It has been two decades since Guitar Hero hit the market across the Atlantic, providing everyday gamers the opportunity to feel like rock legends. Not in reality, but try telling that anyone who has mastered the epic four-minute guitar solo in front of an enthusiastic crowd of friends.
Created by Harmonix, the game gave players a plastic guitar peripheral to match coloured notes scrolling down the display synchronized to the music. Each riff corresponded to particular chords, producing the feel of an authentic live show.
Harmonix had already experimented in the music genre before partnering with the publisher, later acquired by the gaming giant in 2006. Together, they established the foundations for an unlikely billion-dollar series that had a significant influence for many musicians featured, showcasing decades-old groups to millions of younger players.
Michael Dornbrook, ex-chief operating officer of Harmonix, remembers the initial budgetary hurdles in securing the recordings – despite the fact initial releases mostly used cover versions.
“We reproduced every song because the cost was so high,” he explains. “Despite having the necessary permissions by themselves, it proved extremely difficult. We couldn’t get bands like legendary groups – RedOctane had virtually no money, and our team was fairly certain the project would flop. But once the game became a hit, album purchases and radio play were going up, all artists desired to be in.”
He adds: “One of the remarkable aspects was the number of parents reached out and thanked us for introducing their kids to the music they adored. It became an intergenerational thing.”
Timeless Music Finds Younger Fans
Northern Irish blues-rock band one featured act included their track on the 2008 game the popular installment. Lead musician the artist remembers the way the game revived classic rock back into vogue: “The game provided a bigger, younger audience. Generally this had been seen as outdated material, but then once it got included in the title and teenagers were finding it, suddenly it was cool. This validated it, and got rid of the outdated label. It gave our catalog a new life.”
At that time, the Answer’s first record remained not available stateside, so Guitar Hero served as a primary platform of discovery for the band as they went on US tour supporting the rock giants. “Their crew had on Never Too Late during travel, and several recognized us from Guitar Hero,” he notes.
Rock’s Heavyweight Titles Enduring Impact
Rock’s biggest acts quickly took advantage of the series’ popularity, with Aerosmith, Metallica and others starring in dedicated game editions that focused on their music collections and related stories, imagery and rock’n’roll mythology. In the case of, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, it was said earned the group greater revenue than any of their records. It moved more than 500,000 units upon release, and demand for their songs saw an increase of up to 40% at a time when the music business was already collapsing.
The series continues to inspire 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 popularized through Guitar Hero – on Clone Hero, a freeware game with similar mechanics but an array of personalization features. The song is challenging even in the hardest setting, let alone played at double speed and without missing every one of the thousands of cues. They stated it took nine months of practice.
“Guitar Hero is a fun, fantasy thing. Just as with other games, it doesn't imply you should pick up actual weapons and enlist,” says musician Herman Li.
The band had already wrapped up a successful tour when Through the Fire and Flames was featured on Guitar Hero III, but Li says it turned them into widely recognized. “I remember our distributors calling to tell me that we were records were moving rapidly,” he says. “Popularity surged on the subsequent tour, and we performed just before the headliners on the Mayhem festival.”
In fact, DragonForce’s exposure from Guitar Hero proved so vast that it risked overshadow all other accomplishments. Last year, the track featured in promotional material for a major film. “Previously I felt otherwise, but I’ve made peace with it,” he admits. “If you only hear one DragonForce song, that's fine – everyone’s got their own musical journey and I’m glad we played a role in fans' experiences”.
The Lasting Legacy of a Iconic Controller
The best marketing, be it for automobiles, clothes or video games, extends beyond than selling something – it inspires a desire. Did Guitar Hero tap into that? “Precisely what our team aiming to achieve,” Dornbrook says. “That thrill of performing as a music icon on the stage. Since the beginning, the co-founders believed humans have a natural human desire to create songs, and their goal was to use technology to allow people to do it”.
The majority of Guitar Hero games came out in just a five-year period between 2005 and 2010, including spin-offs like the DJ version, including a spinning deck, and the band-focused game. Subsequently, the publisher’s interest on peripherals waned, aside from a short-lived revival in 2015.
Games like the fan project and Fortnite Festival have kept the community active, and there’s expectations of a new product from the founders in development. Recently formed developers has begun work on their first rhythm-based title. Original co-founders are both involved as special advisers. Are gamers prepared to welcome another game in the spirit of Guitar Hero?
“Our team believed those games could be similar to sports games allowing annual update every year,” Dornbrook says. “With abundant fresh tracks it could remain perennially popular, thus I remain optimistic. There’s no reason why it can’t continue with new generations.”
