Indeed, DragonForce’s exposure via the game was so immense that it has threatened to overshadow all other accomplishments. Recently, the track featured in a trailer for a major film. “In the past I thought differently, but now I accept it,” he admits. “If you only listen to a single track, it’s totally cool – each person has a unique path in music and I'm pleased we played a role of people’s lives”.
Enduring Impact of a Iconic Controller
Top-tier marketing, be it for automobiles, clothes or video games, extends beyond mere transactions – it inspires a desire. Did Guitar Hero harness this? “That’s exactly what we were trying to create,” he confirms. “That thrill of performing as a music icon in the spotlight. Since the beginning, the creators felt that humans have a natural human desire to make music, and they wanted to use technology to enable everyone to participate”.
The majority installments were released in just a half-decade between 2005 and 2010, including spin-offs such as DJ Hero, complete with a turntable controller, and Band Hero. Subsequently, the publisher’s interest in plastic instruments waned, aside from a short-lived revival in 2015.
Titles like Clone Hero and newer releases have kept the community active, and there’s expectations of something from the original publisher on the way. Recently formed developers has entered work on their first music game. The initial creators are both involved in advisory roles. Is the world prepared to welcome another game in the spirit of the classic?
“We thought such titles might become similar to sports games where you can update every year,” he remarks. “There’s so much new music that it could be perennially popular, thus I remain optimistic. It's entirely possible for it to persist with new generations.”