It has been 20 years after Guitar Hero hit the market across the Atlantic, offering everyday gamers the tools to become rock legends. Figuratively speaking, but try telling that anyone who's mastered Free Bird’s lengthy guitar solo before an enthusiastic living-room audience.
Created by Harmonix, Guitar Hero provided users with a plastic guitar peripheral to match on-screen cues scrolling down the display in time with a song. Every sequence corresponded to specific notes, creating the sensation of a genuine live show.
Harmonix had already experimented with rhythm games prior to teaming up with RedOctane, which was acquired by the gaming giant in 2006. Collaboratively, they established the groundwork for an unlikely massively profitable franchise which made a remarkable influence for many of the artists included, introducing classic bands to a new generation of younger players.
Michael Dornbrook, ex-chief operating officer of Harmonix, recalls the early financial challenges in securing the recordings – even though the first two games mostly used cover versions.
“We rerecorded every song since the dollar figure prohibitive,” he explains. “Even with the necessary permissions by themselves, it was nearly impossible. We couldn’t get bands like the Who – RedOctane had virtually no money, and we were pretty convinced the project would flop. However, when Guitar Hero became a hit, album purchases and radio play were going up, all artists desired to be in.”
He continues: “Among the amazing things was the number of mothers and fathers reached out expressing gratitude for exposing their kids to the songs they loved. It became an intergenerational thing.”
Timeless Music Finds a New Audience
Northern Irish group one featured act had Never Too Late in the 2008 release Guitar Hero World Tour. Lead musician the artist recalls how the series brought classic rock back into vogue: “The game offered a larger, younger audience. Generally such music was considered music that was past it, but then once it got included in the title and teenagers discovered it, abruptly it was cool. That legitimised the genre, and got rid of the outdated label. It gave all our music renewed popularity.”
In 2008, the Answer’s debut album remained unreleased in the US, so Guitar Hero served as a primary platform for exposure for the group during their US tour supporting the rock giants. “The roadies were playing the song during travel, and some of them recognized us from Guitar Hero,” Mahon says.
Rock’s Heavyweight Titles Enduring Influence
Music's heavyweight names soon took advantage of the game's success, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen starring in specialized game editions that focused on each band’s catalogue and related lore, imagery and legendary status. In the case of, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, it was said to have made the group more money than any of their studio albums. It moved more than half a million units in its first week, while demand for Aerosmith’s music saw an increase significantly at a time when the music business was already collapsing.
The series still motivates quick-handed dedication among its fans. Earlier this year, a streamer achieved a remarkable feat featuring the challenging track – an infamously tough power-metal song made popular by Guitar Hero – using a fan-made version, a no-cost alternative with similar mechanics but an array of personalization features. This track is challenging even in expert mode, let alone played at increased tempo and without missing every one of the thousands of cues. The streamer stated it took months of practice of practice.
“The game is a fun, fantasy thing. If you play Call of Duty, it doesn't imply you ought to use a real gun and go to war,” notes DragonForce guitarist Herman Li.
DragonForce had already wrapped up a successful tour before Through the Fire and Flames was featured on Guitar Hero III, yet he explains it made them a household name. “I recall our distributors calling to tell me that our selling albums like crazy,” he says. “It exploded when we next toured, and we performed right ahead of top acts on the Mayhem festival.”
In fact, DragonForce’s exposure from Guitar Hero proved so vast that it has risked overshadow everything else accomplishments. Last year, the track was used in promotional material for Despicable Me 4. “Previously I felt differently, but now I accept it,” he admits. “Should you just hear one DragonForce song, that's fine – everyone’s got their own musical journey and I'm pleased we’ve been part of people’s lives”.
The Lasting Impact of a Iconic Controller
The best promotion, whether it’s for automobiles, clothes or video games, goes further than selling something – it inspires a desire. Did Guitar Hero tap into that? “That’s exactly what our team aiming to achieve,” Dornbrook says. “The excitement of performing as a rock star in the spotlight. Since the beginning, the creators felt that humans have a natural human desire to create songs, and their goal was to use technology to enable everyone to participate”.
Most of Guitar Hero games were released in just a five-year period from 2005 to 2010, featuring spin-offs such as the DJ version, complete with a spinning deck, and Band Hero. After that, the publisher’s interest in plastic instruments died down, aside from a short-lived revival several years later.
Titles like Clone Hero and newer releases have maintained the community active, with expectations of a new product from the original publisher in development. A new studio has entered production on their first music game. The initial creators are both involved as special advisers. Are gamers ready to embrace another game following Guitar Hero?
“We thought those games could be like Madden where you can update every year,” he remarks. “With abundant new music it could remain evergreen, thus I remain optimistic. It's entirely possible why it can’t continue with new generations.”
